News Updates

Land Use Inventory provides updated look at northeastern Illinois

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) updated its Land Use Inventory, a survey of northeastern Illinois’ land use. This data is a resource for planners, transportation agencies, university researchers, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms, and more.

It can help you understand existing land uses when creating a comprehensive plan and track progress toward goals. For example, you can analyze the success of development policies, such as tracking if recent policies have led to more infill and transit-oriented development.

The data covers more than 50 types of land uses that fall into the categories of:

• Residential
• Commercial
• Institutional
• Industrial
• Transportation, communication, utilities, and waste
• Agriculture
• Open space
• Vacant/under construction
• Other

The 2026 inventory features 2023 data, following refinement by CMAP, including a review of 60,000 parcels.

CMAP uses the Land Use Inventory to develop long-range population, household, and economic forecasts in support of its comprehensive planning projects.