A local planning think tank is blaming Chicago’s aldermanic tradition of hyperlocal control of what gets built and where for “standing in the way” of making housing more affordable, predictable and fair, ensuring “political infighting rather than common-sense policymaking.”
But getting members of the City Council to give up their “prerogative” — an unofficial system in which aldermen can give a thumbs up or down to projects within their wards and colleagues largely defer to their decisions by default — will be tough, according to the comprehensive report on proposed improvements to Chicago’s outdated zoning code by the Metropolitan Planning Council.
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