This letter was originally published in the Chicago Tribune. You can find the original here: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/10/letters-091025-broadway-upzoning/
I wish I could say I was surprised by the opposition to the proposed Broadway upzoning, but after 15 years of living in Edgewater, this feels like another instance in which my neighbors, who are otherwise well meaning, will end up putting parking over people and their own property values over everything else.
In case you are unfamiliar, the Broadway upzoning would allow for more housing along Broadway Avenue from Montrose to Devon Avenue. That sounds great to me: What better way to support the Lawrence to Bryn Mawr modernization project than to allow people to live near our elevated trains, truly one of the advantages our city can offer people from all walks of life. It is not “wishful thinking” that building housing by the trains will reduce the amount of cars in the neighborhood; it’s how cities work!
Moreover, the sort of urban infill housing that the upzoning would provide is exactly what our climate needs. First, density facilitates human-powered transportation and requires fewer resources to provide more utilities to homes. And, perhaps more importantly, this sort of development prevents urban sprawl. We may not have crude oil or rare earth metals, but thanks to the glaciers, Illinois has something even better: the most arable topsoil on earth. Building in the city protects our state’s vital agricultural industry, allowing us to keep food on the table literally.
Upzoning will also be good for the economy! Rather than being “zoned out of business,” existing neighborhood stores will have more customers within walking distance. New businesses will have regulatory clarity. And the increased tax revenue from upzoning will help us fund our city’s important services.
Finally, study after study shows that building more housing keeps rents low. This is both in the short term, when a building incorporates affordable housing units, but also in the long term, as increasing supply keeps demand in check. Chicago has seen some of the highest rent rises in the country lately, threatening our status as an affordable city.
If I were more cynical, I might think my neighbors were cheering this on. Perhaps there are folks who want housing to stay scarce in Edgewater so that they can protect their own property values. I hope that is not true, because nothing will make our homes more valuable than Edgewater continuing to be a desirable place to live.
In this house, we believe in upzoning Broadway!