Users can see the designated zoning of a property, look up the meaning of a given zoning designation, view color-coded aerial maps, examine ward boundaries, get information about planned developments and more. The technology even allows a user to measure distance on a zoning map, such as the distance between a building and the public way. The site features a "help" function to assist users.
Before this online system, residents generally had to visit city hall to research zoning questions. Residents and city officials alike had to rely on paper maps that were updated manually, or on a published zoning book whose information could lag a year behind any recent zoning changes.
The new maps and Web site allow the city to provide more timely and more detailed information, and to provide it more quickly, than ever before, according to Edward J. Kus, executive director of the Mayor's Zoning Reform Commission.
"Now we can present up-to-date information to people right in their own homes. It is part of the mayor's insistence that the information of government be available to the general public," said Kus. "In this era of constant redevelopment in Chicago, it is important for citizens to know what kind of projects can be built in their neighborhoods."
Chicago's online maps represent the best of current technology and took about two years to create. The project is part of a comprehensive rewrite of the entire Zoning Code text. Mayor Richard M. Daley's Zoning Reform Commission was charged with directing the rewrite, which is being submitted to the City Council for approval. The current text of Chicago's zoning code is available online with the maps. The text, which can be searched by topic, is updated frequently in accordance with changes enacted by the City Council.