Chicago Recovery Plan: Using ARPA for Equitable Outcomes

The "Chicago Recovery Plan" is a comprehensive approach to equitable recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development created a quarter-billion-dollar recovery program that focuses on both internal systemic improvements and external, community-led placemaking. The program encompasses three initiatives (community development, small business and workforce support, and climate investments) across 12 programs, all reflective of the needs of Chicagoans.

By centering five core principles (program components must be equitable, people-centered, data-informed, innovative, and lasting) the Chicago Department of Planning has been able to make or build on catalytic investments in communities that historically have been underrepresented, under-resourced, and disproportionally affected by racist planning policies and practices.

This presentation teaches how to create a new framework for urban planning programs that use equity as a core component for shaping the built environment and addressing various equity issues facing many communities. Presenters discuss how DEI principles work (or sometimes, don’t work) with ARPA and other federal, state, and local regulations. They stress the importance of data collection, visualization, and analysis.

NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Intermediate. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.