Helping the Community

The Chaddick Institute offers services to nonprofit organizations and units of government to improve planning, economic development and the quality of life.   We are currently engaged in a variety of projects to enhance community involvement in land-use planning.

Current Projects:

• Program for High School Students. The Institute is in the midst of an experimental program for high-school age students in the Chicago Public Schools system.  In March and April, it will bring students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences to campus for several day-long programs.  We will introduce these students to urban planning and city governance in a way that stimulates their interest in careers in this area. "The Chicago Experience" for High Schoolers!

• New Book on the History of Chicago Zoning. Our book on the history of zoning in Chicago, the Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago, is in its final research phase.  It is the product of more than four years of research and forty interviews.  It will include more than 75 illustrations.  We thank Robert Boylan, Norman Elkin, and Larry Lund, who are helping use extensively on this project.

• Chaddick Development Control Award.  In January, we launched the Chaddick Development Control Award.  The purpose of this competition is to recognize a suburban unit of government that is demonstrating excellence in sign control, design review, zoning, subdivision regulation, or the development approval process over a period of five years of more.  We expect our award committee (consisting primarily of those external to DePaul) to name the first recipient in June.

Examples of completed projects:

Comprehensive Planning for the Village of University Park.   The Institute assisted the village collect data to begin to develop a new comprehensive plan and community-outreach effort to refine community goals.  This program was supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Community Survey for Lake County.   The Institute took a lead role in designing and implementing surveys of county residents and employees.   We used this information to identify opportunities available to the county to enhance its organizational effectiveness.

Community Involvement in Chicago Public Schools.   The Institute assisted the Chicago Public Schools conduct a survey of city residents about the city’s unfolding Renaissance Schools Initiative.

 Link to Lolita Sereleas’ Fund Consulting web site