Dear Campaign Members, Funders, and Supporters,
After nine years of achievements and careful consideration of attained goals, the steering committee for the Campaign for Sensible Growth is declaring victory! The Campaign disbanded at the end of 2007, but its partners are committed to continuing the work of building a stronger and more sustainable region.
Nine years ago, “sensible growth” was an unfamiliar term to most policy makers in northeastern Illinois. Together in 1998, environmentalists, planning and civic groups, community organizations, and real estate and development leaders established the Campaign for Sensible Growth to pursue policies that would preserve natural resources, invest in existing communities, and create better places for all residents of this region. Today, the values embodied in the term “sensible growth” are accepted by many, thanks in no small part to the work of the Campaign.
Progress made by the national smart growth movement since the late 1990s also positions the Campaign for this transition. Communities across the country are tackling half a century of suburban sprawl, urban decentralization, and separation-of-use zoning through a mixture of public education, advocacy, and technical assistance…and persistence. The Campaign for Sensible Growth has been a trailblazer locally and nationally amongst organizations dedicated to spreading the sensible growth message. As our issues have matured from helping make the “smart growth” paradigm accessible to actually executing sensible development strategies, it is time to focus more on implementation opportunities.
The end of a coalition is far different than abandoning a mission, and the Campaign’s principles and priorities will evolve and continue. Our many accomplishments – documented in the Campaign’s History of Success – were borne out of a broad base of supporters. This strong foundation means multiple organizations and partners throughout Chicagoland are stepping up to continue the Campaign’s agenda. The bulk of the Campaign’s work plan and mission will be carried out through all the partner organizations, including co-chairs Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), both of whom will continue promoting the principles of sensible growth through technical assistance, education, and policy development.
Future initiatives will only be successful with the involvement of our members, funders, and supporters, all of whom are critical to sustaining this work. We have valued your participation in the Campaign for Sensible Growth, and look forward to our future endeavors together as we put more sensible growth concepts into practice in our region. Please learn more about the work of Campaign partner organizations at their websites listed below, and be sure to explore the History of Success, which details the Campaign’s activity throughout its existence. As Campaign manager Michael Davidson has now joined MPC as manager of planning, please contact him at (312) 863-6009 or mdavidson@metroplanning.org to let us know how you would like to stay involved.
Sincerely yours,
The Coalition Partners
