New Tool Analyzes Chicago Zoning Maps

Chicago Cityscape has announced a new online tool that breaks down the zoning on a map of any part of a Chicago. Steven Vance writes:

Zoning Assessment is a new, automated tool that measures the kind of different zoning districts in any of the more than 6,000 maps of Chicago on Chicago Cityscape. With it you can see how much residential-only, mixed-use, or planned developments make up a ward, community, or the area around a CTA station.

While Vance warns that zoning may not indicate actual land use, he also highlights the utility of even limited zoning analysis. For example, he uses the tool to identify low-density residential areas with 24-hour rapid transit service, opening up questions about the level of transit-oriented development there. More details, examples, and images of the tool are available at Chicago Cityscape.