Civic Consulting Alliance is playing a key role in the Cut the Tape initiative to help the City accelerate its approval processes for real estate development projects. We leveraged our expertise to help the Mayor’s Office research best practices from peer cities, gather and synthesize input from stakeholders, and work with 14 City departments to refine the list of high-impact solutions. This collaboration resulted in the Cut the Tape report of 100+ solutions to significantly speed up the development approval process and position Chicago to better support investments by small businesses, entrepreneurs, developers, and corporations. Civic Consulting Alliance is continuing to support the City in the implementation of this ambitious set of recommendations.

Civic Consulting Alliance supported Chicago Public Schools with the design, preparation, and execution of eight community round tables that would lead to impactful recommendations for the Black Student Success Plan. These recommendations could be considered for incorporation into the district's upcoming five-year strategic plan.

Civic Consulting Alliance’s pro bono partners Kearney and Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila provided specialized expertise in legal analysis, labor modeling, and implementation planning that’s helping the City double the geographic reach of its promising mental health crisis response program.

CTA, Metra, and Pace are heading toward a fiscal cliff as emergency federal assistance is expiring and ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Without action, a $730 million (20%) budget shortfall is projected for 2026. This will lead to service cuts of 30 to 40 percent and a vicious cycle of lower ridership and fare revenue, which, in turn, would require further budget cuts.