News & Projects

Our work Is expansive, and so are the stories that shape the Chicago region’s civic ecosystem.

This space is designed to inform, inspire, and celebrate the collective efforts to create a more vibrant, equitable, and prosperous Chicago region for all.

From partner spotlights and project updates to deep dives on key initiatives, we share the moments, milestones, and ideas that reflect our collaborative approach.

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Safety and Justice, City Nikki Way Safety and Justice, City Nikki Way

Mayor’s Office of Re-Entry Strategy

Each year, nearly 16,000 individuals return to Chicago-area communities from incarceration — facing enormous barriers and a system ill-equipped to support them. Civic Consulting Alliance partnered with the City's re-established Office of Reentry to build the strategic foundation it needed to drive real change. From clarifying the Office's mission and mapping existing services, to facilitating cross-agency collaboration and developing budget proposals, CCA helped the office give returning residents a stronger path forward.

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Positioning the City to Speed Up Affordable Housing and Commercial Corridor Development

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.

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Safety and Justice, City Nikki Way Safety and Justice, City Nikki Way

Chicago’s People’s Plan for Community Safety

Civic Consulting Alliance partnered with the Chicago Office of the Mayor to develop and launch the People’s Plan for Community Safety — Chicago’s comprehensive, citywide strategy to reduce violence, prevent crime, and address the root causes of community harm. Working alongside pro bono partners Kearney and Zeno Group, Civic Consulting Alliance provided strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, implementation support, and data analysis to help operationalize the City’s vision for safer communities.

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“Civic Consulting Alliance was instrumental in getting the Cut the Tape initiative off the ground quickly. Their in-depth research on peer cities and insightful stakeholder engagement helped us identify ways to streamline the City’s real estate development process. This not only saved us valuable time but also ensured we targeted the highest-impact solutions that will lead to more affordable housing and vibrant commercial corridors throughout Chicago.”

Kenya Merritt, Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development, City of Chicago