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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1/1/25 1/1/25

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.

Nikki Way 9/20/24 Nikki Way 9/20/24

Cook County’s Digital Equity Plan Implementation

Nikki Way 9/17/24 Nikki Way 9/17/24

Cook County Property Tax System Reform

Nikki Way 9/16/24 Nikki Way 9/16/24

City Workforce Strategy Alignment

12/18/23 12/18/23

Plan of Action for Regional Transit: A collaborative effort to reform our transit system

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.

8/31/22 8/31/22

Creating a more equitable recovery: addressing the economic barriers for Chicago women

Civic Consulting Alliance was called on by the Chicago Mayor’s Office to support the Mayor’s Women Advisory Council to analyze the impact of the ‘she-cession,’ a gender gap in employment rates and pay in Chicago that was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final report, “Creating a More Equitable Recovery: Addressing the Economic Barriers COVID-19 Exacerbated for Women in Chicago,” provides decision-makers with recommendations to center women’s economic recovery in their planning and policies.

8/31/22 8/31/22

Enhancing museum campus as a global, year-round destination

Civic Consulting Alliance staff are experienced in coordinating large groups of stakeholders with diverse ideas and priorities to “get big things done.” We partnered with the Mayor’s Office to support and facilitate the Museum Campus Working Group. The final report, “Where Worlds Connect,” provides recommendations to transform Museum Campus into a more accessible, relevant, and attractive public space that is activated year-round.

6/23/22 6/23/22

Advancing an equitable recovery through the American Rescue Plan Act

Since March 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance and our partners have committed significant resources to support the City and the County in planning for effective investment of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to maximize their impact on the issues most critical to our region’s future. In recent months, our collaborative focus has transitioned to turning these plans into action.