Tuesdays at APA - Municipal Design Review in Metropolitan Chicago

March 18, 2014


Both theorists and practitioners see design standards as shaping
the "look" of the community and built environment over the long
run — with significant underlying ideology. Planning
professionals may view design guidelines and review processes as
useful tools to communicate local preferences and resolve issues.
And, design standards and form-based codes have become powerful
branding and placemaking tools for suburbs in the Chicago
metropolitan area and nationwide.


This program and discussion served to highlight contrasting
perspectives on the benefits of design review. Drawing on
observations from public architectural review commission hearings
in local suburbs, Professor Robert Rotenberg, from DePaul
University, considered case studies of how design standards work
to shape the development decisions by stakeholders in Cook
County, Illinois. Attorney and consultant John Hedrick summarized
the regulatory background and recent developments in the Chicago
metropolitan area regarding best practices in utilizing design
guidelines.