Funding Agency: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Graduate School Research Committee Award.
Project Goals: To evaluate the effectiveness of a zoning initiative used in Chicago to address land-use conflicts on brownfield properties. Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs) address the problem of industrial displacement, a phenomenon that occurs when land uses incompatible with industrial development are introduced into industrial areas, often through gentrification. A PMD is a special zoning designation designed to prevent industrial displacement by prohibiting the rezoning of industrial land for non-industrial uses. This project will evaluate the three PMDs in Chicago that have been in effect for 13 years or longer.
The specific objectives of the research are:
- To determine whether the PMDs have been effective as a tool for retaining industrial firms and employment.
- To measure private investment activity by industrial firms within the PMDs.
- To determine whether land values within the PMDs have stabilized since the PMDs were established.
- To identify public infrastructure investments and other public improvements within the PMDs.
For more information contact Joel Rast.