By Steve Redfield, Class of 2019
Book Review, The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago, Joseph Schwieterman and Dana Caspall, 2006.
When discussing Chicago’s architecture, we routinely consider the economic, technological, and creative forces that have shaped the city. But we often overlook the equally important regulations that govern land-use and building-size. The Politics of Place provides an engaging resource to fill this gap. The book moves briskly through 150 years of land-use control methods, legal decisions allowing regulation of development, changes in values and lifestyles, and the politics of rule-making.
We learn that Chicago’s 1837 charter granted the city permission “to abate and remove nuisances,” initially applied to public health issues. The more comprehensive establishment of geographic areas for different uses—residential, commercial, manufacturing—was not established until the city’s first zoning ordinance in 1923.
One chapter illuminates the evolution of building height and volume limits, from the diminutive 1893 height limit of 130 feet, to the establishment of “Floor Area Ratios” to regulate total building size more flexibly in the 1940s. The authors trace the labyrinthine path of FAR “bonuses” for amenities that have increased the official maximum ratio of 1:16 (a building could have 16 floors built to the lot line in the densest zoning areas, 32 floors on half the lot, etc.) to FARs well over 1:20.
Though written in 2006, discussions of “aldermanic prerogative” and “Planned Developments”—large projects negotiated outside of established zoning rules—seem especially relevant as our new mayor seeks to limit the role of council members and as pending mega-developments are poised to reshape large swaths of the city’s landscape.
All of this may sound harshly analytical, but colorful anecdotes like the early ban on storing “putrid meat or fish entrails,” and a 1960s high-rise approved on a quiet Gold Coast street because the planning department “forgot” to hold a mandated public hearing keep the narrative lively.
The latest major zoning revision covered, effected in 2004, shows how times have changed. That ordinance reflected a renewed recognition of the value of mixed-use areas, a newfound emphasis on preservation, and a slow movement toward community involvement in decision-making. Zoning regulations have expanded from the early, narrow concerns about public health to address density, congestion, and aesthetics.
Overall, The Politics of Place offers a rich recounting of the competing efforts to use zoning as a tool to restrain development in order to protect established interests and communities, or a tool to encourage new development and anticipate future trends. It provides perspective not only on our past, but on the development issues facing Chicago today.
Very interesting, Steve. I had no idea 1923 was the first year of zoning. We Deco people know that was a big year. “A quiet Gold Coast street” – wonder where.
Barry, glad you found this interesting. It was an informative and fun read. The Gold Coast building that went up without the required hearings was on Astor Street, though I didn’t make a note of what the address was. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the Bertrand Goldberg building, so that means it was probably 1340, now called Astor House.
The way you describe the competing uses of zoning in the last paragraph is interesting. Thanks for bringing this book to our attention.
It really is a challenging balance. Protection of existing interests can include trying to save long-standing communities where people have built their lives. And it also means protecting economic interests of people who own property and want the freedom to benefit from its economic value. Likewise, encouraging growth can benefit developers and create new opportunities for people who were historically excluded from neighborhoods. I guess the zoning rules are in many ways a reflection of these larger battles that go on around us.
Thank you, Steve, for drawing attention to the need to understand the interaction between the history of zoning and Chicago’s built environment I look forward to reading the source.
Thanks Steve, for reviewing this book. Please do more reviews. For those interested, Politics of Place is in the Barry Sears Library with call number HT 169.
Donna, that’s fantastic that it’s in the library! I really do recommend it.
As a downtown building fan I love thinking about zoning rules. But the regulations that govern land-use and building size became all the more relevant to me recently. A change to the current zone of the building next to our apartment was proposed and denied. It is possible this is partly in response to community meetings. Other politics were surely at work, but the community involvement was there and that is exciting. Thanks for the great review Steve! Keep them coming.