Core Concepts
The creation of this plan involved a comprehensive approach based on public involvement, market analysis of residential and commercial uses, an analysis of physical conditions and land use relationships, and preliminary evaluation of traffic circulation and access. These data, combined with input from the public participation process, formed the basis for the following core concepts.
As we move forward into the 21st century, Skokie is changing and will continue to change. Part of this change includes the expansion of the boundaries of Downtown Skokie due to additional activity centers that either did not previously exist or that now exist in a different way, such as transit hubs at Oakton Station and the Oakton Street and Lincoln Avenue intersection, jobs at the IS+TP, shoppers at retail anchors, and users of facilities like Oakton Park, government offices, and Oakton Community College. The purple line on the map defines the expanded Downtown Skokie.
Many of these new activity centers have barriers limiting their connectivity. These barriers might be physical, such as a high traffic road, high tension power lines, or lack of walkways. Others might be psychological, like not perceiving that Oakton Community College is only ¼-mile walk south of Oakton Street along Lamon Avenue or that the IS+TP is as little as a 900-foot walk to the corner of Brown Street and Lincoln Avenue down Warren Street. Establishing these connections will bind together the neighborhood as a unique place. The broad bronze dashed arrows show new needed connections.
For this plan, guides of about 2,000 feet (about a 10-minute walk) from rail station entrances for Oakton Station and the bus transfer stops at Oakton Street and Lincoln Avenue were used. This development pattern decreases car trips and increases trips on public transit, walking, or biking. The pink circles with T (train) and B (bus) represent transit hubs and the pink dashed lines show 2,000-foot distances from those hubs.
Downtown 2020 also studied the current retail mix and recommended uses that should be encouraged, like promoting our ethnic diversity with ethnic groceries and restaurants, co-locating uses to strengthen Downtown activity generators, such as coffee shops, entertainment and other specialty food uses, and targeting other underrepresented uses. Commercial ground floor uses on "retail streets" must be reserved for retail and other service uses open to customers. Ground floor offices, automotive uses, and drive-throughs that cause activity gaps in pedestrian areas should be limited and, in some areas, prohibited. Upper story uses can be other commercial uses, like office or retail uses, or residences. The maroon dashed lines on street frontages show areas designated as "retail streets."
Redefine Downtown Skokie
As we move forward into the 21st century, Skokie is changing and will continue to change. Part of this change includes the expansion of the boundaries of Downtown Skokie due to additional activity centers that either did not previously exist or that now exist in a different way, such as transit hubs at Oakton Station and the Oakton Street and Lincoln Avenue intersection, jobs at the IS+TP, shoppers at retail anchors, and users of facilities like Oakton Park, government offices, and Oakton Community College. The purple line on the map defines the expanded Downtown Skokie.
Connect the Different Parts of the Area
Many of these new activity centers have barriers limiting their connectivity. These barriers might be physical, such as a high traffic road, high tension power lines, or lack of walkways. Others might be psychological, like not perceiving that Oakton Community College is only ¼-mile walk south of Oakton Street along Lamon Avenue or that the IS+TP is as little as a 900-foot walk to the corner of Brown Street and Lincoln Avenue down Warren Street. Establishing these connections will bind together the neighborhood as a unique place. The broad bronze dashed arrows show new needed connections.
Orient Development around Transit
Transit oriented development (TOD) refers to residential and commercial centers designed to maximize access by transit and non motorized transportation. A TOD neighborhood has a center with a rail or bus station, surrounded by relatively high-density development, with progressively lower-density spreading outwards. The highest building heights and concentration of jobs and residences are closest to the transit station, surrounded by several blocks of lower building heights, followed by townhouses and small-lot single-family residential, with larger-lot single-family housing located furthest away.For this plan, guides of about 2,000 feet (about a 10-minute walk) from rail station entrances for Oakton Station and the bus transfer stops at Oakton Street and Lincoln Avenue were used. This development pattern decreases car trips and increases trips on public transit, walking, or biking. The pink circles with T (train) and B (bus) represent transit hubs and the pink dashed lines show 2,000-foot distances from those hubs.
Increase & Renew the Housing Stock
Appendix D - Multifamily Housing Study in the Comprehensive Plan identified serious obstacles to new housing investment in older multifamily residential areas, including major discrepancies in actual and permitted densities per acre, parking, and stormwater control. Without addressing these concerns housing stock will continue to age without the continued investment needed to maintain quality housing. Downtown 2020 reported that Downtown Skokie could absorb 800 to 1,600 additional housing units by 2020. Adding more residential units Downtown will support transit usage, decrease auto dependence, improve the retail base, and add to the excitement and liveliness of Downtown.Create a Healthy Retail Environment
Creating an environment that promotes retail uses benefits the entire community by providing jobs, goods, services, social interaction, and sales tax revenue. Downtown 2020 reported that Downtown Skokie could absorb 250,000 to 300,000 sq. ft. of new or redeveloped retail space, 75% of which will replace older, outdated space. This new retail would be supported in part by new employment and new housing throughout Sector A.Downtown 2020 also studied the current retail mix and recommended uses that should be encouraged, like promoting our ethnic diversity with ethnic groceries and restaurants, co-locating uses to strengthen Downtown activity generators, such as coffee shops, entertainment and other specialty food uses, and targeting other underrepresented uses. Commercial ground floor uses on "retail streets" must be reserved for retail and other service uses open to customers. Ground floor offices, automotive uses, and drive-throughs that cause activity gaps in pedestrian areas should be limited and, in some areas, prohibited. Upper story uses can be other commercial uses, like office or retail uses, or residences. The maroon dashed lines on street frontages show areas designated as "retail streets."