The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago

Joseph P. Schwieterman and Dana M. Caspall
Lake Claremont Press (2006)
ISBN 1893121267
Reviewed by Kathleen Dowdell for Reader Views (6/06)

For people who love the city of Chicago or who are interested in the intricate details of how cities are laid out to accommodate diverse activity, this book was meant for you. This is a well written and thoroughly researched documentation of the history of zoning in the city of Chicago. Zoning, regulations that separate residential and industrial activity, is a complex process whose idea germinated from Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, which supported the need for the city to control its cultural and economic identity. After years of planning and drafting, the Chicago City Council adopted the zoning ordinance on April 5, 1923, thus the beginning of the development of Chicago as we see it today.   

As zoning needs changed in the 1950’s, planners sought to establish Chicago as a world- class city and used zoning to do just that. They began to promote high-rise, high-density office and residential development based on population forecasts which predicted dramatic growth in the city. As controversial as zoning became over the years, the city gained much experience in working with developers, residents, and grass-roots organizations that wanted a say in how their neighborhoods were being developed. Skyscrapers were shooting up everywhere and many were concerned they would smother the openness of the retail districts and views of the lake. Over the years, height and volume limits increased making Chicago what it is today, the architectural genius and much coveted work/leisure city of the world.

Published in 2006, “The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago” gives a brief overview of the early development of Chicago from the time it incorporated as a village in 1833 through today. There are some interesting aerial views of the city as well as residential and commercial developments. This would make a nice gift for an architectural historian or people who work in commercial or residential planning and development.

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