Waukegan UDO

As part of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's (CMAP) Local Technical Assistance (LTA) Program, the City of Waukegan updated and modernized its Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, Sign Ordinance, and Landscape and Tree Preservation Ordinance into a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Originally approved in 1987, the City of Waukegan Zoning Ordinance has since had numerous amendments and will benefit from a comprehensive review and overhaul. The City of Waukegan, CMAP, and local stakeholders underwent a community-based process that aligned Waukegan's development regulations, land-use practices, and community vision with its 2020 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The UDO aims to direct Waukegan's future growth and build its economic strength.

The City of Waukegan is the most populous city in- and the county seat of- Lake County, Illinois. The City is located within the Chicago metropolitan area along Lake Michigan, situated 40 miles north of the City of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the population of the City was 89,321. Waukegan offers commuter rail service to Chicago and PACE Bus service. Waukegan features a growing lakefront and downtown area with an active marina, and diverse neighborhoods.

Latent partnered with Sightline Planning and Zoning to work with the City of Waukegan Planning and Zoning Department to bring the project to completion, leading the efforts to engage the public and finish writing the UDO with updated graphics, definitions, and language clarity across the document. The City of Waukegan City Council adopted the UDO on July 1, 2024. The UDO is viewable here.