EVOLVING THE SUBURBAN TOD PLAN
With once-in-a-generation renovations underway at the Homewood Metra/Amtrak station, the Village of Homewood was eager to plan for a transit-oriented future. In partnership with the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Community Planning program, MUSE led a team of three consulting firms to create a resident-centered transit-oriented development (TOD) plan. Recommendations go beyond simply programming opportunity sites, offering a clear vision for a better-connected and more accessible downtown.
Details
Client: Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)
Homewood, IL
March 2023 – May 2024
Scope of Work
TOD market analysis
Community + stakeholder engagement
Graphic design
Urban design
Land use planning
WINNER OF THE 2024 APA-IL HEALTHY AND ACTIVE COMMUNITY AWARD
MUSE Method
MUSE’s big-picture planning and engagement approach made space for opportunities that will extend beyond the plan’s boundaries by bringing in partners that are not typically involved in a TOD Plan. This included partnerships with the Homewood Business Association and Homewood Historic Society, groups whose objectives were incorporated into the final recommendations.
The Homewood TOD Plan is simple and accessible to planners, developers, and the general public alike. Recommendations set the stage for future development, ensuring that opportunity sites are easily accessible, neighboring businesses feel supported, and the history of downtown is preserved. This is accomplished through considerations for how people arrive to the downtown area, how they navigate to different points of interest, and ultimately how the Village can prioritize investments.
The team heard from lifelong residents who are excited to remain active in their senior years, taking advantage of nearby recreational trails. There were also young families who recently relocated from Chicago, chosing Homewood for its multimodal accessibility and the opportunity to depend less on a car. The desire for a more active community, both physically and civically, is apparent in Homewood, but the infrastructure to support that lifestyle is not yet in place. The plan provides the Village with a clear course of action to achieve the community’s vision.
Supported by subconsultant Civiltech Engineering Inc, the Homewood TOD Plan includes a pedestrian and cycling plan for downtown. Improving connections for pedestrians and cyclists between downtown and other parts of the Village, recommendations include viaduct improvements, traffic calming infrastructure, and pedestrian-scale wayfinding.
PLANNING WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE
We partnered with GoodSpeed Cycles, a local bike shop, to learn more about the natural movements of cyclists and pedestrians in Homewood. Interactive mapping exercises and creative flip-books illustrated proposed recommendations and kept attendees at the pop-up for upwards of 30 minutes sharing their experiences, routes, and goals for the future of Homewood.
We partnered with GoodSpeed Cycles, a local bike shop, to learn more about the natural movements of cyclists and pedestrians in Homewood. Interactive mapping exercises and creative flip-books illustrated proposed recommendations and kept attendees at the pop-up for upwards of 30 minutes sharing their experiences, routes, and goals for the future of Homewood.
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES
Here’s what we heard from Homewood community members and stakeholders during the engagement process.
A link between downtown and Irwin Park is needed, especially for youth.
[We need] more crosswalks and flashing lights where the crosswalks are [to] remind people that they need to stop for pedestrians.
Build on the eclectic style of Homewood through wayfinding and visual branding.
I moved here in May so I can bike to the Metra three to four times a week.
I think part of the key is to attract businesses whose product engages the community and encourages repeat visits.
I haven’t really seen this before– this effort of bringing people in and saying, “This isn’t the staff’s town or the board’s town or the consultant’s town… this is the community.”
Village of Homewood Trustee Anne Colton
April 2024 Village Board Meeting
INVITING EVERYONE TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION
While RTA and the Village are the primary implementers for plan recommendations, they are not solely responsible. A resident-focused implementation guide distributed at popular outlets downtown outlines ways residents can support implementation, from attending a Village meeting and providing public comment to joining a group ride led by GoodSpeed Cycles.
While RTA and the Village are the primary implementers for plan recommendations, they are not solely responsible. A resident-focused implementation guide distributed at popular outlets downtown outlines ways residents can support implementation, from attending a Village meeting and providing public comment to joining a group ride led by GoodSpeed Cycles.
