Community Plans

Long-range planning activities consist of preparing and implementing a community-wide plan - the Comprehensive Plan. In anticipation of preparing the Comprehensive Plan, often area specific plans, such as the Central Business Area Plan or topic specific plans (i.e. an economic development plan or an affordable housing plan), are developed.

Affordable Housing Plan

In response to the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeals Act adopted by the State of Illinois, the Village adopted its first Affordable Housing Plan in 2005. The plan identified measures that should be taken to increase the number of affordable housing units in the community.

In 2020, the Village adopted a series of amendments to the Affordable Housing Plan and also enacted specific policies for increasing the supply of affordable housing in the community These actions included an amendment to the Northbrook Zoning Code to require larger developments to provide affordable housing and the establishment of a “demolition tax” to be used to fund other local housing programs.

Click here to learn more about the Village’s affordable housing initiatives.

View the Village's amended Affordable Housing Plan (PDF).

Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

The purpose of the Village's Bicycle Plan is to coordinate all bicycle-related initiatives within the community, to plan for improvements for access to bicycle transportation, and to make the village more bicycle-friendly. Click here to learn more.

Comprehensive Plan

On December 14, 2010, the President and Board of Trustees formally adopted a New Comprehensive Plan for the Village. The Comprehensive Plan will help guide land use, transportation and economic development decisions for the next ten to twenty years. Click here to view.

Climate Action Plan

Northbrook's Climate Action Plan (CAP) is Northbrook's mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community-wide and foster sustainability. After a community-based planning effort, the Village Board adopted the CAP in August 2021. Click here to learn more about the Climate Action Plan.

Proposed Skokie Valley Bicycle Trail Extension

Northbrook, Lake and Cook Counties are in the process of Phase I Engineering design for the potential extension of a bike trail south from Lake County into the Northbrook area. The Skokie Valley Trail, which runs along the Commonwealth Edison right-of-way north of Lake-Cook Road, could potentially be continued south via a bridge over Lake-Cook Road and utilize the same Commonwealth Edison corridor which runs parallel to Skokie Boulevard to Dundee Road. From Dundee Road bicyclists and pedestrians will be directed towards the existing bike path that extends to Sunset Ridge Road and exits onto Voltz Road (east of Sunset Road). From there, users of the trails system will be guided to Happ Road where there are existing bike lanes for bicyclists and Sunset Ridge Road where public sidewalk is available for pedestrians.