where we live:    building attractive and accessible Residential communities 
Guiding principles for Housing:  

Allow for a variety of housing-single family,"in-law" flats and multi- family in new developments;   

Mix housing with nearby retail and  services, such as day care;   

Cluster housing near transportation and jobs;   

Plan for protected open space along with housing development; and   

Ensure that housing is available for working families.  
 

 Suburbs were initially designed and built to provide an alternative to the problems of congestion in major cities. Consumers sought larger homes, yards, and better neighborhood schools. Traditional town planning called for blocks of homes centered around a downtown with train service to downtown Chicago.   
    Riverside, an experimental suburb planned in the mid-nineteenth century, caught on in popularity for its natural, flowing design by Frederick Law Olmsted. But while the streets of Riverside were designed to lead toward the downtown, parks or other landmarks, later residential subdivisions lost these connections. The cul-de-sac eventually became the preferred location for single-family homes. Auto traffic was collected into a series of arterial streets, separated from residential areas. More and more houses meant more and more cars and traffic.    
    As a result, there has been a desire to "fight density" and slow residential growth. The irony is that without the proper tools, this fight against density may do even more to destroy community character and quality of life. Requiring large lot sizes or deep set-backs leads to widely separated homes, reducing interaction among neighbors, and increasing the need to drive multiple trips per day.		      A preferable alternative (which is gaining popularity) is clustering homes together while maximizing protected open space.   

 

Huntington Apartments has successfully incorporated multi-family housing near jobs with open space protection. Working families need more housing opportunities, especially in areas of high job growth in the western and northwest suburbs of Chicago.   

  was the first planned suburb of Chicago with curved streets and park-like open spaces.   
   
  a new subdivision on the Western edge of Geneva, is setting the standard for development and open space preservation in Kane County. Clustering the homes at Mill Creek allows for open space and natural areas to be protected. Along with the development of 1,900 homes, a village center and a school, over 600 acres of land will be protected for public use.