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Terms of use

Shape Chicago is a free, independent site for understanding how Chicago works and trying out changes: housing, transit, the city budget, pensions, a Bears stadium, what an address allows, ward records, progress data and news. By using any part of it, you agree to these terms.

Last updated Nov. 14, 2026

What these terms cover

Every page on the site, including:

• Simulators: Housing, Transit, Budget, Pensions and Bears stadium, and the plans people share from them.
• Your address: Zoning and rules, and Grants and help.
• Following the city: Progress, decision pages, In Springfield, the permit tracker, Your ward, the City Hall calendar and News.
• Learning: Learn, the history map, and the charts we offer for embedding.

These are estimates, not advice

The tools use public data, published research and stated assumptions to estimate what might happen. Real results depend on markets, politics and many things a model can't capture. Nothing here is legal, financial, investment, tax or planning advice, and nothing here is an official forecast. Every number links to its source or is labeled as an assumption, so check the source before relying on it.

City money

The budget and pension tools simplify the city's real accounts. A plan that closes the gap or pays down the pensions here is an estimate of the dollars, not a finding that it is legal, that the Council would pass it, or that it would work as described. Figures come from the city's budget documents, the pension funds' reports and other sources listed in each tool, and they can change when those documents do.

Your address

• Zoning and rules is a first look at public records. It is not a zoning certification, a permit review or a survey. Lot sizes and building data can be wrong or out of date. Before you buy, build or apply, confirm with the city's Department of Buildings, the Zoning Administrator or a licensed professional.
• Grants and help lists programs run by others. Only the program decides who qualifies, and rules, amounts and deadlines change. Applying through the program is free; be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to apply or promises approval.

Addresses you type are used in your browser to look up public records; see Privacy.

Records, progress data and news

Ward pages and Progress report public records: votes and ordinances from the City Clerk, permits, budgets, ridership and similar data. Records can lag, be corrected later, or be read wrong by our scripts. Reporting what an official did is not an endorsement or a criticism, and the site takes no side in elections. The news list shows headlines and links from each outlet's public feed; the stories belong to those outlets.

Not affiliated

Shape Chicago is independent. It is not run by or affiliated with the City of Chicago, the CTA, Metra, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, the Chicago Bears or any other government agency, team or company. Names of agencies, places, teams and projects are used only to describe them.

Using the site

• Use it for anything lawful: learning, teaching, sharing, writing about it.
• Don't try to break it, overload it, flood the plan gallery, endorsements, stadium votes or feedback form with automated posts, or get around their limits.
• If you share a plan from any simulator, you let us show it publicly and let others open and remix it. Names you give a plan must be your own words and must not insult anyone, include anyone else's personal details, or pretend to come from the city or any official. We may hide a name or remove any plan.
• Don't put personal details, yours or anyone else's, in feedback notes.

Sponsors and support

If the site shows cards labeled "Local sponsor," they are paid. Sponsors don't review or change anything the tools show. Chipping in through the Support page is a gift, not a purchase: it buys nothing and gives no say over the site.

Data and credits

The map and numbers come from public sources, including the City of Chicago Data Portal, the Cook County Assessor, the CTA, Metra, the U.S. Census Bureau and OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database License). Each source keeps its own terms, and the Sources page in each tool lists them. Charts are free to use and embed with credit; see For media.

No warranty

The site is provided as is, without warranties of any kind. It may have errors, change, or go offline. To the extent the law allows, Shape Chicago isn't liable for any loss from using it or relying on it.

Contact

Questions about these terms? Email hello@shapechicago.city.

Changes

We may update these terms. The date at the top shows the latest version, and using the site after a change means you accept it. These terms are governed by the laws of Illinois.