While conditions vary considerably along the Corridor, for planning and design purposes areas with distinct conditions have been defined and mapped as a series of seven Character Districts. The extents of these Character Districts are identified in a set of Key Maps – Corridor Character Districts and Focus Areas(1.2MB).

The Character Districts include:

Planned Commercial

This District consists of areas projected to be developed in the future with larger scale master-planned commercial uses, in areas of the Corridor where roadway upgrades are still pending- offering a valuable opportunity to closely coordinate roadway design with planned on-site improvements and access points.

Large Scale Commercial / Infill

This District consists of areas that are currently developed as larger scale commercial uses with significant lot depths, offering selected opportunities for infill redevelopment within an established context.

Small Scale Commercial / Infill

This District consists of areas that are currently developed as smaller scale commercial uses with limited lot depths, offering selected opportunities for infill redevelopment within an established context.

Residential Buffer

This District is mapped in the limited areas along the Corridor where residential uses directly abut (or are planned to abut) the Corridor, where specific emphasis on physical buffering will be needed while still accommodating Corridor access.

Forest Preserve / Open Space

This District is mapped where forest preserve and other open spaces directly abut the Corridor, where the roadway character and urban design features should be responsive to these valuable regional amenities.

Civic / Institutional Destination

This District is mapped in developed areas that are not commercial in nature, but are still significant activity generators and urban design elements with a need for strong and inter-modal linkages to surrounding uses.

Interchange Gateway

This District is mapped surrounding the four interchange locations within the Corridor study area, where drivers must transition from a highway environment into the more intimate scale of the Corridor.

A unique set of appropriate improvement strategies has been developed for each of the Character Districts, based upon the application of a set of Character District Principles. These principles address multi-modal access and circulation, wayfinding and navigability, lighting and utilities, landscape, urban design and public art. The Character Districts(6.2MB) section of the Plan provides the Character District Principles and their priorities for each District, along with narrative and graphic descriptions of each Character District type.