Shape Oak Park proposes update to zoning code

Published on August 24, 2026

Shape Oak Park is an initiative to update the Village’s zoning code to allow more missing middle housing and single-family homes in Oak Park. Over the past year, Village officials have engaged the community and studied current housing conditions in Oak Park while looking for ways to enable more housing, more choice and greater affordability. The Village’s Shape Oak Park team prepared draft zoning recommendations this summer, and the Village is seeking feedback from the community before the recommendations are submitted to the Plan Commission and Village Board for a vote this fall.

What is being proposed?

• Allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in house-scale buildings across all neighborhoods. Single-family homes remain the heart of residential districts. New housing must fit the same lot size and form allowed today.
• Allow up to six units on larger lots (5,000+ sq. ft.) near transit, along key corridors or when providing attainable units via a special use permit.
• Update commercial districts to support more housing, with height limits tailored to each corridor and the height of nearby homes.
• Align with the state’s People Over Parking Act, which limits the amount of onsite parking required on lots near transit and transit corridors.

Why are we doing this?

Oak Park's current zoning map has more than a dozen districts with confusing, overlapping rules. Shape Oak Park simplifies that into a cleaner framework: Neighborhood Districts, Mixed-Use Districts and Downtown Sub-Districts, each with a clear purpose and consistent standards. Right now, five of Oak Park's eight residential districts only allow single-family homes, even though duplexes and small apartment buildings already exist there as non-conforming uses. Shape Oak Park proposes clearer standards that make it easier for residents, developers and Village staff to figure out what’s allowed on any property, while keeping the setbacks and standards that fit each neighborhood.

Explore the zoning comparison tool

Want to see the difference for yourself? Visit www.engageoakpark.com/shape to explore the full proposed recommendations. The page includes a Zoning Comparison Tool where you can see exactly what could change at your address or in your neighborhood and submit questions to the project team.

Zoning Comparison Tool

Share your input

The Village is hosting several public engagement sessions where community members can bring questions and weigh in on the draft zoning recommendations:

Additional Key Dates

• Oct. 1 & Oct. 8 – Plan Commission hearings
• Late October – Village Board vote on adopting draft recommendations

Additional engagement opportunities will take place at community events in the month of September such as BarrieFest (Sept. 12) and Oaktober Fest (Sept. 26). For more information about Shape Oak Park, please visit www.engageoakpark.com/shape.