Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Illinois (2026)
18 rules on the books across Illinois, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Density Bonus Law
California Density Bonus Law (Gov Code §65915) and local implementations granting up to 50% density bonuses for affordable-housing projects.
Schaumburg
Significant RestrictionsSchaumburg lets single-family homeowners exceed baseline floor area ratio limits through § 154.55 FAR credits, earning…
Read full rule →Chicago
Some RestrictionsDowntown "D" district projects can buy extra floor area above the base FAR through Chicago's floor area bonus program.
Read full rule →DuPage County
Some RestrictionsIn the R-5 General Residence District, DuPage County lets developers build one extra dwelling unit for every low- and…
Read full rule →Evanston
Some RestrictionsEvanston grants zoning density, FAR, and parking bonuses in its B, C, M, and O districts to covered developments that…
Read full rule →Kankakee County
Some RestrictionsIn the RE-Rural Estate zoning district of unincorporated Kankakee County, a subdivider who preserves at least 50…
Read full rule →Kendall County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Kendall County's RPD-1 Residential Planned Development district, base density of 0.33 units per…
Read full rule →Lake County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Lake County grants a 5-15% density bonus for conservation developments that set aside extra open space…
Read full rule →Oak Park
Some RestrictionsThe Village of Oak Park grants a one-for-one density bonus under its Inclusionary Housing article: for every affordable…
Read full rule →Skokie
Some RestrictionsSkokie's NX, TX and CX mixed-use zoning districts let developers add floor area above the base ratio as a matter of…
Read full rule →Waukegan
Some RestrictionsWaukegan's Unified Development Ordinance grants a real density bonus through conservation and cluster subdivision…
Read full rule →Will County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Will County lets conservation design subdivisions earn up to a 25% density bonus for trails, extra open…
Read full rule →Downtown Design Guide
LA's Downtown Design Guide and Community Plan governing high-rise massing, ground-floor activation, and adaptive-reuse standards in DTLA.
Chicago
Significant RestrictionsBuildings on designated downtown pedestrian streets must sit at the sidewalk, show 60% ground-floor glass, and skip…
Read full rule →Naperville
Significant RestrictionsNaperville caps downtown core building setbacks at six feet and adopts a formal Downtown Design Standards plan to…
Read full rule →Skokie
Significant RestrictionsEvery development in Skokie's B6 Downtown Science and Technology district must conform to design guidelines approved by…
Read full rule →Evanston
Some RestrictionsBuildings along Benson, Church, Davis, Orrington and Sherman in downtown Evanston must rise straight up from the lot…
Read full rule →Peoria
Some RestrictionsPeoria regulates its historic downtown core, the Warehouse District, West Main, Sheridan Triangle, and Prospect Road…
Read full rule →Schaumburg
Some RestrictionsSchaumburg regulates its historic downtown crossroads through the Olde Schaumburg Centre (OSC) Overlay District under…
Read full rule →Waukegan
Some RestrictionsWaukegan's Unified Development Ordinance imposes downtown-specific design rules on signs: materials are limited to…
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