Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes would be allowed on every residential block in Oak Park under draft zoning recommendations the Village published Monday, Aug. 24, proposing a major overhaul of the village's 1921 zoning code.
The Shape Oak Park draft would also permit up to six units on lots of 5,000 square feet or more near transit stops, along key corridors or when a developer provides attainable-rate units through a special use permit. Single-family homes would remain permitted in all residential districts, and new multi-unit buildings would have to fit the same lot size and building form already allowed for single-family homes.
The recommendations are not final.
Six community information sessions are scheduled Sept. 14–24, followed by Plan Commission hearings Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 and a Village Board vote in late October.
What the draft changes
Five of Oak Park's eight residential districts allow only single-family homes, even though duplexes and small apartment buildings already exist in those areas as non-conforming uses. The draft would legalize that existing housing stock and open the door to new small-scale multi-unit construction village-wide.
The proposal also consolidates Oak Park's zoning map from more than a dozen districts with overlapping rules into three categories: Neighborhood Districts, Mixed-Use Districts and Downtown Sub-Districts.
Commercial corridors would be updated to support more housing, with height limits tailored to each corridor and the height of nearby homes. The Chicago Tribune reported that Opticos Design, the consulting firm leading the project, recommended raising residential height limits from 30 to 35 feet in single-family districts and from 35 to 50 feet in current multi-family districts at the Village Board's July 28 meeting.
The draft also aligns Oak Park's code with the state's People Over Parking Act, which took effect June 1 and prohibits municipalities from requiring car parking for developments within a half-mile of a transit hub or an eighth-mile of a transit corridor.
Affordability debate
Whether the zoning changes will deliver affordability remains contested. Opticos Design's own materials acknowledge that missing middle housing "typically reaches 80% to 120% Area Median Income," which translates to household income of $97,200 to $145,800 for a family of four in Cook County as of May 2026, according to a letter to the editor published Aug. 18 in the Wednesday Journal.
At the July 28 board meeting, Trustee Jenna Leving Jacobson said "zoning changes in and of themselves do not guarantee affordability nor maintain or retrieve some of our lost diversity," adding that she has pushed for an inclusionary housing ordinance alongside the zoning overhaul.
Data from the Institute of Housing Studies at DePaul University shows 43.9% of Oak Park's renter-occupied households are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing. Among owner-occupied households, the figure is 25.1%.
How to weigh in
The first community session is Monday, Sept. 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St. Additional sessions run through Sept. 24 at locations including the Oak Park Farmers' Market, Oak Park Public Library, Oak Park Conservatory and Brookdale Oak Park, with a virtual option on Sept. 24. Residents can explore the Village's Zoning Comparison Tool at shapeoakpark.base44.app to see proposed changes at their address.
The Village Board voted unanimously July 28 to refer the Opticos recommendations to the Plan Commission. It voted 5-1 on July 21 against holding an advisory referendum on the changes, with Trustee James Taglia casting the sole vote in favor. Plan Commission hearings are set for Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, with a board vote expected in late October.
