Chicagoans and tourists are flocking to the Loop in record numbers with arts, culture and dining as the main attractions, as the area recovers post-pandemic. Several new housing developments indicate the Loop is becoming more of a neighborhood.

The city’s Draft Central Area Plan 2045 calls for a residential wave to double Loop’s population and diversify the urban core.

The plan is officially called the Broadway Land Use Framework​, and it would simplify the regulatory process for constructing mid-rise residential buildings in the Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods by changing the way Broadway is zoned.

A draft plan guiding downtown Chicago’s growth through 2045 calls for more than 100 million square feet of new development and a doubling of the population.