New in Q1 2026: redesigned Property Finder, PD summaries, and more

This was probably our most active quarter yet. Amongst fixing bugs we added a bunch of new features that our members have been requesting for a while. We also redesigned one of the most-used parts of the site, added information about Planned Developments to Property Reports, and added Zoning Board of Appeals decisions (useful to architects and attorneys). Here's a summary of the biggest changes, plus a look at two housing policy issues worth watching as we head into spring.

New features

Help us test our redesigned Property Finder

Property Finder got its biggest visual overhaul in years. The new layout puts filters on the left, the property results table in the center, and an interactive map on the right — all visible at once without scrolling or switching tabs. A Place Type filter was also added to the sidebar, making it faster to narrow results to a specific geography. If you haven't opened Property Finder in a while, it's worth a look.

• Test the new redesigned Property Finder (no membership required)

Zoning Board of Appeals decisions added to the database

We built a scraper that downloads and parses ZBA resolution PDFs from the City of Chicago, extracting individual case details and making them searchable. ZBA decisions now appear in both Property Reports and Place Reports, with full-text search, category filtering, and statistics. This was previously one of the hardest datasets to work with; now it's a few clicks away.

Permit processing time chart

The permit analytics processing time chart received three updates: a review type filter to compare different permit categories, a toggle to show all permits or new homes only, and a configurable moving average period so you can zoom in or out on the trend. These improvements were made alongside a new stacked column chart showing new construction housing units by ward.

Updated features

Planned Development summaries now appear in Property Reports

Chicago has hundreds of Planned Developments (PDs) — custom zoning agreements that govern what can be built on a specific site. Until now, understanding a PD meant downloading a PDF from the city and reading through dense legal language. We changed that: PD ordinance PDFs are now parsed automatically, and the key details surface directly in any Property Report for an affected address. Read more about this feature on the blog.

Property Report improvements: sticky navigation, AI permit summaries, and more

Several quality-of-life improvements landed in the Property Report this quarter. 

• A sticky table of contents sidebar now follows you as you scroll, making it easier to jump between sections on long reports. 
• Building permits now include an AI-generated summary of the permit work description — useful for quickly understanding what a contractor filed without reading boilerplate permit language. 
• A mortgage payment estimator was added to the Recordings section.

Demographics Snapshot adds age distribution data

The Demographics Snapshot for Place Reports now includes age distribution — total population by age group and median age — pulled from the Census. Census tract and block group coverage notes were also reorganized into a collapsible section to reduce visual clutter on the page. This is useful if you're doing an analysis for a community and want to know how many young people live there. (Open a sample report.)

Vacant building registry data updated

We refreshed our vacant building registry data from the City of Chicago. The registry lists properties that have been reported as vacant or abandoned, and it appears in the Property Finder of Property Reports and Place Reports. The data also includes vacant storefronts (15 citywide) in addition to residential and other building types. (Read about this in the Knowledge Base.)

Big policy changes

ADU permanent rules take effect April 1. Chicago's Accessory Dwelling Units pilot program becomes permanent on April 1, 2026. The new rules expand where ADUs are allowed and update some of the limitations on coach houses. Use the ADU eligibility lookup tool to see how a specific address is affected under the current and upcoming rules.

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The BUILD plan in Springfield. Governor Pritzker's BUILD package would legalize 2–8 unit buildings in residential zones statewide, cap parking requirements, allow single-stair six-story buildings, streamline permitting timelines, authorize ADUs everywhere in Illinois, and standardize impact fees. Illinois needs 227,000 new homes by 2030, and this package represents the most significant proposed state-level housing reform in decades. 

• Read more about why 2026 is the right moment
• Send your legislators a letter of support for BUILD
• City That Works: What will Governor Pritzker's housing plan mean for existing two-flats?

Expanding our Knowledge Base

Our Knowledge Base explains how to use Chicago Cityscape's tools and features, and has detailed information about local zoning, permitting, and real estate policies.

New Knowledge Base articles

• Bulk downloads. How to export all properties from any Place Report as a spreadsheet in one click.
• Planned Developments. What Planned Developments are, how to find them in a Property Report, and how to read the extracted details.
• Similar properties. How the Similar Properties explorer works and what the scoring algorithm considers.
• DataTables Query API. How API key holders can paginate through any dataset using an ID that represents their Property Finder search. This is one of several new APIs added this quarter.
• Suburban zoning maps and codes. A guide to zoning maps and municipal codes for suburbs in Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties.

Updated Knowledge Base articles

• Property Finder in a Place Report. Updated to reflect the new three-column layout and Place Type filter.
• ZBA decisions. Updated to explain how ZBA data now appears in Property Reports, not just Place Reports.
• Environmental & Land Use Snapshot. Landing page content improved with clearer descriptions and fixed labeling.
• Property Report API. Updated to document new parameters and the expanded characteristics data.
• Exporting for AutoCAD. Updated to cover the new DXF export option for Chicago and Cook County parcels.

We also launched a new Recently changed articles page that automatically lists every Knowledge Base article added or updated in the last 30 days, with a brief AI-generated summary of what changed. It's updated every Monday morning.

As always, I'm available for hourlong member meetings at a coffee shop in the Loop. Check My Account & Profile for the booking link.