Chicago is home to 2.7 million residents, the third most-populous city and part of the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. Thanks to its location, the city became a major transportation hub, and consequently, a major center for manufacturing, retail, and finance in the late-19th century.

The city layout features a gridded street network with major diagonal arterial roads and railways radiating from the downtown center. In the 1980s, the city was losing industrial jobs, partially due to increased foreign competition, along with residential and commercial development pressures. In 1988 the city created its first Planned Manufacturing District (PMD) to retain industrially-zoned land and to prevent further job losses.[1]

As a result of the Chicago’s effort to protect manufacturing uses, there are now 24 Industrial Corridors; most of the land with a manufacturing zoning designation is located within or adjacent to one of those Industrial Corridors. The Industrial Corridors are tightly knit with the residential and commercial land uses, and exist as an important part of Chicago’s urban landscape. PMDs are considered to have been effective in fostering manufacturing activities within Chicago, as they ensure long-term stability for industrial businesses looking to invest and expand within the city's districts.