Plainfield was given an award by the Congress for the New Urbanism this month for the town's "A Vision for Division" project, which seeks citizen input for the future of the Division corridor. (handout, Village of Plainfield)

Plainfield's innovative online initiative that seeks residential input for plotting the future of Division Street, also known as Illinois Route 59, near downtown, was honored last week.

Plainfield's "A Vision for Division" project is a way to help the community plot the way forward for the corridor that became increasingly congested over the years. The award was presented by the Illinois chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, an organization committed to promoting walkable, mixed-use communities.

Division Street congestion was particularly noticeable in the historic downtown area, according to the CNU citation for the 2013 Best Corridor Plan Award. After the Illinois Department of Transportation turned the street into a four-lane highway a few years ago, traffic eased, but "unintended consequences along the thoroughfare soon arose," the citation states.....Continue Reading

> via chicagotribune.com