Region 1 Planning Council

08/12/2026

The Green Streets Guide is now open for public comment! Share your feedback through September 9, 2026.
https://engage-r1.com/green-streets-guide

What exactly is a Green Street? Green streets are a way to design streetscapes so that they are sustainable. This usually includes vegetation and designs that filter runoff and reduce flooding. R1's draft guide includes more examples, and ways current streets can be transformed for better health, safety, and sustainability.

Read the draft guide and submit your comments today!

Share your feedback on the draft guide through September 9, 2026!

08/11/2026

The Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board just released its approved strategic plan for the next three years of program activity.

Read all about the board's coming priorities at

08/07/2026

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity awarded Rockford, Belvidere, Four Rivers Sanitation Authority and Region 1 Planning Council a combined $8.9M for site readiness initiatives to advance business attraction in Boone and Winnebago Counties. The awards represent 25 percent of the $35 million in Regional Site Readiness grants that Illinois distributed this week.

The Rockford region won a combined $8.9 million in state grants to prepare for future industrial development, including money for what may become a supplier park for Stellantis.
⬇️Full story linked in first comment⬇️

08/04/2026

Writing reports and strategic plans that shape community health. Coordinating and monitoring grant funding. Uncovering the data to prove why it works.

As one of our community impact specialists, you will make a hands-on impact on the Rockford community's well-being.

Read the job description and apply at https://r1planning.org/careers

07/28/2026

🏡 DEVELOPERS, just a few days left to apply! Proposals are due for this site by Friday, July 31 at noon (CST).

The Northern Illinois Land Bank Authority is now accepting housing-related development proposals for 2.81 acres of cleared land at the former King School site in Rockford.

📅 Deadline: July 31
📍 Property map + full application details: www.nilba.org

07/27/2026

Congratulations, Mayor McNamara, on your new position as CEO at the Illinois Municipal League! We look forward to working together on behalf of Northern Illinois.

Thank you for your dedication to the City of Rockford and service to R1 as a member of the Executive Committee and NorthCOG’s founding Chairman.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Today, Mayor Tom McNamara announced that he will resign as Mayor of Rockford, effective at the end of August 2026, to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Municipal League. The Illinois Municipal League is a non-profit, non-political association representing 1,294 municipalities across Illinois. Its mission is to articulate, defend, maintain, and promote the interests and concerns of communities throughout the state.

Since taking office in 2017, Mayor McNamara has helped transform Rockford through historic investments in neighborhoods, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and quality of life. Under his leadership, violent crime has declined dramatically, transformative redevelopment projects have moved forward, neighborhoods and infrastructure saw historic investment, Davis Park was reimagined, public art flourished, and Rockford Promise expanded tuition-free college opportunities for local students. He also championed support for survivors of domestic violence by opening Illinois' first Family Peace Center and strengthened regional collaboration. His leadership leaves Rockford safer, stronger and better positioned for the future.

With the Mayor's resignation, the following process will take place:

• City Council will select one of its members to serve as Acting Mayor (Mayor Pro Tem) from September 1, 2026, until the next municipal election on April 6, 2027.
• Residents will elect a new mayor on April 6, 2027.
• The new mayor will be sworn in on May 3, 2027, and will complete the remainder of the current term through May 7, 2029.

Mayor McNamara has served Rockford honorably for the past nine years, and we are grateful for his leadership and commitment to our community. While this transition will be an adjustment for all, we know Rockford will continue to be a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.

We will share additional information and updates in the days and weeks ahead as we move through this transition together.

07/22/2026

Roads. Housing. Green spaces. Warehouses. As a R1 Land Use Planner, you will have a part in making a noticeable difference in how communities across northern Illinois look, feel, and function for decades to come.

Learn more and apply at https://r1planning.org/careers.

07/21/2026

Developers, how are your applications coming? There's still plenty of time to get your project plan together before the July 31 deadline. We can't wait to see what creative ides you come up with!

Region 1 Planning Council (RPC) is a special-purpose unit of government serving counties across North

07/21/2026

Isn't it great to see this investment in our region's residents and careers in in-demand industries? Congratulations, the Excel Center and Goodwill Northern Illinois!

Goodwill Excel Center expands job training with $150,000 Nicor grant

07/20/2026

The region’s Resilience Improvement Plan is here! This plan focuses on preparing the region for the impacts of a changing climate and increasingly extreme weather events.

What's next? R1 will provide support in finding and securing grants to implement these resiliency actions. This will help strengthen the transportation system to withstand whatever the future may bring.

Read the full plan:

Building climate resilience within the Rockford Region transportation network.