Park Forest

Park Forest Municipal Water Report Information

Park Forest began in 1948 as a planned community designed to house returning World War II veterans. It was the first post-war planned community, and its innovative design has been recognized globally as a model for urban development. The Village has earned numerous livability awards including two All-America City Awards, two Governors Hometown Awards, and the Burnham Award for downtown redevelopment excellence. In 2007, Forbes Magazine ranked it among America's Most Livable Suburbs, and in 2014, it placed third nationally for affordable housing according to Business Insider.

Location and Access
Situated approximately 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, Park Forest (population 21,975) spans parts of both Cook and Will Counties. It borders Chicago Heights, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Richton Park, and University Park. Interstate 57 is less than three miles west, while the Calumet Expressway eight miles east provides access to Chicago's major highways. Both Midway and O'Hare airports are under an hour away. Residents enjoy convenient access to three Metra commuter rail stations with 80 daily trips to downtown Chicago, some taking as little as 50 minutes during peak hours.

Community Planning and Housing
The original master plan ensured convenient commercial centers, child-safe curvilinear streets, business and light industrial areas, and strategically placed schools and recreational facilities. Initially built as multi-family rentals for veterans, many early units were later converted to housing cooperatives. The Chicago Sun-Times recognized Park Forest as a pioneer in affordable housing. After thousands of small single-family "starter homes" were built in the 1950s, larger two-story homes followed. For nearly 40 years, Park Forest remained somewhat transient until the late 1980s when the Village encouraged development of larger homes to balance its housing stock. Today, of nearly 9,600 housing units, about 5,700 are single-family homes, with another 3,880 multi-family units including approximately 2,000 cooperatives.

Diversity and Sustainability
From its beginning, Park Forest stood out by avoiding restrictive covenants. Though early residents represented religious but not racial diversity, within a decade the Village established a Human Relations Commission, adopted a Fair Housing Ordinance, and actively pursued racial diversity. Unlike many Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs, Park Forest avoided white flight and racial resegregation. Today, it embraces residents from all backgrounds with over 19 places of worship and a nearly 50-year commitment to fair housing.

Park Forest has a long history of sustainable practices and recently committed to becoming Illinois' most sustainable community. With support from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Village adopted a comprehensive sustainability plan in 2012. Since then, Park Forest has won the Congress for New Urbanism Illinois Charter Award for Best Town Plan (2013), the Illinois American Planning Association's Best Sustainability Plan Award (2013), the Governor's Sustainability Award (2014), and received a 3-STAR Community Rating for leadership in sustainable practices.

Natural Resources
The 2,000 acres of parks, recreation facilities, and open space give Park Forest one of the largest per capita green space ratios in Illinois. Alongside numerous playgrounds, ball fields, and picnic areas, the Village features abundant tennis courts and one of the state's most popular outdoor swimming facilities. The urban forest, planted during the Village's development, has now matured to provide significant environmental benefits despite ongoing maintenance challenges.