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Chicago Cityscape improved two of its APIs. The TOD API largely replicates the results of an Address Snapshot report, and returns details for those who want to integrate our vast database into their own dashboards and sales CRMs. The Parcels API replicates some of the features of the website's Property Finder functions, returning a trove of data about Cook County properties around a given point. 

Review our refreshed API documentation to learn how to put these new features to use.

Changes to the TOD API

We added several new data points to the TOD API response for requests about Chicago addresses and parcels:

• The API can now return all building permits and building violations
• The brand new ARO 2021 areas will be listed
• Bus route corridors have been added so users can judge eligibility for the Transit-Served Location ordinance.

Changes to the Parcels API

The Parcels API has been updated to have additional filters:

• Return only properties with a specific tax classification (review the full list of property classes)
• Return only properties that are in one or more Chicago zoning districts
• Users can request that each property that is returned is checked against the Chicago-owned land inventory. Then, users can use filters in their own programs to locate city-owned parcels. 

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Chicago Cityscape just added sales details for 42,007 property transactions in Cook County for the second quarter of 2021. That's an increase of 4,508 property sales compared to the first quarter of 2021. 

In the East Garfield Park community area, there were 117 transactions in Q2 but 125 transactions in Q1, a decrease of 6.4 percent.

In the Woodlawn community area, there were 187 transactions in Q2 and 168 transactions in Q1, an increase of 11.3 percent. 

Chicago Cityscape has three ways to look up property sales recorded since 2016:

1. Look up an Address Snapshot and scroll down to "Property Sales" to show transactions nearby and up to one mile away. Real Estate Pro members can look up an unlimited number of Address Snapshots and all other members can pay a one-time fee to purchase the reports one at a time.

2. Look up a Place Snapshot and scroll down to "Property Sales" to show transactions within that area (the default view) and up to one mile away. Real Estate Pro members can look up an unlimited number of Place Snapshots and all other members can pay a one-time fee to purchase the reports one at a time. 

3. Visit our main Property Sales page to review recently sold properties and filter by municipality. This is also where you can type in a buyer or seller's name to find which property transactions they were party to.

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We just launched major zoning updates to Chicago Cityscape to enable our members to find property in Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs), understand zoning permissions, and understand the difference between PMD subareas. 

Planned Manufacturing Districts were established in 1988. Eventually, 14 additional PMDs were created but Clybourn Corridor – the first – has since been dissolved. PMDs cannot be rezoned to other classifications but parts of them can be repealed. This steady zoning classification, and the limited variety of allowed uses, keeps land values low, making it easier for businesses that require large areas of land to afford to stick around. 

Prior to today, Chicago Cityscape provided very limited information to its members about PMDs and the properties within them, but more of our members have expressed interest in these areas. (Specifically, we have gathered feedback from CRE brokers and zoning attorneys that supported developing these updates.)

Here's a summary of what you can now do or see on Chicago Cityscape:

• Look up an address that's in a PMD and review a list of allowed uses (this list can also be easily printed). Try out 1750 W Fulton St.

• List and map all Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs). Then, in any PMD's Place Snapshot page you can use Property Finder to locate a property that meets your needs.
• List and map all PMD subareas (each subarea has a different list of allowed zoning uses) - We have PMD subareas for the first time, and when you look at the Place Snapshot for a PMD subarea, there's are two handy links: one to the "parent" PMD, to show the combined boundary, and the second to the other subarea.

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Additionally, we've updated the maps for the PMDs and their subareas:

• Updated boundaries for all PMDs that changed in the last few years (some PMDs, like Kinzie, were modified due to "modernization" of the boundaries based on changes in the real estate market; others changed because of new Planned Developments being carved out, like the new Lagunitas brewery in the Pilsen PMD)
• Chicago Cityscape is keeping a copy of the previous boundaries for all PMDs that changed in the last few years (for the reasons described above). You'll see these labeled as "Prior to [year]". A note on that newer PMD's Place Snapshot page will indicate what changed to create the current boundary. 

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