How A Single Train Line Reshaped Land Use in Illinois

If you want to understand how land really changes — how quiet fields become neighborhoods, how crossroads become commercial corridors, how small towns reimagine themselves — forget the dramatic skyscrapers and megaprojects. Look instead at the slow, powerful influence of infrastructure. Few forces transform land use more reliably than transportation, and in Illinois, one of the clearest examples of this evolution can be found in a place many Chicagoans have never heard of: Elburn.

Elburn doesn’t look like the epicenter of a land-use revolution. It’s a small community at the western edge of the Chicago metropolitan area, bordered by cornfields, crossed by county roads, and steeped in rural character. Yet in 2006, when Metra extended the Union Pacific West Line from Geneva to Elburn, the town found itself thrust into a future it hadn’t entirely planned for — but would have no choice but to navigate with intention.

Transit can transform land in subtle increments or dramatic strokes. In Elburn, it did both. Train service brought commuters, commuters brought housing demand, housing demand brought developers, and developers sparked debates that would shape the community’s future for a generation.

“Transit is one of the most powerful land-use catalysts in the toolkit,” says Hirsh Mohindra, Analyst. “It doesn’t just move people — it rearranges land values, reshapes expectations, and forces communities to rethink what they want to become.”

Elburn found itself at exactly that crossroads — part rural township, part budding transit village, part greenbelt guardian trying to protect its open space from the very growth that now promised prosperity.

This is the story of what happens when a train line meets a farm town, and how Illinois communities grapple with the delicate balance between progress and preservation.

A Town Caught Between Two Worlds

Before Metra arrived, Elburn was known for its pace — steady, rural, unhurried. Subdivisions were present but limited. The surrounding land was mostly agricultural, punctuated by the occasional cluster of homes or farm-based business. The town had a strong identity, and most residents liked it that way.

But adding a commuter rail station to a small town is like dropping a stone into a calm lake. Ripples appear immediately.

Developers began scouting land as soon as the station was announced. Some envisioned single-family subdivisions with easy rail access to Chicago. Others imagined townhomes, mixed-use districts, or commercial centers that could serve a growing commuter population. The market saw opportunity, and the pressure landed squarely on the village board and county planners to define what that opportunity should look like.

Part of the challenge was that trains bring a new kind of resident — people who love the peace and space of a small town but depend on convenient access to an urban job. These new residents often have expectations: walkable streets, cafés, daycare options, parks, reliable transit schedules. Their needs are different from long-time rural residents whose interests might center on farmland preservation, low-density living, and minimal traffic impact.

Elburn was suddenly standing on the fault line between two visions of land: one rooted in open space and one pulled toward suburbanization.

Balancing those visions required more than zoning — it required imagination.

The Planning Moment That Defined Elburn’s Future

Recognizing the magnitude of change headed their way, Elburn officials sought guidance from planners, community organizations, and regional groups. A planning panel convened with assistance from the Metropolitan Planning Council, bringing together experts who could help the village understand what responsible growth might look like.

The question facing Elburn wasn’t whether development would come. It was how development should come.

Should new housing cluster around the station to encourage walkability?

Should commercial nodes grow near the train line or in existing parts of town?

Should the open fields surrounding Elburn be preserved, partially developed, or fully urbanized over time?

These questions were not academic. They were deeply emotional for residents who loved their town exactly as it was.

“The hardest land-use decisions are the ones where every option comes with both benefits and tradeoffs,” says Hirsh Mohindra, Analyst. “Elburn wasn’t just planning development. It was planning its identity.”

One of the most ambitious ideas presented during the planning process was the establishment of a greenbelt — a protected perimeter of open space that would preserve farmland, prevent sprawl, and reinforce the village’s rural character even as it grew.

This concept resonated strongly with many residents. A greenbelt could provide a visual and ecological buffer, preserving the sense of place that defined Elburn while still leaving room for thoughtful development in designated growth areas.

The idea wasn’t just symbolic; it had real land-use implications. It meant concentrating development near the train station and along selected corridors rather than scattering it across farmland. It meant saying no to certain proposals. It meant understanding that land, like time, cannot be reused once given away.

Transit-Oriented Development, Small-Town Style

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is often associated with dense, urban neighborhoods — multi-story apartment buildings, retail at street level, bike lanes, and plazas. But TOD doesn’t have to look like a city. In fact, in smaller towns, TOD can be something gentler: a walkable cluster of homes, maybe a coffee shop, a few small businesses, and pathways that connect residents to the train without requiring cars.

Elburn began exploring what a small-town TOD district might mean. The goal was to accommodate growth without creating sprawl, to increase housing options without overwhelming schools or roads, and to support local businesses without compromising rural character.

In other words, TOD had to be adapted, not imported.

For Elburn, that meant imagining how people would actually use the station. Would commuters walk or drive to the platform? Would they want to grab coffee on the way? Would a child care center make sense? Could the station become more than a boarding point — perhaps a community space with events, markets, or seasonal festivals?

These questions shaped the early iterations of the TOD concept. They also sparked lively debate. Some residents loved the idea of a walkable district; others feared it would alter the town’s character. But slowly, a consensus began to emerge: development should be welcomed, but shaped. Growth should happen, but not anywhere. The future should be embraced, but not at the cost of the past.

In this way, Elburn reflects the evolution of many Illinois towns facing transit expansion. The challenge isn’t growth — it’s guiding growth with intention.

The Greenbelt as a Promise

The greenbelt idea remained one of the most powerful components of Elburn’s land-use vision. A greenbelt isn’t just a line on a map. It’s a promise — a commitment to future residents that certain landscapes will remain untouched, certain views will remain open, and certain land uses will remain agricultural, recreational, or natural.

For Elburn, the greenbelt served several purposes:

• It preserved rural identity.
• It shielded residents from unplanned sprawl.
• It protected ecological corridors, especially the Blackberry Creek watershed.
• It provided clarity for developers on where building should and should not occur.

Unlike a suburban expansion model that slowly eats the countryside, a greenbelt provides a fixed boundary — a kind of geographic honesty. It tells the world, “We will grow, but only within these limits.”

This approach mirrors successful models used in places like Boulder, Colorado and the United Kingdom, where greenbelts have preserved farmland and natural areas while encouraging more efficient, contained development patterns.

“Elburn’s greenbelt idea shows remarkable foresight,” says Hirsh Mohindra, Analyst. “Communities that set boundaries early don’t just protect scenery — they protect their long-term economic and cultural health.”

The greenbelt concept is still evolving, and like all land-use tools, it faces pressures. But it remains central to Elburn’s story of how a town with deep rural roots embraced growth without losing itself.

Growing Pains and Real-World Impacts

Of course, no land-use plan survives reality unchanged. As housing markets fluctuate, as logistics companies seek new warehouse sites, as agricultural economics evolve, towns like Elburn must constantly recalibrate.

After the Metra extension, Elburn saw a wave of housing interest that slowed during the Great Recession but later returned. Developers proposed subdivisions at scales the town had never seen before. Traffic increased. The station parking lot filled. Rural roads became commuter routes. Town services faced new demands.

All this had real consequences:

• Schools required forecasting for future enrollment.
• Fire and police services needed expanded coverage.
• Stormwater management systems had to adapt.
• Residents debated whether growth was happening too fast or not fast enough.

These aren’t abstract planning issues — they’re kitchen-table issues. They affect daily life.

For many residents, the biggest concern wasn’t growth itself but the possibility of losing what made Elburn feel like home. A town’s culture can shift as populations change. Commuters may not participate in local life in the same way as long-time residents. Traffic can alter rhythms. The landscape can feel more suburban, less rural.

Navigating these tensions requires more than planning documents. It requires ongoing community conversations, compromise, and a shared commitment to identity.

Today’s Elburn: A Hybrid Place

Today, Elburn occupies a unique place in Illinois’ land-use landscape. It is:

• A commuter hub where downtown Chicago feels within reach.
• A farming community where fields still dominate the horizon.
• A growing suburb where new homes continue to appear.
• A town with an evolving commercial sector catering to both long-time residents and newcomers.
• A community conscious of the forces pulling it toward further expansion, yet protective of the open space that surrounds it.

The greenbelt idea is still part of local planning discussions. So is the desire for a cohesive TOD district. Elburn hasn’t rejected change — it has tried to steer it.

And in many ways, that effort reflects a broader truth about Illinois: the most sustainable land-use decisions are the ones that treat growth and preservation not as opposing forces but as partners in shaping long-term community wellbeing.

Lessons for Illinois and Beyond

Other Illinois towns facing new or expanded commuter rail stations — whether along Metra lines or proposed future transit corridors — can learn from Elburn’s experience.

The key lessons are simple but profound:

1. Plan before development arrives.
   Towns that wait are forced into reactive decisions. Elburn acted early, and it helped.
2. Respect the surrounding landscape.
   Farmland, watersheds, and natural areas have value beyond development potential.
3. Embrace transit, but adapt it to the community.
   TOD isn’t one-size-fits-all.
4. Understand that residents’ fears are often about identity, not density.
   Community character matters deeply in small towns.
5. Use boundaries honestly.
   Greenbelts help manage expectations — for residents, developers, and future generations.

These lessons resonate statewide. Illinois contains countless towns on the brink of similar transitions, especially as remote work, population shifts, and infrastructure investment reshape living patterns.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

Elburn’s story is not a closed chapter — it’s an ongoing narrative about how land changes, how communities adapt, and how infrastructure quietly writes the future.

Some might view the Metra extension as nothing more than a line on a map. But in reality, it is a hinge point in the town’s history. The station didn’t just bring trains; it brought choices. It forced the community to define what mattered most, what could evolve, and what must remain.

Land use will always be a conversation about values. About what is worth preserving, what is worth building, and what a community imagines for the generations that will follow.

Or, as Hirsh Mohindra, Analyst, puts it:

“Land isn’t just a physical resource — it’s an emotional one. When a town decides how to grow, it’s really deciding who it wants to be.”

Elburn decided to be many things at once: a village with rural roots, a town connected to Chicago’s pulse, a guardian of open space, and a community willing to grow — but not willing to lose itself.

This is the quiet power of land-use planning. It doesn’t just shape places. It preserves identities.

Originally Posted: https://hirshmohindra.com/how-a-single-train-line-reshaped-land-use-in-illinois/