About

Sightline Planning and Zoning is an independent urban planning consulting firm focused on better zoning for communities large and small.

We envision a future where better planning and zoning lead to balanced land uses, greater opportunity, paths to economic development, and more equitable communities. With a strong foundation in land use planning, we help implement your community goals through zoning, subdivision, and land development codes that are easy to understand and use.

  • Local officials and staff know that their zoning and land development regulations are some of the most important tools in their toolboxes. However, it is incredibly difficult to repair a tool when you’re using it every day. Ordinance updates can be complex, intimidating, and time consuming. As a result, they often get neglected and fall to the bottom of your to-do list, which only makes the problems more acute.

    Sightline Planning and Zoning works with you to simplify the process by building on your institutional knowledge. We take care of the regulations so that you and your staff can focus on your job: planning for the future. We don’t try to be everything to everyone, we don’t do it all. We focus on land development regulations and what communities need at this key moment in their evolution.

  • Our ordinances are designed with the user in mind, so that they can be easily understood by residents, developers, staff, and local officials. They are written in simple, straightforward language that is legally defensible without being mired in legal jargon. We incorporate design and illustrations to help communicate complex regulations. Our projects include outreach that balances in-person discussions, virtual engagement, and education to communicate the purpose of the ordinance and how it can impact the future of our communities.

    Our ordinances help communities:

    • Evolve with emerging land uses, sustainable development, and smart growth — whether your community is looking to establish, reinforce, or redefine its character.

    • Respond to the nationwide housing crunch by allowing for a wide variety of housing choice in various zoning districts.

    • Revise minimum parking regulations to right-size space for people, bikes, cars, and transit.

    • Holistically craft zoning regulations that help to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities.

  • • Broad Expertise: We bring more than 15 years of public and private sector experience, having worked with communities across the country to craft better zoning and land development codes.

    • On the Forefront: We are a new firm that is pushing the leading edge of zoning practice. We can scale our experience to meet you where you are and help you explore a range of possibilities.

    • Individual Attention: We are a small firm which allows us to be more responsive and provide more individual attention. Rather than paying for a name on the door whom you rarely see, you will work with our Founding Principal every step of the way.

    • Public-Private Liaison: We have been a key liaison between the consultant community and municipal partners so we have an acute understanding of the relationship, the process, and how to avoid potential pitfalls.

    • Equity Focus: We understand that historically, zoning has been one of an intertwined set of rules that perpetuates inequality by location based on factors such as race and income. The goal of our work is to holistically craft zoning regulations that help to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities.

Who We Are

JACOB SEID, AICP
Founding Principal

For more than 15 years, Jake has partnered with communities large and small on a wide array of planning and zoning projects. Jake’s work focuses on zoning ordinances, land use planning, and authentic community outreach and engagement. 

During the course of his career, Jake has honed unique skills and abilities in zoning and land use regulations. He has made a significant impact by crafting easy-to-use zoning codes that implement community goals and provide greater land use flexibility and housing choice. For a decade, he teamed with municipal and county partners in the Chicago area as a regional planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). Prior to that, Jake worked on a variety of zoning and planning projects with clients nationally for five years at Camiros. 

Jake is dedicated to his community and to his profession, serving for ten years on the Executive Board of the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association, including two years as President. Throughout his career, he has been a frequent speaker on topics around modernizing and improving zoning with engagements at the national, state, and local level. Due to his combination of expertise, experience, and civic engagement, Jake was named a Notable Leader in Community Development by Crain’s Chicago Business in 2022.

Highlights