City of Chicago Resources
Find information about the City of Chicago and its programs and departments related to the arts. Click here to link to Creative Industry Research and related information.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)
DCA Overview
Events, programs, exhibition opportunities, services, and arts community resources at the DCA.
Cultural Grants Division
Information on city funding for individual artists and arts organizations through the CAAP, NAAP, and City Arts programs.
Public Art ProgramInformation on city funding for individual artists and arts organizations through the CAAP, NAAP, and City Arts programs.
The Chicago Public Art Program implements public art projects in municipal sites throughout Chicago via the city's percent for art ordinance, and offers artists the opportunity to be part of a permanent slide registry from which projects are selected.
Chicago Cultural Center
As one of the most comprehensive free arts showcases in the United States, this landmark building is the setting for hundreds of programs and exhibitions presented annually by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Chicago Office of Tourism
A division of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Tourism markets Chicago as the leisure travel destination both domestically and internationally through advertising, marketing, media relations, and public information services.
After School Matters
After School Matters partners with the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District to offer teens hands-on job training in the art, music, theater, dance, sports, technology, and communications.
The Chicago Arts Service Directory
Developed to connect arts organizations and individual artists to thegroups that can support them, this directory includes contactinformation, descriptions, and a chart of services for a variety ofexpert arts service organizations in the Chicago area.
Selected City of Chicago Departments
that offer services to artists and the arts.
Office of the Mayor
The Mayor of Chicago, the city's chief executive officer, directs city departments and appoints department heads, with the advice and consent of the city council.
311 City Services
Call 311 for assistance with non-emergency City Services and for information on events, programs and agencies within the City of Chicago.
Buildings
The Department of Buildings supports the safety and quality of life for the residents and visitors of the City of Chicago through enforcement of the Chicago Building Code. The permitting and inspection process promotes high quality design standards as well as the conservation, rehabilitation andreuse of the City's existing buildings.
- Developer Services
- Easy Permit Process Program
- Green Permits
- Inspections
- Sewers
- Standard Plan Review
- Trade Licensing & General Contractor
Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
BACP ensures a fair and vibrant market place for both businesses and consumers. BACP licenses businesses and public vehicles, provides business education andaccess to resources, enforces the Municipal Code, and protects consumers from fraud.
- Business Assistance Center
- Cable Communications
- Cable25
- Consumer Awareness
- Enforcement & Investigations
- Liquor Licenses
- Outreach & Education
- Prosecutions & Adjudication
- Public Vehicles
- Public Way Use
- Restaurant Resource Center
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library encourages lifelong learning by welcoming all people and offering equal access to information, entertainment and knowledge through materials, programs and cutting-edge technology.
City of Chicago TV
City of Chicago TV is responsible for the production of programs which are shown on cable channels 23 and 49 in Chicago. It is also maintains of the City's television production facilities at the Harold Washington Library Center.
Community Development
The Department of Community Development (DCD) oversees the City's housing, neighborhood planning and development and Workforce Solutions initiatives.
Cultural Affairs
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts, serving the individuals and institutions who create and sustain them, and marketing the city’s abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience. Under the leadership of Commissioner Lois Weisberg since 1989, the department is widely regarded as national model for effective municipal support of artand culture.
- Art Exhibitions
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Chicago Office of Tourism
- Chicago’s Creative Industries
- Clarke House Museum
- Cultural Grants
- Cultural and Family Programs
- Millennium Park
- Music
- Project Onward
- Public Art Program
- Rentals for Private Events
- Resources and Services for Artists
- Resources and Services for Arts Organizations
- Theater
Environment
The Department develops environmental policy and enforces the City's environmental regulations. It promotes natural resource conservation, pollution prevention, energy efficiency and public outreach.
- Chicago Center for Green Technology
- Energy & Sustainable Business
- Green Buildings, Roofs and Homes
- Natural Resources & Water Quality
- Permits, Environmental Code Enforcement & Complaints
- Recycling & Waste Management
- Urban Management & Brownfield Redevelopment
Family and Support Services
The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services works to provide assistance toChicago’s residents, particularly those most in need, beginning at birth through the senior years.
- Children Services
- Division on Domestic Violence
- Homeless and Emergency Services
- Human Service Delivery
- Policy and Advocacy
- Senior Services-Area Agency on Aging
- Workforce Development
- Youth Services
Human Relations
The Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) is charged with enforcing the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance and the Chicago Fair Housing Ordinance. The Commission investigates complaints to determine whether discrimination may have occurred, and uses its enforcement powers to punish acts of discrimination.
- Advisory Council on African Affairs
- Advisory Council on Arab Affairs
- Advisory Council on Asian Affairs
- Advisory Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
- Advisory Council on Latino Affairs
- Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues
- Advisory Council on Veteran Affairs
- Advisory Council on Women
- Community Tensions and Hate Crimes
- Discrimination Cases
- Education Services
- Special Events and Programs
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
The Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) works to make Chicago the most accessible city in the nation on behalf of residents and visitors with disabilities.
- AccessChicago
- Accessibility Compliance
- Accessible Housing
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
- Disability Resources
- Employment Services for People with Disabilities
- Public Policy and Public Affairs
- Training Services
- Transportation
- Youth Programming
Procurement Services
The Department of Procurement Services provides support to 44 City Departments by procuring over $3 billion worth of quality goods and services annually.
- Auctions
- Contract Administration
- Events & Outreach
- MBE/WBE Program - Certification
- Rules, Regulations and Ordinances
Public Health
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) works to make our city a healthy place.Our activity is consistent with the "Ten Essential Public Health Services" recognized by federal health authorities as a fundamental framework of public health activities that should be undertaken in all communities.
- Chronic Disease, Violence Prevention and LGBT Health
- Clinical Care and More
- Environmental Health & Food/Restaurant Inspections
- H1N1 Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu)
- Infectious Disease
- Policy, Planning, and Health Care Access
- Public Health Preparedness
- Statistics & Reports
- Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Abuse
Revenue
The Chicago Department of Revenue is responsible for collecting a variety of City receivables while providing superior customer service.
- Accounts Receivable Division
- Parking and Red-light Citation Administration
- Payment Processing Division
- Tax Division
- Water Division
Special Events
The Mayor's Office of Special Events (MOSE) provides Chicagoans and visitors with year-round family style entertainment, by producing and promoting free festivals and city-wide holiday celebrations.
- Athletic Events
- Daley Plaza
- Farmers Markets
- Film Office (Chicago)
- Internship Program
- Jumping Jack Program
- Lakefront Festivals
- Maxwell Street Market
- Neighborhood Festivals
- Sponsorship Opportunities
Streets & Sanitation
The Department of Streets & Sanitation handles and average of one million service requests per year, each one making a difference in our communities.
- Forestry
- Mayor Daley's Dumpster Task Force
- Mayor Daley's Graffiti Blasters
- Neighborhood Services
- Rodent Control
- Sanitation
- Street Operations
- Traffic Services
Transportation
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for public way infrastructure, including planning, design, construction, maintenance and management.
- Alleys
- Bicycling
- Bridges and viaducts
- Construction Guidelines/Standards
- Contract Information
- Future Projects, Studies and Concepts
- Maps and Plats Kiosk
- Office of Underground Coordination
- Pedestrians
- Permits
- Red-light Camera Enforcement
- Shoreline Protection Project
- Sidewalks
- Signs and Pavement Markings
- Streets
- Streetscapes and Urban Design
- Traffic Calming
- Traffic Information
- Traffic Signals and Streetlights
- Transit Stations
Zoning and Land Use Planning
The Department of Zoning and Planning (DZP) administers the City of Chicago's zoning code to ensure neighborhood land use designations serve the needs of residents, workers and visitors.
- Administrative Reviews and Approvals
- Code Enforcement
- Historic Preservation
- Planning and Policy
- Sustainable Development
Other City,County, and State Agencies
The City of Chicago Government collaborates with several external entities,including other City agencies, County Government, and State Agencies.Click on the links below to be routed to popular services provided by thesenon-city agencies, and to find direct links to their websites.
- Board of Election Commissioners
- Chicago Housing Authority
- Chicago Park District
- Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) - Travel Information
- City Clerk's Office
- City Colleges of Chicago
- Cook County Clerk's Office
- Office of the City Treasurer
- State of Illinois



