For Helen Shiller supporting "balanced development" is not, and has never been just about diversity and affordability.  To Alderman Shiller, "balanced development" means responsible development.  Consequently, Helen has worked with developers, consumers, business and government agencies to ensure that issues such as quality control and environment are efficiently and effectively taken into account when promoting and creating new development.

Protecting Consumers 

In the late 1980s, Helen Shiller worked with the area's State Senator and State Representatives to help write and lobby for protections for consumers of condominiums from unscrupulous developers.

One of the first actions that Alderman Shiller took was to streamline the process for condo refuse rebates and to advertise the availability of these rebates.

Every year since she became Alderman, Helen Shiller has worked with the sitting Cook County Assessor to have tax appeal workshops for area residents.

In the early 1990s, Alderman Shiller sponsored a series of public law workshops to train condominium boards and other small community organizations on how to structure and conduct their own operations as well as how to get the most out of public and private bureaucracies.

Protecting the Environment

Sustainability is important to Alderman Shiller. The 46th Ward's current biggest economic development project – Wilson Yard – is the city's most extensive "green-friendly" publicly financed economic development project.  In addition to all of the structures having green roofs, the two rental buildings are being built as recycling highrises, with the recycling process being built into the refuse disposal system.

Creating Community Processes

Alderman Shiller has all developers who are proposing big developments present their plans to the existing community organizations in the Ward.  "I view my role as being the person that foster open discussing and even sometimes disagreement," explains Shiller.  "Progress usually comes from honest debate and discussion."

"You have to remember that people have different roles and responsibilities and that doesn't make them enemies but makes them have to focus on different things," she says. "I try to put myself in other people's shoes and realize that even in the most mean-spirited nonsense there is an ounce of truth. You need to address that truth, because it is part of the whole. It creates tension but that's a healthy dynamic and should be expected. It's like a symphony. When it works well, it's beautiful."

Assisting Developers through Bureaucracy

Part of fostering responsible development is being an aide to developers in avoiding the unnecessary costs and delays that are often associated with bureaucracies.  "It begins with creating an understanding between developers, the community and government agencies that we are all in this together," explained Shiller.

And, this philosophy works.

"The alderman [Helen Shiller, 46th Ward] gave us the go ahead. We could have begun that demolition as a right but waited for her blessing," explained Darren Miller from the construction company working with Paul Hardej on Rainbo Village.

"I told them that I would not object to it," Shiller said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.  "We appreciated that they gave us the window [to find a way to save the building from being razed]," she said. The developer has owned the building for more than a year, and received a demolition permit in January, but waited for community review and approval of the project.