Sustainable City: CHICAGO
The dense city center of downtown Chicago has an extensive mass transportation network with 144 rail stations and over 100 bus routes. Chicago Transit Authority has been able to cut its GHG emissions by incorporating more Energy efficient transit options even while expanding…but, overall, the city of Chicago is also still very green- 12,429 total acres of in Chicago (including land managed by the state and county, with 8,100 acres of that parkland managed by the city)- 8.5% of the land area of Chicago is park space open to the public.
The City of Chicago has put in motion plans to transform the city into one of the world’s brightest examples of a sustainable metropolis. A path to this goal is found in the 7 themes of “The Sustainable Chicago Action Agenda”. These 7 main themes include- Chicago’s Climate Action Plan, Energy Efficiency & Clean Energy, Waste & Recycling, Waste & Wastewater, Transportation Options, Economic Development & Job Creation, and Parks & Open Space.
Chicago has developed a citywide Climate Action Plan that mirrors the goals of Chicago’s Sustainable Action Agenda. The Chicago Climate Action Plan includes climate change mitigation strategies featuring: energy efficient buildings, clean & renewable energy sources, improved transportation options, and reduced waste & industrial buildings.
One of the aspects of the plan the City of Chicago has been most successful at implementing, and a major part of that which makes Chicago a sustainable city, from an energy use standpoint, is developing sustainable energy efficient buildings; another is the city’s implementation of sustainable technology with regard to retrofitting buildings. With regard to LEED and Energy Star buildings, Chicago has the highest percentage (at over 65%) of LEED certified/ Energy Star certified office buildings among the top 30 real estate markets in the United States.
LEED stands for leadership in energy and environmental design, and certifies buildings that demonstrate excellence in the following categories: sustainable sites, location and transportation, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
The city of Chicago has initiated a Sustainable Development Division to address sustainability concerns in the development of buildings in Chicago. “The Sustainability Division provides technical assistance for [developers]...required to meet the City of Chicago's sustainability standards, specifically city-assisted projects [and] new planned developments...[Chicago’s] Sustainable Development Division promotes development practices that result in buildings that are healthier to occupy, less expensive to operate and more responsible to the environment than traditional buildings. Sustainable requirements involve various levels of LEED [and] Energy Star standards for energy efficiency...The policies are intended to improve…public roadways and parks– [and create] a higher level of stewardship of local water, air, and land resources. The division promotes strategies that absorb stormwater on site, such as…bioswales, permeable pavement and rain gardens, as well as green roofs. Green roofs help to keep rainwater out of overburdened sewer systems, reduce urban temperatures, improve the air quality in densely developed neighborhoods, and reduce a building’s energy costs."
In order to make even more advancements in residential and business building’s energy and water efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings in the city, the City of Chicago has launched Retrofit Chicago. “Energy efficiency is a priority for strengthening Chicago— helping Chicago to be at affordable, modern, competitive, attractive, livable, and sustainable city.”
“Retrofit Chicago’s energy efficiency pursuits help:
- Create Jobs
- Save Chicagoans money and
- Improve air quality for workers in commercial buildings
