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Adaptation
Urban Heat Island Map
The urban heat island effect is caused by the tendency of hard, dark surfaces, such as roofs and pavement, to be measurably hotter than natural areas. It can raise a city’s temperatures 4 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit on hot summer days. The City of Chicago conducted research on the impacts of the urban heat island effect. The City mapped Chicago's hottest spots and is targeting its cooling and energy efficiency efforts, such as the cool roofs and green roof grant programs, to those areas. In addition, the City overlaid a map of 311 and 911 calls regarding heat-related emergencies to assess the correlation between urban heat islands and heat stress-related issues. During the past 15 years, Chicago planted more than 500,000 trees and achieved a City-wide tree count of 4.1 million trees. The City plans to plant approximately 1 million new trees by 2020. Learn More >>
Extreme Weather Operations Plan
As a result of climate change, Chicago could experience an increase in extreme weather events. The City's Extreme Weather Operations Plan is designed to be scaled as circumstances demand, and individual portions can be put into action depending on information from the National Weather Service, such as the issuance of a heat watch or heat warning. When the plan goes into effect, City agencies carry out their prescribed responsibilities, including actions to inform residents of health risks, opening buildings to act as cooling centers, and monitoring at-risk populations to ensure their safety.
Green Urban Design
Green Urban Design addresses the issue of urban heat island effects and stormwater management with a comprehensive policy framework. The Green Urban Design plan will improve upon the benefits of Chicago’s dense urban form by integrating into all developments—including public roadways and parks—a higher level of stewardship of local water, air and land resources through the use of landscaping, tree planting and on-site stormwater management.
Water Conservation Education
In 2006, the City of Chicago passed an ordinance allowing Eco-Media, a national public awareness organization, to raise funds for water conservation education programs and water quality improvement projects through water conservation signage. The funds generated for the project support water quality initiatives within the Chicago River System and along the Lake Michigan lakeshore.
Water Conservation
A five-year, $620 million capital improvement project is saving an estimated 160 million gallons of water a day by reducing leaks. Watergy – water/energy – is used to pump water, filter it, distribute it, and treat it for discharge. Water conservation will help to decrease the 190,266 MWh of electricity the city consumes annually to pump and treat its water. Learn More >>
Stormwater Management Ordinance
Water that runs off a site into storm sewers can stress Chicago’s sewer system and pollute our waterways. The City of Chicago Stormwater Management Ordinance requires developments of a certain size and density to control the volume of stormwater and the rate at which it leaves the site. Specifically, the Ordinance requires a development to capture the first ½ inch of rain on-site.
Green Alleys
Made of porous pavement, green alleys absorb stormwater into the ground instead of sending it to the sewer system for treatment. More than 40 green alleys have been completed. The City has made green alley components part of our standard practices. Learn More >> |
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