Chicago, your hometown, has embarked on a comprehensive, citywide initiative to be one of the greenest cities in the United States. Can you elaborate on this initiative?
Yes. According to SustainLane, an online resource for healthy and sustainable living, Chicago currently ranks fifth out of 25 cities that are committed to sustainability. This is up from eighth in 2005, so you can see our community is making great strides in this initiative.
Annually, Mayor Richard M. Daley releases Chicago's Environmental Action Agenda, which outlines environmental innovation and green strategies for all city agencies that seek to benefit both the health of the community's residents and the economy.
How does this initiative change the way Chicago's public agencies, departments, and utilities need to think about their projects and capital improvements?
The unique aspect of this environmental initiative is that the city has chosen to lead by example. This way, the public agencies, departments, and utilities are leading the way toward a greener Chicago, rather than the city passing laws determining what private companies can do—without having already incorporated these strategies into their own daily operations. Therefore, the city has been "thinking green" for a long time, incorporating sustainable strategies into all new construction and implementing environmental initiatives.
How are the city's green strategies changing the face of Chicago?
In my opinion, the face of Chicago has transformed exponentially over the past 5 years. You see new green spaces for recreational activity, such as Millennium Park, which not only provides parkland to the city, but also inspiring architecture and arts events. And all new municipal buildings have green or sustainable elements. Even the city hall has a green rooftop.
What role does Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)® have in Chicago's goals?
It is now policy that all city government buildings need to be LEED certified. LEED is a rating system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council that uses five categories of measurement to evaluate a building's green and sustainable elements. These categories include the sustainability of your location, water efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental quality of your materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Innovative design is also taken into account during the certification process. Different point totals correspond to different LEED ratings.
It is best to incorporate a LEED strategy at the beginning of a project. It is an upfront investment that may increase costs slightly initially, but can significantly reduce operating cost over the lifetime of a building, while helping the environment and the people who live or work in that building.
What can other communities—big and small—take away from Chicago's efforts?
Perhaps the most important message other communities can take away from Chicago's initiatives is that "green," sustainable building projects don't have to be cost-prohibitive. There are many cost-effective steps that can be taken that not only make a community a better place to live and work, but will also save money in the long run on energy costs. This is especially evident in businesses where green initiatives can increase worker productivity by providing a healthier, more pleasant work environment with the addition of fresh air and natural light. Employers can encourage the use of public transportation or biking, and recycled goods can be easily incorporated into a new design.
When it comes down to it, the whole definition of sustainable design is making sure that we use resources in such a way as to ensure that future generations have access to these same resources. And that is something everyone can make an effort to do.
For more information
Read about examples of CDM's contributions to Chicago's green initiatives: