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Chicago is a leading presence in the green infrastructure effort, especially here in the Midwest. Here’s a closer look at what the Windy City is doing to improve environmental issues like stormwater, urban heat island effect, pollution and more.

We all love a good role model.

Whether your idea of a powerful exemplar is Wonder Woman, Barack Obama or Chris Evans (too much on the superhero thing?), it’s nice to look up to someone.

We like to think Chicago is worthy of worship as well. You know, being all green and schtuff.

Seriously, though, when it comes to green infrastructure Chicago is taking a serious stand. Whether it’s working to bridge the gap between resilience and sustainability, or redefine how we use green infrastructure in the urban space, Chicago has decades of experience role modeling for the rest of us, and we’re so proud to be a part of that effort.

Making change, of course, starts with knowing as much as possible. If you’re interested in green infrastructure Chicago style, we’ve got your back.

Sustainable design is more than a buzzword; it’s a way of thinking about every action we take with the goal of reducing harm to Earth, its environment and its peoples.

Take a quick gander at the web and you’ll find dozens of firms in your area promising sustainable design. Of buildings. Of cities. Of landscapes. Of forests and wetlands.

Some of these firms really do follow sustainable design principles, prioritizing long-term resilience and the benefits to nature and people at their core.

Others, however, give the term a superficial treatment. They may source environmentally friendly products, but not ensure those products are the best for a site. They might address stormwater needs, but fail to choose the right infrastructure to manage it.

We’re certainly not claiming that green products and stormwater management are bad things; far from it. But until we look at the complete picture, we’re failing in our goals of creating sustainable green infrastructure for the future.

Want to avoid that? Of course you do.

Here’s a better way to think about it.

While we assume the color green automatically indicates environmental aid, that’s not necessarily the truth. We need better metrics for telling between what is green and what merely looks it.

People tend to simplify:

Cake = delicious. Vegetables = gross.

Yet caramelized onions are amazing, and banana cake is an absolute crime against humanity. So clearly oversimplification is a problem from which we humans tend to suffer.

The same holds true in the green-iverse.

Let’s face it: We’re just suckers for the color green. Show us a succulent-clad green roof and we’re going to believe the best in it, even if it doesn’t necessarily add to the surrounding environment in any meaningful way.

On the other hand, we assume a bare patch of ground is worthless – even though a completely dead green roof still performs about 60 percent of the stormwater management services of its fully functional, vibrant counterparts.

So if we can’t trust the color green to provide automatic indication of environmentalism, what can we know? What do we look for?

Here’s a brief primer on separating the wheat from the chaff.

While Yellowstone was the first national park in the United States and is widely held to be the first national park in the world, London is now set to break the mold that was established back in 1872.

How? By becoming the world’s first “National Park City.”

If you’re among the almost 100 percent of people who have no idea what the hell that means, cool. We’re here to clear it up today … and while we’re at it, enjoy a hefty dose of inspiration from this truly unique move.

While sustainability and resilience should mean the same thing in urban ecological design, they too often do not – leading to misunderstandings that work against both.

The word “sustainability” conjures up everything from reusable grocery bags to solar panels to biofuel to green roofs … but how many of us actually use the word correctly in reference to any particular system?

Moreover, how many of us ensure, when we use it, that we’re actually contributing to the overall resiliency of the system in question?

We recently had a chance to speak with the inimitable Keith Bowers, president of Biohabitats and a renowned landscape architect and restoration ecologist. One of his most interesting ideas, in our humble opinion, is that resilience and sustainability should amount to the same thing, but too often they do not.

The question is, where did this divide come from, and what can we do to heal it for the sake of understanding urban ecology and creating meaningful programs to foster it in cities?

We often think of green infrastructure as a duty or burden we “should” take on, but in truth, implement GI systems leads to major cost savings for individuals and cities.

“Hmm, wouldn’t it be great if I could spend more money for fewer environmental benefits?”

… said no one ever.

But the truth is, today’s property values often suffer deeply for lack of environmental planning and management. This is true for properties of all types, from residential to commercial, condos to office parks, hospitals to schools.

That’s good news, though: It means that with proper green infrastructure planning, we can substantially increase both property values and levels of urban ecological stewardship at the same time.

So, how do we improve property values with green infrastructure? Here’s a brief overview.

The first step in choosing the best type of infrastructure to manage stormwater and safeguard the environment is to understand the major differences between green versus gray infrastructure.

Stormwater is one of the world’s most pressing concerns. Whether to use green versus gray infrastructure one of the most pressing questions associated with it.

Today, the increase in global climate change brings odder and odder weather, while the expansion of cities ups the square footage of impermeable surfaces by the day. Managing stormwater is difficult but possible … as long as you understand your options: green versus gray.

Understanding green infrastructure is the first step in leveraging its awesome power toward a better future

Sometimes remakes just aren’t as good.

Seriously, ask anyone who’s ever loved a movie from the 80s if the new version is better. (Spoiler alert: They’ll say no.)

The same goes for nature’s ability to handle the vast gallons of stormwater that pour down from the sky during every shower and blizzard – versus our ability to manage that water on our own.

That’s where green infrastructure comes in. 

We are just beginning to quantify the numerous green infrastructure impacts on wildlife, the climate, waterways and more. What we haven’t yet spent enough time on: how sustainable practices help the economy.

While green infrastructure has become a common enough buzz phrase these days, it’s not always clear what value you’re supposed to draw from sustainable systems.

How does green infrastructure impact citizens and homeowners? How does it impact the economy as a whole? Can it help your kid get a date to prom, please?

Okay, only two of those are actually relevant to today’s discussion (not telling which).

The point is, green infrastructure impacts the economy in many ways, but it’s not always easy to measure them. Which is a major problem, because it gives the critics room to claim that “green” is just another farcical notion meant to drain taxpayer money and divert attention from real problems.

Well, we object to that. We’re here today to discuss some of the very real, very measurable impacts of green infrastructure.