Search Results
Resource
Great Lakes Green Streets Guidebook
August 2013
This guidebook, published by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), provides examples of roadways projects within the Great Lakes Watershed that utilize green infrastructure methods to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff. Developed as a complement to the Low Impact Development Manual for Michigan, the guidebook offers support to municipalities interested in planning, designing, and constructing green streets.
Resource Category: Solutions
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Chicago DOT - Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Policies and Guidelines
July 2013
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) issued these guidelines (“Guidelines”) to require the implementation of sustainability best practices (environmental and social) into all transportation infrastructure projects, with metrics to ensure that projects are designed to be resilient to the long-term impacts of climate change. The Guidelines include two components: Volume I outlines the city’s sustainability goals and the process for integrating those goals into urban infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance; Volume 2 provides specific strategies, references, and resources to help project managers and engineers incorporate sustainability principles into specific projects.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
City of Chicago Utility Cost Disclosure Ordinance
March 13, 2013
The City of Chicago adopted energy efficiency policies for both commercial and residential buildings to help reduce waste energy from residential and commercial buildings, which accounts for about one-third of the urban heat island effect, in some US cities. This ordinance in combination with the city's energy conservation code and energy benchmarking ordinance seek to enhance energy efficiency in the city's building stock and reduce waste heat from buildings.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Reconstruction of Wacker Drive (Chicago, Illinois) Using High Performance Concrete
November 2012
The City of Chicago redesigned and rebuilt the iconic two-level Wacker Drive using high performance concrete to be resilient to a variety of extreme weather conditions, such as severe freeze-thaw cycles. To prevent the same deterioration that had occurred with the previous design, the city required that the redesigned upper deck be built for a minimum 100-year service life, be chemically resistant to de-icing salts and have no cracks during the deck's 100-year life.
Resource Category: Solutions
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Pilsen Sustainable Streets (Chicago, Illinois Department of Transporation)
October 9, 2012
On October 9, 2012, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) completed the first phase of the Pilsen Sustainable Streets project, which uses permeable pavement and green infrastructure elements to address current and projected increases in temperature and precipitation. The sustainability project, described as the “greenest street in America,” consists of a two-mile stretch of Blue Island Avenue and Cermak Road located in the Pilsen neighborhood. The project features will help reduce flooding, manage stormwater, and reduce temperatures, allowing CDOT to address two potential climate impacts with the same project.
Resource Category: Solutions
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
The State of Adaptation in the Great Lakes Region
October 2012
This report presents the results of a survey conducted by EcoAdapt of the climate change adaptation activities in the Great Lakes region as of 2012. The report provides an overview of key climate change impacts affecting the region, and a review of the adaptation efforts, especially those focused on the natural and built environments as they relate to freshwater resources or the freshwater/terrestrial interface.
Resource Category: Solutions
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Climate Ready Great Lakes Training Modules
July 2012
These training modules provide a basic overview of climate science, climate change impacts in the Great Lakes region and practical guidance for response and adaptation at the local and regional level. Each module consists of a presentation (available in PowerPoint format) and supplemental materials, including worksheets, handouts, and evaluation forms.
Resource Category: Planning
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Cook County, Illinois Climate Change and Public Health Action Plan
2012
This strategic plan was developed to help Cook County, Illinois adapt to current and projected public health impacts resulting from climate change. The plan identifies five areas of concern in the county including: extreme heat and weather; food-borne illness; vector-borne illness; water quality and quantity and waterborne diseases; and air pollution and allergens - which are expected to be more prevalent as climate change continues and extreme weather events become more common. This report was sponsored by the Chicago Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Resource Category: Planning
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
State of Illinois Drought Preparedness and Response Plan
October 12, 2011
The State Water Task Force is an interagency group that was assembled in 1980 to guide policy decisions related to water issues, and to prepare a State Water Plan for Illinois. The Task Force updates Illinois’ 1983 Drought Contingency Plan with this Drought Preparedness and Response Plan - continuing to provide local and state officials and the public with information on water supply issues, and key considerations for drought preparedness. This plan was developed from pilot regional water supply assessments and planning projects.
Resource Category: Planning
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Thirsty for Answers: Preparing for the Water-related Impacts of Climate Change in American Cities
August 2011
In this report the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has compiled local and regional research findings about the water-related impacts of climate change in 12 U. S. cities. NRDC examined more than 75 scientific studies, as well as data and reports generated by government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The report makes clear that some of the most profound effects of climate change are water-related, such as sea-level rise, increased rain and storms, flooding, and drought, and that these kinds of events are likely to increase in the coming years as a result of climate change.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Mark Dorfman, Michelle Mehta, Ben Chou, Steve Fleischli, Kirsten Sinclair Rosselot
Resource Category: Solutions
