One of the goals of the City of Chicago in 2025 was unanimously working towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable place. The vision for green living was by influencing the daily habits of its constituents by encouraging green thinking in trading, home life, and the workplace.
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Clean energy
The city has embraced clean energy and has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in the US. Over a thousand jobs in Illinois are related to clean energy. Solar panel experts in solar installation in Rockford, IL, reaped the benefits of the upsurge of solar panels in the city. Homeowners find value in the utilization of solar energy for eco-friendliness and the reduction in utility spending. The accessibility to clean energy also paved the way for solar alternatives to those with limited roof space. Recently, the city has been procuring coal-free electricity to allow public areas and buildings to run on 100% renewable energy.
Cut back on energy waste
The local government collaborated with the private business sectors in significantly reducing their energy use by 20%. In addition, they have mandated commercial spaces to practice green living efforts through worker’s lifestyles, greener workspaces, and green technology.
Clean water movement
The Chicago River has now transformed into a recreational area. Walkways and open park spaces draw people to the riverfront. With the river disinfection efforts, people can now enjoy new boathouses, cleaner water, and new boating and kayak facilities. Lake Michigan is the drinking water source for over 6 million residents of Illinois. The local government focuses on removing toxic pollutants from the river by banning plastic microbeads and plastic straws.
Reduction of carbon footprint
Chicago has actively encouraged bike riding through the designation of over 300 bike lanes. The blue Divvy bikes are made available and accessible for everyone as part of the city’s bike-share system for mobility. The town has participated in reducing its carbon footprint by encouraging biking and walking amongst its constituents. Improvement in public transportation significantly reduced pollution in the city.
Love for nature
The city and its inhabitants have a strong sense of pride in their recreational parks. Recently, the use of parks and related activities have significantly increased, contributing to the park boom. Over a hundred playgrounds were constructed and renovated, so every child has access to one within a 10-minute walk. In addition, the Maggie Daley Park and Burnham Wildlife Corridor are home to urban trees and the Monarch butterfly, both conservation efforts of the city’s fauna and flora.
Priority for good food
The city aims to be one of the country’s top places for urban agriculture, now boasting over 500 community gardens, farmer markets, and urban farms. Moreover, government and community resources are geared towards operations of rooftop greenhouses for food production and farmer training. The city is also a hotbed for healthy food enterprises with fresh fruits and vegetables as their core menu, like MightyVine and Jenny’s Tofu.
In a nutshell, Chicago has taken an active lead in influencing all sectors in this meaningful effort for the environment. Moreover, we fervently hope other states will step up the plate and influence lifestyle through awareness and education.