This poster displays the seven letters of the word “Chicago”, where each represents a sustainable high-rise, with either innovative, new construction or as existing construction with retrofitted design. Each of the seven buildings symbolize each of the seven principles of the Sustainable Chicago 2015 agenda.
Background on Sustainable Chicago 2015:
“A sustainable Chicago is a city that spends less on energy use with each passing year, creates good-paying jobs in up-and-coming industries, responsibly maintains and upgrades its infrastructure, and ensures every Chicagoan has the opportunity to live a healthy and active lifestyle.” — Mayor Emanuel
Sustainable Chicago 2015 outlines the specific challenges we face and opportunities we can realize when we work together to make Chicago a healthier, more livable and more prosperous place. It focuses on the choices, commitments, and actions that will deliver immediate results over the next few years and will continue to pay dividends for our people, businesses and environment for years to come. Sustainable Chicago is organized into seven categories critical to the sustainability of the city. It sets twenty-four specific goals and identifies key actions to reach those goals by 2015. It is a clear commitment of what government needs to and will do. It is also a roadmap for how Chicagoans, at home and at work, can get involved.
The seven sustainability categories are related and reinforce each other – success in one can lead to or amplify success in another.
Economic Development and Job Creation
Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy
Transportation Options
Water and Wastewater
Parks, Open Space, and Healthy Food
Waste and Recycling
Climate Change
Building on Chicago’s legacy of planning, action, and leadership on climate and environmental issues, the Sustainable Chicago 2015 Action Agenda offers a concrete roadmap for the City and its residents to make Chicago an even more prosperous, healthy, and vibrant place to live and work. During the first year of the Action Agenda’s implementation, we are proud to report that Chicago has made progress across all the plan’s goals and actions. For more information, please visit the Year One Progress Report.
Nathalie J. Siegel, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPTED 