“An important part of Chicago’s efforts to be the most environmentally-friendly city in the world is to understand the effects of climate change on our city. Programs like ‘Together’ remind us that we all share the responsibility for global warming, and we all can be part of the solution.”
- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley

About Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned an international reputation for his programs to preserve and protect the natural environment.

Since Daley became mayor in 1989, the City has planted more than 500,000 trees; added more than 200 acres of new parks and green space, including more than 100 campus parks at neighborhood schools; built more than 80 miles of landscaped street medians; and spurred the construction of more than 400 gardens and green roofs, covering more than 4 million square feet, on major public and private buildings, including City Hall.

Under Daley’s leadership, Chicago created the most aggressive program in the nation to transform brownfields into new industrial facilities, green spaces, affordable housing and technological and manufacturing centers.

In 2002, the City opened the Center for Green Technology on a former illegal dump site. It was the first municipal building in the nation to receive the LEED Platinum Rating, the highest possible rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

In 2004, Daley implemented a new set of environmentally sensitive construction standards for public buildings. New City libraries, and police and fire stations have green features. Daley created a Green Building Award program to recognize excellence in the private sector.

In 2006, the City opened its first permanent Household Chemical and Computer Recycling Center which accepts computers for recycling and allows for the safe disposal or recycling of household hazardous chemicals. It also features the first solar wall in the State of Illinois.

To showcase new methods of energy conservation, the City financed the restoration of four model bungalows with green features and hosted a competition to design five affordable green residences.

The City owns more than 225 hybrid vehicles and more than 336 that run on alternative fuels. It established a City vehicle idling policy to reduce fuel consumption and will soon install an ethanol-to-hydrogen fueling station. The Chicago Transit Authority has reduced bus emissions by 28 percent since 1999 as a result of new technology and by using ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel. It has also started to build a fleet of hybrid buses to further reduce emissions.

Under Daley’s leadership, the City is also incorporating environmentally-friendly initiatives into its efforts to modernize O’Hare International Airport by creating benchmarks for environmental stewardship in design and construction.

Bicycling Magazine calls Chicago one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the U.S. The city has 50 miles of bike paths, 100 miles of designated bike lanes on city streets and 10,000 bike racks, more than any other city in the country. The bicycle station at Millennium Park contains more than 300 bicycle parking spaces, locker rooms, shower stalls and bike repair and rental facilities.

Daley has implemented a comprehensive water and river agenda to conserve and protect Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. He also organized U.S. and Canadian mayors to protect the Great Lakes. During his term of office, the city has reduced water use by 160 million gallons a day by fixing old infrastructure.

As part of a major expansion of the McCormick Place convention center, a 3,000-foot tunnel was built to carry clean rain water from the roof to Lake Michigan to keep 55 million gallons of rain water out of the sewer system. The City is also experimenting with new construction techniques on alleys to absorb storm water.

The City is pioneering new road-building techniques to keep road salt and oil from flowing into Lake Michigan and the Chicago River, which is being turned into Chicago’s second shoreline, with nature trails, fishing areas, canoe launches and other recreational assets. In addition, the City has built or expanded nine parks along the Chicago River, restored over 1,500 feet of riverbank, and worked with the private sector to install more than 13 miles of river walk.

Daley has received the J. Sterling Morton Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation; the Kevin Lynch Award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the Catalyst Award for Urban Park Leadership from the Urban Parks Institute; and a National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institution.