Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Communities have clean air and water, equitable access to green spaces, and a commitment to using resources efficiently and reducing waste. Protecting the environment is key. Cook County is home to numerous waterways, forests, and prairies, that require responsible stewardship of natural areas, supporting the health of ecosystems and residents. Sustainable Communities require collaboration, collectively evaluating climate change impacts and natural hazards, building resilience, and remedying environmental injustices. This is done through addressing the County’s own emissions, investing in clean energy and green jobs, and supporting residents and municipalities with resiliency support.
Goal: Support healthy, resilient communities that thrive economically, socially, and environmentally.
Objective 1:
Advance environmental justice by means such as investing equitably across the County to address historic disinvestment and inequitable pollutant overburden.
| Strategy | Key Projects | Related Strategies | Equity Fund Recommendation |
| 1.1) Address communities’ environmental priorities and identify their assets and vulnerabilities. | Resilience Hubs Cook County municipalities preparedness planning | Open 1.6) Ensure that access to emergency response resources and capabilities are equitably distributed throughout Cook County. | 5.1 Climate-resilient Infrastructure |
| 1.2) Offer programs that reduce exposure to pollution, with priority given to environmental justice areas. | Healthy Homes for Healthy Families program Lead service line program South suburban hazardous household hazardous waste facility and satellite collection locations | Vital 6.4) Build capacity of and support local governments to achieve locally desired economic/ community development goals. | 5.3 Public/ Environmental Health |
| 1.3) Increase awareness of and financial support for environmental benefits to ensure access to services and resources. | Solar Switch Chicagoland program | ||
| 1.4) Minimize environmental impacts of facilities by adopting technology that reduces energy and water consumption, minimizes toxics use and output and diverts waste. | Environmental Justice policy Cook County Water Affordability program | 5.2 Environmental Justice Policy |
Objective 2:
Promote environmental sustainability in land use, transportation policy and economic development.
| Strategy | Key Projects | Related Strategies | Equity Fund Recommendation |
| 2.1) Incorporate environmental impact as a key criterion when making policy and economic development decisions. | Environmental Justice policy | 5.2 Environmental Justice Policy | |
| 2.2) Increase availability of and access to open spaces, greenways and trails, prioritizing areas where open space is currently limited. | Forest Preserve’s Southeast Cook County Land Acquisition Plan | 5.3 Public/ Environmental Health | |
| 2.3) Support policy that prioritizes use of land, protection of open space, and the connectivity between jobs, transportation and housing. | Neighborhood Revitalization Brownfield Remediation | ||
| 2.4) Invest in ecological restoration and stewardship to protect native habitats and species and to reduce the adverse impacts of invasive species. | Forest Preserve’s Riparian Restoration project Community Conservation Corps RainReady program | Vital 5.4) Eliminate barriers to participation and access in the workforce development ecosystem and related training programs. | 5.1 Climate-resilient Infrastructure |
| 2.5) Develop equitable, healthy and sustainable local food systems to improve resident health and create economic opportunity. | Urban farming initiative gap analysis research Capacity-building investments in food access sites Good Food Purchasing program | Healthy 3.2) Improve access to healthy and affordable food options to reduce food insecurity and enable healthy living, especially within historically marginalized communities. | 5.3 Public/ Environmental Health
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Objective 3:
Reduce contribution to climate change and invest in mitigation.
| Strategy | Key Projects | Related Strategies | Equity Fund Recommendation |
| 3.1) Increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in businesses, residences and governments through funding, technical assistance and implementation. | Businesses Reducing Impact on the Environment (BRITE) program Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program Green building standards | 5.3 Public/ Environmental Health | |
| 3.2) Invest in transportation systems that decrease emissions. | Electrical Vehicle charging stations Bike network study | ||
| 3.3) Implement green infrastructure and other climate change mitigation strategies through facilitation, financial investment and education. | Stormwater Management project | 5.1 Climate-resilient Infrastructure |
Objective 4:
Create enduring capacity in government and communities to build a sustainable and resilient future.
| Strategy | Key Projects | Related Strategies | Equity Fund Recommendation |
| 4.1) Integrate sustainability measures, such as energy and water use reduction, waste management and recycling, into every Cook County department’s operations. | Energy use and green-house gas emission reduction Green fleet policy | ||
| 4.2) Incentivize sustainability in Cook County purchasing. | Sustainable purchasing policy Environmental impact screening tool Combining recycling and waste removal contracts | ||
| 4.3) Partner with municipalities and community-based organizations to build regional capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change. | Climate resiliency plan development | 5.1 Climate-resilient Infrastructure |
SPOTLIGHT:CHARM CENTERS
In partnership with South Suburban College, Cook County opened the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center), a permanent recycling drop-off facility that will divert waste and hard-to-recycle items from landfills and water systems. In addition to this disposal facility, the County also plans to set up satellite waste collection sites at K-12 schools to counteract high pollution and open dumping in the south suburbs.
