Markham Climate Resiliency Plan

Planning for the Community  

The City of Markham is working with Cook County to create a climate resiliency plan following a community-driven process, engaging residents and stakeholders to understand climate hazards, set goals and identify and prioritize actions. Completing and implementing the plan will improve Markham’s resiliency to the effects of climate change, including severe weather events such as heavy rain, flooding and extreme heat. Through the partnership, Markham will also receive funding to support actions to manage stormwater through green infrastructure, plant and maintain trees, promote residents’ health and well-being and bolster community assets to lessen negative impacts from a changing climate. 

What is a climate resiliency plan? 

A climate resiliency plan helps guide a community’s investments strategically and with an eye toward evolving conditions, ensuring that projects provide benefits to the people and neighborhoods most affected by climate change. Communities throughout Cook County are already experiencing the effects of climate change. More frequent and severe weather events such as intense rainstorms have led to damaging and disruptive flooding. Extreme heat has caused health concerns and loss of life. Through a climate resiliency plan, a local government can strategically map out the investments and programs it will pursue to prepare for hazards, reduce potential damage and protect residents’ health and well-being. A climate resiliency plan helps a community understand where they are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, set goals for the future and establish and prioritize measures that can help it achieve its resiliency goals. 

The City will consider the following issues and opportunities, along with other community priorities that emerge through the planning process, as part of the resiliency plan: 

• Frequent flooding and stormwater management issues.  
• Updating aging infrastructure. 
• Improving access to natural resources within the City, such as the Indian Boundary Prairies. 

Community Engagement 

As a community-driven effort, the climate resiliency plan will establish Markham’s priorities and needs through public input and participation. The City, in partnership with Cook County and a team of consultants, will host a series of workshops, interviews, focus groups and meetings with a wide range of community stakeholders and residents. Through these forums, members of the community can voice their top concerns and issues, generate ideas for solutions, define a vision and priorities and provide feedback on the plan.   

Public events and other opportunities to voice your concerns and priorities will be publicized through the City’s and Cook County’s website, newsletters and social media. We encourage you to contact environment@cookcountyil.gov to sign up for updates, including opportunities for you to participate and help shape the Markham climate resiliency plan. 

Implementation 

The climate resiliency plan will include recommendations for potential projects and how to implement them. The recommendations will identify different projects that will help the community achieve its resiliency goals. Cook County is committed to helping Markham secure funding so that projects can be designed and constructed. Recommendations in the plan may include projects that address flooding like green infrastructure and stormwater improvements, projects that address the impacts of heat such as tree plantings and steps to build local capacity to adapt to climate impacts.  

Timeline 

The climate resiliency planning process will take place from early 2024 through early 2025. Most community input events will occur in spring and summer 2024.