Apr 18, 2008 1:31 pm US/Central
Mayor Daley, 2 Suburban Mayors Go For Greening
Mayors Say Stormwater Management Needs To Be More Environmentally Friendly
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Mayor Richard M. Daley (File)
CBS
Mayor Richard M. Daley and two suburban mayors are hoping to make their cities a little greener.
Merchandise Mart President Chris Kennedy hosted a Green Strategies for Stormwater Management on Friday morning, adding that he "biked in twice this week'' as he introduced Daley, Rolling Meadows Mayor Kenneth Nelson and Orland Park Mayor Daniel McLaughlin.
Kennedy said environmentally friendly landscaping, building facades, water management and improving air quality inside buildings attracts more companies to Chicago.
"We want the city of great architecture to be the city of green architecture,'' Kennedy said.
Daley said it is important that local government entities work together to make city greener, saying that while the initiatives are expensive, they will be worth it in the long run. He stressed the importance of using water correctly -- including using rain barrels, water filtration plants and allowing water to soak into the ground despite concrete roads.
"The Department of Transportation and the Department of water have all come together," he said.
"Water is just as precious as oil," according to Daley, who also suggested building more green roofs on top of Chicago buildings.
Nelson said his community is succeeding in building more rain gardens. "Last fall we built two rain gardens, at the city hall and at the public works department,'' he said.
Pamphlets and calendars with reminders and easy day-to-day ways the public can be greener are also sent to constituents. "Educating the public is vital,'' Nelson said.
Steve Wise of the Center for Neighborhood Technology said we're reminded, after Friday morning's earthquake, that "we live in a world where natural forces are paramount. If the ground shakes, the plants are still there.''
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