Chicago ranked world's most climate-resilient city, but risks remain
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Chicago ranked No. 1 for climate resilience in an AlphaGeo analysis of 72 major cities, a distinction Mayor Brandon Johnson is touting as he runs for reelection.
The big picture: More than 50 years after officials adopted the Deep Tunnel plan, Chicago continues to invest in trees and stormwater infrastructure as it prepares for more extreme weather.
- Now planners are considering the city's next generation of climate defenses.
Reality check: Last month's devastating derecho showed that being more climate-resilient doesn't make Chicago invulnerable, especially as the federal government rolls back regulations aimed at slowing climate change.
- On Tuesday, World Business Chicago named Green City Rising and WONDERWAYS! co-winners of its Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 2050 competition.
- The two winning plans put climate adaptation at the center of ambitious urban design projects. Green City Rising would create neighborhood arboreta, while WONDERWAYS! would turn the city's 28-mile boulevard system into climate-resilient public space.
Between the lines: These aren't funded city projects. World Business Chicago will bring the winning teams together with public, private and community partners to explore pilots, feasibility and potential funding.
- "Chicago has always been at its best when big ideas are matched by people willing to build them together," World Business Chicago CEO Phil Clement said in a release.
Zoom out: On Monday, the Trump administration finalized the repeal of most Biden-era greenhouse gas standards for fossil fuel power plants and proposed eliminating the remaining standards.
The other side: The EPA says the rollback will reduce regulatory costs and lower energy costs.
What they're saying: "Climate change is real and the impacts can be severe," Environmental Law & Policy Center CEO Howard Learner tells Axios.
- "Being ranked most resilient doesn't mean Chicago is climate-proof. It does mean that we're better prepared than other cities for a crisis that keeps getting worse. The derecho emphasized that concern."
The bottom line: Ranking first in a 72-city analysis doesn't mean Chicago is ready for what's coming.