• Site assessment of natural features and resources
• Crafted a Sustainability Vision for Downers Grove
• Established Five Pillars of Importance:
o Energy
o Ecology
o Materials and Resources
o Mobility, Parkways, and Parking
o Governance
Downers Grove is one of 284 municipalities that make up the Chicago metropolitan region and home to more than 50,000 residents and an almost equal number of individuals that work in Downers Grove. It is both centrally located and well connected to the rest of the region, making it a desirable place to call home and do business. While Downers Grove strengthens the region’s economy and cultural vibrancy, it also contributes to environmental impacts at local, regional, and global levels.
Challenge
In 2023, the Village joined the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), a regional initiative aimed at coordinating sustainability efforts across the Chicago metropolitan region. The GRC’s goal is to leverage the strength of municipal governments to build vibrant, sustainable communities and reduce their environmental impacts. But Downers Grove was interested in doing more, which led to its first Environmental Sustainability Plan (ESP).
Solution
The Village took an additional step toward embracing the GRC’s purpose, which was the creation of their own ESP. The goal is to enhance the character of Downers Grove, become a more sustainable community, and enact actions that provide long-term improvements to the environment for those that live and work here.
Benefit
By engaging with the community and establishing goals, objectives, and action plans, Downers Grove will respect its natural resources by being a more sustainable and livable community that consists of permanently preserved open spaces, biologically rich native landscapes, green stormwater management systems, and healthy relationships with nature. Downers Grove strives to be more resilient in the face of intensifying climatological events. Sustainability efforts will be embraced throughout the community. Downers Grove will benefit from interrelated connections amongst natural systems, walking paths and trails, and a vibrant urban canopy of trees native to the area.