Cook County Communities Climate Resilience Program

The Cook County Communities Climate Resilience Program (CRPC Program) is designed to help communities prepare for climate impacts like severe storms, flooding, extreme heat, deteriorating air quality, and other climate-related challenges. CIS is managing the execution of various projects aimed at mitigating these climate hazards, including reducing flooding and stormwater damage, enhancing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), implementing resilient energy systems, expanding and protecting tree canopies, and improving bike and pedestrian access to community resources. CIS is also focused on capacity building through training for community-based organizations, educating private property owners on GSI maintenance, workforce training programs, and other efforts to strengthen communities’ ability to respond to climate impacts.

Cook County is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including more frequent and intense storm events, natural disasters, flooding, and growing economic challenges. By 2050, extreme storms are projected to produce up to 8% more rainfall, with moderate storms potentially causing several inches to over three feet of additional ponded water in local communities (Cook County, 2020). By 2035, heatwaves in the region are expected to last twice as long and be significantly hotter, with projections indicating that by 2050, heatwaves will be three times longer and hotter than they are today (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2018). Additionally, the number of days exceeding 95°F is expected to increase by a factor of 10 by 2050 (Cook County, 2020).

CIS is working directly with stakeholders in each community to develop individualized projects relevant to their needs, putting communities at the center of project planning and prioritization. Over 24 months, CIS will deliver approximately 18 projects from concept design through construction totaling $14 million. CIS’s work in these five communities is expected to set the stage for implementing a countywide climate resiliency implementation plan. In Franklin Park, for example, CIS is implementing green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) along Grand Avenue to mitigate stormwater runoff, beautify the Village’s gateway, and improve pedestrian access and traffic flow. In Markham and Lynwood, CIS is creating accessible parks using GSI and trees to mitigate climate impacts and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation. Other projects include green alleyways, rehabilitating sewers, upgrading and providing backup power to lift stations, performing drainage studies, and developing a sewer atlas.CIS is leading this second phase of the CRPC Program. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), this initiative aims to assist the climate resiliency plans into reality through project design and construction. During the first phase, these communities created their climate resiliency plans and set clear goals. Now, in the second phase, CIS is working alongside these communities to bring those plans to fruition, with $14 million in ARPA funding supporting the efforts.