Greener Pastures: Chicago, Illinois

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The garden planted on the roof of Chicago City Hall helps curb urban population and mitigate the heat-island effect (center). Delilah Aguilar shows off her heirloom vegetables in the El Coqui community garden (left). A garden and solar-electric array harvest sunlight atop the Center for Green Design (right).
The garden planted on the roof of Chicago City Hall helps curb urban population and mitigate the heat-island effect (center). Delilah Aguilar shows off her heirloom vegetables in the El Coqui community garden (left). A garden and solar-electric array harvest sunlight atop the Center for Green Design (right).
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With one of the most progressive renewable energy rebate programs in the country, Chicago is becoming a city of solar panels and skyscrapers. Scarred brownfields and littered lots are undergoing verdant transformations, providing healing space for humans and habitat for wildlife. Community gardens overflow with fresh fruit and vegetables for nearby residents, and an ever-growing web of bike paths connects neighborhoods, business districts and parks.

As a result, owning a vehicle in Chicago is unnecessary. Getting around the city is best accomplished with the reliable and accessible public transportation system, which includes numerous bus routes and elevated train connections (known as the “El”). More than 1.5 million Chicagoans use public transportation offered by the Chicago Transit Authority each day, and a growing network of bike trails and commuter routes link the surrounding communities.

The Chicago River and its tributaries meander through the city and its ethnically diverse districts. This patchwork of more than 200 neighborhoods and confluence of cultures offers diverse dining, thriving art and theater scenes, and street festivals. One of our favorite neighborhoods is Lincoln Square on the northwest side, originally settled by German immigrants.

  • Published on Feb 1, 2003
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