To address increased incidents of flooding, a community-led initiative in the Chicago area is having local people identify solutions that best fit their needs.
RainReady Calumet Corridor project favors solutions that use natural and low-impact projects such as rain gardens, bioswales, natural detention basins, green alleys, and permeable pavers, to reduce the risk of damaging floods. A recent study found that extreme weather events and heavy rainfall disproportionately affect people of color and immigrants in the area.
The project in Cook County, Ill., could be an effective way to give residents experiencing chronic flooding issues who have been left out of discussions a say in how to respond to flooding.
An official with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District says that the flooding problem in the Chicago region is so large that a foolproof solution would be cost prohibitive. Mitigation efforts will need to be different in each community, so local people should decide what’s best for them, the reasoning goes.
Final implementation in the areas involved is expected to start between fall 2023 and spring 2025. If the project works well, its leaders hope to replicate it in other parts of the county and nationwide.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Nov 7, 2017
Top 25 transit construction firms
Skanska USA, Webcor Builders, and AECOM top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest transit sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Architects | Nov 6, 2017
How to start a negotiation: Begin as you mean to continue
How you start a negotiation often will determine where you end up, writes negotiation and mediation expert Brenda Radmacher.
Giants 400 | Nov 2, 2017
Top 80 industrial construction firms
Walbridge, Jacobs, and Fluor top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest industrial sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 30, 2017
Top 85 green construction firms
Turner Construction Co., Clark Group, and AECOM top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest green sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 29, 2017
Multifamily visionaries: The Beach Company’s family ties
Spanning four generations, The Beach Company continues to expand its development footprint across the Southeast.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Oct 23, 2017
Top 50 sports construction firms
AECOM, Mortenson Construction, and Turner Construction Co. top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest sports sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 19, 2017
Race for talent drives office designs
Is the shift toward attracting younger workers too much or not enough?
Giants 400 | Oct 16, 2017
Data center market forecast: Clearly cloudy
Look for mission-critical construction to double in the next few years.
Data Centers | Oct 13, 2017
Top 35 data center construction firms
Turner Construction Co., Holder Construction, and DPR Constrcution top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest data center sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 9, 2017
Top 80 K-12 construction firms
Gilbane Building Co., Balfour Beatty US, and Skanska USA top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest K-12 sector contractors and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
