Health, Equity, and Nature: A Changing Climate in Lake County, IL
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods works collaboratively with community partners, artists, health care providers, and scientists to improve health equity and access to nature in Lake County, Illinois, and the Chicago region. This report outlines key findings and recommendations for improving well-being in Lake County, Illinois, by addressing systemic inequities at the intersection of environment and health.
RxN Collaboration Platform Feasibility Study
Resilient by Nature Project (RxN)
This feasibility study is grounded in RxN's broader effort to expand the role of nature in Chicago’s neighborhoods to improve health and quality of life through nature-based solutions (NBS). Green Infrastructure (GI) implementation is one of many potential NBS strategies. This research examines barriers to both the prioritization of GI, and to interagency collaboration. Prepared by Foresight Design.
Understanding and Acting on the Health Benefits of Nature
Resilient by Nature Project (RxN)
The positive physical and mental health benefits of regular exposure to trees, green spaces and the outdoors are indisputable–and today, they are better documented and understood than ever before by researchers from diverse fields. More and more, a growing body of data asserts the connection between nature and human health. With this quickly growing evidence in hand, how might we use this knowledge to more significantly improve the design and function of urban areas like Chicago?
Using NBS to Center Equity and Justice in Chicago
Resilient by Nature Project (RxN)
Environmental injustices have pervaded Chicago for decades, and continue to do so. While NBS can provide a multitude of benefits to neighborhoods, the way that they're allocated, planned, implemented and maintained is critical. Careful stewardship is required to ensure that NBS are pursued with respect to the agency of residents, and avoid potential unintended consequences.
Aligning and Scaling Green Infrastructure Efforts
Resilient by Nature Project (RxN)
Green infrastructure can provide many benefits in the Chicago region. Achieving these benefits at a meaningful scale, however, will only be accomplished through greater alignment, innovation and collaboration. This webinar explores topics relevant to creating a coherent and collaborative "Green Infrastructure Agenda" for scaling local efforts. Among other topics, the session explores finance, maintenance, data and research, drawing upon examples that are successfully scaling impact in other areas.
Chicago Region Trees Initiative
The Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) is a partnership for coordinated action on key issues facing trees. It is the largest such initiative in the country, with leading organizations and agencies from across the seven-county metropolitan region working together. CRTI leverages funding, knowledge, skills, and expertise to build a healthier, more diverse regional forest.
Cook County Urban Greenprint Interactive Map
The Nature Conservancy in Illinois
This interactive map shows urban conservation, high heat, poor air quality, and high flood risk target areas based on EPA and CMAP indexes, the natural and built environment data, population data, and other relevant indicators. The map is useful in determining which areas in Cook County should be targeted for action based on environmental and social factors.
City of Chicago Climate Action Plan
Joining 96 cities around the world, the City of Chicago is updating its Climate Action Plan to reflect the bold action needed to protect and strengthen communities, both locally and globally. The updated climate goals aim to reduce carbon emissions while also increasing household savings, advancing environmental justice, and improving community health.
Chicago Wilderness
Chicago Wilderness (CW) is a regional alliance that preserves, improves, and expands nature and quality of life. By connecting leaders in conservation, health, business, science, and beyond, CW tackles challenging issues to ensure a resilient region. Building on a decades-long legacy of collaboration, this broad alliance of partners advances work in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Calumet Stormwater Collaborative
Calumet Stormwater Collaborative (CSC) is a diverse group of stakeholders working to improve coordination of knowledge, technology and financial resources to minimize the negative impacts of stormwater in the Calumet region. Facilitated by Metropolitan Planning Council, CSC aims to build intergovernmental and cross-sector partnerships to increase the effectiveness of stormwater management initiatives for the communities and ecosystems of the Calumet region through knowledge-sharing, coordination and deployment of interventions at appropriate scales.
Nature Culture and Human Health Network
The Nature, Culture, and Human Health (NCH2) Network connects people with interests in investigating and applying knowledge about the health benefits of nature to improve the health and well-being of Chicago-region communities.
Healthy Chicago 2025: Closing Our Life Expectancy Gap PDF
City of Chicago Department of Public Health
Chicago’s five-year community health improvement plan focuses on racial and health equity, with an aim to meet the city’s goal of reducing the Black-white life expectancy gap.
Chicago and Calumet Rivers Watershed Council
In 2020, the Chicago-Calumet River Watershed Council (Watershed Council) established a forum to expand collaborative watershed-based stormwater management using multi-benefit nature-based solutions. The 16-member Watershed Council’s approach is to maximize multiple ecological, social, and climate resiliency objectives across jurisdictional boundaries.
Employing NBS to Repurpose Vacant Lots
Resilient by Nature Project (RxN)
There are more than 32,000 vacant lots in the city of Chicago. Once viewed as a symbol of disinvestment, such properties are increasingly being reclaimed and converted into creative community assets–both in Chicago, and around the world. Approaches to this work can range from simple improvements by neighbors to professionally designed, multi-functional spaces.