This objective builds upon Objectives 1 and 2. Having identified how flood inundation risks are distributed, the scope of physical and s In an effort to expand the public’s knowledge about green solutions to stormwater management, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) published in January 2026 its “Green Infrastructure Community Guide: Stormwater Strategies for Resilient Neighborhoods.” This guide is a lay-friendly resource when compared to MWRD’s Technical Guidance Manual, offering comparisons and case studies of best practices. The following is a summary of its contents with regarding to green stormwater infrastructure:

• Social, environmental, and economic benefits
  • Social: neighborhood beautification, community health, recreational amenities 
  • Economic: increased property values, reduced heating and cooling costs, economic development
  • Environmental: improved water quality, enhanced habitat, increased water storage capacity, increased water infiltration, reduced flood risk
• Adaptability
  • How residential areas, commercial and industrial sites, public right-of-ways, and schools and parks can integrate green infrastructure
• Practices considered
  • Vegetated filter strips, bioretention facilities, bioswales, constructed wetlands, urban stormwater trees, dry wells, infiltration trenches, permeable pavement, and cisterns
    • Diagrams, regulatory requirements, and ratings provided for each (see Appendix F ratings for rubric)
• Case studies
  • Completed projects: Grissom Elementary Space to Grow schoolyard; Franklin Park Pacific Avenue green infrastructure project; North Riverside Village Commons parking lots; Riverside Metra parking lot; Schuth’s Grove parking lot
• Appendices
  • Lists of native/invasive plants (with pictures and brief descriptions), construction and maintenance inspection checklists, cost considerations, green infrastructure practice selection tools, and other relevant resources from MWRD, the City of Chicago, and other organizations