Bolstering Urban Resilience in Chicago

The city’s resilience plan seeks to identify shocks and stresses while fostering equity and community.

1 minute read

May 6, 2019, 2:00 PM PDT

By Camille Fink


Flooded Chicago River

edward stojakovic / Flickr

Mark Wessel reports on Resilient Chicago, a plan that focuses on the city’s neighborhoods, infrastructure, and community preparedness. It keeps resilience efforts moving forward after the Rockefeller Foundation announced it would not continue the 100 Resilient Cities initiative.

The Resilient Chicago planning process started in 2016 by seeking public input to identify the city’s most pressing challenges: neighborhood disparities, crime and violence, critical infrastructure, and community preparedness. The plan highlights the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund and equitable transit-oriented development as effective strategies to address disparities, notes Wessel. 

Wessel writes that the initiative’s future is unclear as the city prepares to bring on a new mayor. "But at least for the moment, [Stefan] Schaffer remains focused on what he feels is the most pressing task at hand: addressing the key, underlying disparities that cause challenges to Chicago’s most vulnerable residents, such as poverty rate, housing cost burden, and neighborhood flooding, among others."

Friday, May 24, 2019 in Next City

stack of books

Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023

The world is changing, and planning with it.

November 24, 2023 - Planetizen Team

Close-up of 'Red Line Subway Entry' sign with Braille below and train logo above text in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Red Line Extension Could Transform the South Side

The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.

November 24, 2023 - The Architect's Newspaper

Diagram of visibility at urban intersection.

How ‘Daylighting’ Intersections Can Save Lives

Eliminating visual obstructions can make intersections safer for all users.

November 27, 2023 - Strong Towns

Aerial view of San Jose, California downtown at night.

San Jose Affordable Housing Development Gains Approval

A proposed project is moving forward with reduced building heights and all-affordable units.

23 minutes ago - The Mercury News

Green painted bike lane protected by rown of parking.

Oklahoma City Begins Work on Parking-Protected Bike Lane

The project is part of the city’s broader plan to improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure and road safety.

1 hour ago - The Oklahoman

Blurred dense crowd of people with no recognizable faces walking in a busy city.

How Cities Can Avoid Perpetuating Segregation

Residents of big cities, known as the ‘melting pots’ of America, have fewer interactions with people outside their socioeconomic group than those in smaller communities, according to new research.

2 hours ago - Stanford News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

"Rethinking Commuter Rail" podcast & Intercity Bus E-News

Chaddick Institute at DePaul University

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.