An 'Earth Friendly' Parking Garage in Chicago Begs the Question: What is 'Green'?

With wind turbines, a "daylighting" system, and charging stations for electric cars, Chicago's Greenway Self-Park bills itself as the city's first "earth friendly parking garage." John Greenfield asks, can a downtown garage truly be eco-friendly?

2 minute read

October 25, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Built by Friedman Properties, the eleven-story, 715-space parking garage does not shy from showcasing its "green" credentials. "Its logo features a VW Bug with leaves blowing out of the tailpipes rather than noxious fumes," says Greenfield. But even though it was "constructed from 'local and sustainable' building materials" and rents spaces to Zipcar and I-GO car-sharing services, is there anything green about a facility that makes "it easy for, say, a guy from Naperville to drive solo to work every day in his Lexus, instead of taking Metra commuter rail," asks Greenfield. 

Michael Burton, a sustainable transportation activist who co-founded Chicago's Critical Mass ride offers his unvarnished answer: "A green parking structure!" he
emails. "What's next, a LEED-certified strip mine? Any infrastructure
that encourages private automobile use instead of rapid transit, walking
and/or biking is inherently environmentally unfriendly. Using green
technology to market a new parking structure is simply cynical
greenwashing. A s- sandwich with honey mustard is still a s- sandwich."

Dave Lombardi, vice president with garage manager Standard Parking, offers a sound defense: "If the reasoning is we should eliminate all garages, well, that isn't
living in reality. It's easy to stand back and criticize, but Friedman
Properties has put forth the dollars to pass along the message of
environmentalism. In a perfect world all cars would be electric and
there would be no exhaust. But to get to a completely green society
there are some stops along the way."

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 in Grid Chicago

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

45 minutes ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

1 hour ago - Cities Today

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

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.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA