Living In Oak Park -- Community

Environment

Street & Parkway
Maintenance

Oak Park - a clean, green and sustainable community

Globally, Oak Park is known as the home of world-renowned residents like prairie-style architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Nobel Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway. Regionally, Oak Park is recognized as a leader in environmental initiatives. Oak Park boasts an impressive list of environmentally conscious accomplishments, including the following:

Earning platinum designation from Clean Air Counts and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus.
Signing the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement.
Being an Illinois Green Fleets community by maintaining one of the region's largest alternative-fuel municipal vehicle pools.
Creating and hosting annual Green Fleets Expo at Public Works Center, where government fleet managers could see and test the latest in alternative fuel vehicles.
Hosting a GreenTown Conference, which brought more than 200 officials to Oak Park to discuss ways to make communities more eco-effective.
Construction of a green Public Works Center, the first in Illinois to seek and earn gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Creating a multi-modal station in the central downtown area that links mass transit systems.
Purchasing Energy Star equipment for all municipal offices.
Conducting an energy audit at Village Hall and creating an implementation plan for retrofits.
Sponsoring a gasoline-powered lawn care equipment exchange.
Maintaining native plantings in commercial planters and landscaped areas.
Adopting seasonal leaf blower restrictions.
Using public education to encourage residents to reduce pollution on Ozone Action Days.
Sponsoring car-free Sundays, where families leave their cars and home to walk and bicycle.
Creating Idling Gets You Nowhere education campaign to encourage school bus drivers, residents and businesses owners to turn off their vehicle engines to save fuel and reduce harmful emissions.
Adopting policies to use low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints and cleaning products in public buildings.
Sponsoring regular community paint exchanges that recycles and properly disposes of paint.
Encouraging water conservation by promoting rain barrel programs and joining the USEPA WaterSense program.
Participating in programs that support the anti-litter goals of Keep America Beautiful, Keep Illinois Beautiful and Keep Oak Park Beautiful.
Creating and sponsoring the Worm Ambassador’s Program, which encourages schools to adopt vermiposting – the use of worms to create a rich, organic mulch.
Amending Village code to permit backyard composting.
Researching, developing and implementing a bicycling plan that includes identifying safe bike routes, marking streets with bike lanes, increasing the number of bike racks at transportation hubs and encouraging residents to bike to work, school and shopping.
Converting traffic signals and emergency vehicle lighting systems to efficient LED.
Installing energy efficient induction and solar-powered streetlights in select areas.
Identifying and applying for federal, state and local funding opportunities to support sustainability projects, including funding for solar panels on The Avenue public parking garage.
Adopting the International Energy Conservation Code.
Hosting EarthFest at the Public Works Center in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, featuring over 30 local businesses offering a variety of eco-minded goods and services.
Coordinating a 350.org march and rally with the Oak Park and River Forest High School Environmental Club to raise awareness of the earth’s dangerous carbon dioxide content.
Installing 350 signs throughout the Village to raise public awareness of the importance of reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to reverse climate change.
Coordinating an urban gardening information movement that created a community vegetable garden.
Participating in Commonwealth Edison' Smart Meter Pilot Program that installed nearly 27,000 electric meters that will allow building owners to track their electric use.
Testing LED, induction and other energy efficiency technology for streetlights.
Installing new water meters that detect leaks and provide other water conservation tools.

Visitors are invited to experience the thriving, environmentally aware community residents know and love. With its celebrated architecture, eclectic business districts and welcoming accommodations, there is something here for everyone. No carbon emissions are required for enjoyment. Enjoy the sights by accessing public transportation, riding a bicycle or walking the beautiful tree-lined streets.

For more information on Oak Park's environmental initiatives and programs, call 358.5700 or e-mail sustainability@oak-park.us .

Click on any of the icons below to visit the web sites offering a range of interesting and useful information

EnviroFlash

Chicago Wilderness

Citizens Utility Board

Composting Council

ComEd incentive and assistance programs

Construction-related federal tax credits

Environmental News Network

Keep Oak Park Beautiful

Illinois EPA

Illinois Solar Energy Association

NEED Project

Openlands Conservation Organization

Partners for Clean Air

U.S. EPA

U.S. Green Building Council

West Cook County Solid Waste Agency