Chicago Takes Sustainability to the Back Alley
City officials say Chicago is the alley capital of the world with the paved equivalent of five midsize airports. And with that title, come endless possibilities - to help the environment? Might seem a little weird, but according to a New York Times article featuring Chicago…it’s true.
The Windy City announced plans to green its 2,000 miles of alleyways by installing permeable ground coverings that will allow rainwater to seep back into the ground and replenish groundwater supplies.
The plan is called the Green Alley Initiative and could possibly be the most ambitious street makeover in U.S. history.
Susan Saulny summarizes the new system:
In a green alley, water is allowed to penetrate the soil through the pavement itself, which consists of the relatively new but little-used technology of permeable concrete or porous asphalt. Then the water, filtered through stone beds under the permeable surface layer, recharges the underground water table instead of ending up as polluted runoff in rivers and streams.
Revamping the way the city paves could help preserve one of Chicago’s most valued natural resources - Lake Michigan. But some people are skeptical of the refurbished alleyways in a city where people hardly recycle.
City officials say the city will have completed 46 green alleys by the end of the year.
Read the New York Times article for more coverage on the confident and skeptical people affected by the alleyway makeover.
November 27 2007 12:37 am | Green Trends
