Coming from an incredibly environmentally-friendly city such as Seattle, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first step foot in Chicago. I was surprised to see incredibly beautiful parks, sculptures, and sandy beaches on clear open-water in a city that was often known for being industrial, dirty, and very undesirable to live in. All of these new parks and recreational areas for Chicago residents and travelers are all part of a plan from the Chicago city government to create a Chicago that is built to lead the region in sustainability on the environmental, economic, institutional, and social levels.
During a time of economic austerity such as this, federal, local, and state governments are routinely searching for ways to cut back on costs and find private sector help in deep-red budgets. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his administration passed an act through the Chicago city council that creates an Infrastructure trust-fund, also known as an 'Infrastructure Bank'. An Infrastructure bank meshes together funds from private corporations and labor unions, along with occasional funds from the federal level, and a committee composed of six members on an advisory panel and five members of the group that votes on resolutions. It's an unprecedented move by a major American city, but it seems that the Chicago infrastructure bank will not only help pull the city out of the red, but it will also bring together the various subsections required to have sustainable leadership in a major city.
With the involvement of private-sector lending in the Chicago infrastructure trust-fund along with the infusion of federal and local funds, Chicago has an opportunity to create a stronger bond between the private-sector and public-sector in the Chicagoland area. When both of these economic sectors cooperate more efficiently, Chicago will be closer to more financial and economic sustainability. And with more financial stability and sustainability, the city government can spend more time investing in crucial infrastructure projects such as the repair and construction of water mains throughout the city of chicago. And with the political independence that the city of Chicago will get from using funds mostly from private lenders, the institutional core of the city government will become stronger in handling local issues and will become another part of the sustainable city leadership necessary to prepare the city of Chicago for the future.
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