In the spring of 2013, a severe rainstorm in the Chi- cago area resulted in 3,300 City Services (311) calls from businesses and residents about basement and street flooding. The storm caused extensive damage to homes, businesses to shut down, and flooding at train stations and bus stops. This prompted immedi- ate action by the Chicago Mayor’s Office, along with the planning, water management, transportation, and emergency management entities, to prioritize strate- gies and actions to reduce future stormwater impacts during peak storm events. The increased frequency of intense storms has created a demand for more resilient stormwater management practices and flood mitigation projects in urban areas across the globe. In early 2017, the City of Chicago used grant funding to implement the Chicago Re- silient Corridors Project, developing concentrated underserved chicago By Michelle Inouye
stormwater landscapes (green infrastructure) on city-owned vacant lots in flood-affected neighborhoods. Chicago’s West Side was selected as an implementation area, representative of the City’s urban landscape, with a variety of land-use types and home to diverse populations. In-
stead of capturing stormwater that only falls on-site, numerous corridor sites were established to collect and detain stormwater from streets and alleys to relieve sewer mains, mitigating wet basements for a greater number of households.
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