Community greening involves increasing the amount of green coverage, including recreational or passive park space, community gardens, landscaping and tree canopy,{{The Chicago Regional Trees Initiative hosts an interactive map to explore the urban tree canopy, see http://chicagorti.org/interactivemap.}} and green infrastructure. This can be particularly valuable in walkable downtowns, along major commercial corridors, and in other areas with an extensive impervious surface. Community greening efforts can achieve numerous benefits, including greater climate resilience, stormwater management, habitat, reduced heat island effect, community and economic development, and improved physical and mental health. GO TO 2040 recommended retrofitting developed areas with green infrastructure, which contributes to overall community greening, and these practices were explored in greater detail in the ON TO 2050 Integrating Green Infrastructure strategy paper.{{
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, “Integrating Green Infrastructure,” 2016, http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/onto2050/strategy-papers/green-infrastructure.}}

Action 1

Expand and improve access to neighborhood parks and community gardens, particularly in EDAs.

Implementers

Local governments, park districts, and other partners

Action 2

Incorporate green infrastructure and other green strategies into neighborhood parks, school yards and properties, corporate and office campuses, and other open lands to achieve multiple co-benefits.

Implementers

Local governments, park districts, and other partners

Action 3

Expand urban forestry efforts to protect existing trees and to increase and diversify the tree canopy.

Implementers

Local governments, park districts, and transportation agencies

Action 4

Incorporate site-scale green infrastructure, trees, landscaping, etc. into non-park spaces, including street right of ways, parking lots, and private property.

Implementers

Local governments, transportation agencies, and landowners