Chicago and the region need to step up fast to reduce flooding and protect inhabitants and businesses.
More than a century and a half ago, our low-lying city launched an ambitious undertaking to raise its buildings, streets and sidewalks by several feet to make room for sewers and to reduce flooding.
Now, a new model shows it’s time for another ambitious undertaking. The model, created by a group of academics and experts called the First Street Foundation, says the city of Chicago has the nation’s largest percentage of properties that are unexpectedly prone to flooding.