Green Chicago

Beautification and environment

Daley endorsed programs aimed at making Chicago more environmentally friendly and a more pleasant place to live.

Planting trees, and encouraging rooftop gardens, and cleaning up “brown fields” (industrial waste sites) were among the many initiatives he supported.

[img: Photos of RMD planting trees with students [RMD16_07_0072_0004_001_010/015] [note: Needs to be sent to photo lab as of March 19, 2020] 

[img: image of or document about Brownfields] [note: Needs to be sent to photo lab as of March 19, 2020] 

[img: Document discussing the promotion of green roofs and flower boxes [3-304-1] [note: Needs to be sent to photo lab as of March 19, 2020]

Lori Healy, Daley’s chief of staff (2007-2009), remembers that the mayor drew inspiraton from other cities’ efforts to beautify their landscape:

[clip: RMDOH_01_healey_lori_20171027_000710_000934_Develop]

Parks

[img: Mayor Richard M. Daley with children at Chicago's museum campuse, June 4, 1998. Richard M. Daley papers, University of Illinois at Chicago Library. EXH_RMD16_07_0162_0011_007a-Edit]

Under Daley’s stewardship, the Chicago Park District reformed its personnel policies, added hundreds of acres of park land [note: verify this claim and try to get an exact number], and redirected its focus to entice Chicagoans to city parks.

Forrest Claypool details the changes he made after Daley appointed him Superintendent of the Chicago Park District (1993-1998):

[clip: RMDOH_01_claypool_forrest_20170922_001542_001928_parkdistrict]

[img: Mayor Richard M. Daley with members of the O'Halleran Park Advisory Council, July 26, 2008. Richard M. Daley papers, University of Illinois at Chicago Library. RMD16_07_0473_0007_001]

Gery Chico remembers doing “something about fun” every day when he ran the Chicago Park District (2007-2010):

[clip: RMDOH_01_chico_gery_20171101_003229_003404_parkdistrict]

[img: Fishing Derby photos available] [note: Needs to be sent to photo lab as of March 19, 2020]