Chicago
United States
Chicago faces a future where frequent heatwaves pose significant climate challenges. In response, the city has developed a portfolio of technology-enabled solutions to bolster climate resilience. Current initiatives encompass early warning systems for hazards, including heat, floods, and air quality, enhancing community safety. Urban greening efforts, such as increasing green spaces and street trees, are being pursued to mitigate the effects of heatwaves and improve city livability. In addition, the city employs remote sensing and urban heat island mapping to optimize planning and monitoring. The incorporation of smart city systems and digital twins further supports adaptive infrastructure management. These ongoing and proposed actions work collectively to position Chicago towards a more resilient future in the face of escalating climate risks.
Hazard Outlook
How will Chicago's projected climate hazards compare to other cities under a 3.0°C future warming scenario?
Longest Heatwave
Chicago may experience heatwaves lasting up to 5 days, higher than most other cities.
Maximum Temperature
Chicago's projected maximum temperature of 9.5°C is near the median of cities globally under a 3.0°C warming scenario.
Heavy Rainfall Days
With 10 days of heavy rainfall expected, Chicago ranks near the median of cities for extreme precipitation events.
Maximum Rainfall
Chicago's projected maximum rainfall of 10 mm is near the median of cities globally.
Elevation
At 186 m elevation, Chicago faces moderate risk from coastal flooding and sea level rise.
Exposure Summary
Adaptation Priorities
Chicago faces elevated exposure to heatwave. These areas may warrant priority attention in adaptation planning.
Data source: Climate projections from the IPCC AR6 scenario analysis. See our methodology for details on how we process and interpret this data.
Deployed Solutions
Deployed climate adaptation technologies identified in Chicago.
AI-Powered Urban Tree Canopy Mapping Using Satellite & LiDAR Data
Satellite data is used to periodically evaluate tree coverage across Chicago and across the greater region.[^3][^5][^9] A pipeline was developed that...
NASA Landsat Urban Heat Island Mapping and Analysis Platform
The City of Chicago partnered with City Tech Collaborative, Microsoft, Esri, and d3i Systems to develop a technology-enabled approach for quantifying...
Urban Heat Response Data Platform
City Tech Collaborative partnered with Microsoft, Esri, d3i Systems, and the City of Chicago to create a replicable, scalable study of urban heat...
Recommended Solutions
Proven solutions from similar cities that could help diversify Chicago's resilience portfolio
Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) System
89%Toronto's Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) system is the world's largest district cooling system of its kind, recognized as a cornerstone of the city's climate resilience infrastructure [1].
Hospital Infrastructure Resiliency and Floodproofing Upgrades
82%NYC Health + Hospitals implemented comprehensive resiliency upgrades across multiple hospital facilities following Hurricane Sandy, including installation of backup power systems, elevation and hardening of building systems, and floodproofing of lower levels.
Clean Energy Smart Grid with Renewable Integration and Storage
84%The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is developing a comprehensive clean energy and smart grid infrastructure designed to maintain reliability during future climate impacts and hazards.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Microgrid with Tier 4 Diesel Generators
82%A microgrid is a local energy grid that can disconnect from the traditional grid and function autonomously without disrupting operations.
Climate Resilient Home Platform for Residential Adaptation
89%The Climate Resilient Home platform serves as an interactive educational and outreach tool designed to provide homeowners, builders, municipal staff, and elected officials with a comprehensive roadmap for making investment and policy decisions that improve residential climate resilience.
Citizen Science Mobile Heat Mapping with Vehicle-Mounted Sensors
82%With the help of the Museum of Science, volunteers attached temperature sensors to their cars and bikes to collect data in Boston, Cambridge and Brookline.