Chicago Greenlights Four New Schoolyards

- The Space to Grow® initiative has transformed 41 schoolyards since its inception in 2014, with a total storage volume of nearly 8.8 million gallons of stormwater per rain event across all campuses. - Each schoolyard renovation is a significant investment, costing approximately $1.5 million. In 2023, the program's capital partners, including Chicago Public Schools and the Department of Water Management, committed $48 million for future projects. - The school selection process prioritizes low-income communities and considers factors such as persistent neighborhood flooding, deficits in park space, and childhood obesity rates. - Beyond recreation, the redesigned schoolyards serve as outdoor classrooms and feature elements like vegetable gardens, native plants, and rain gardens to support hands-on learning. - The design uses green infrastructure such as permeable pavers and turf fields that can capture, on average, more than 200,000 gallons of water per school during a heavy storm, reducing the load on the city's sewer system. - Research on completed projects shows a positive impact on the school environment, with teachers reporting fewer student injuries, less bullying, and using the new spaces for a wide variety of lessons. - A study by Loyola University found the transformed schoolyards help foster a more positive relationship between the schools and the surrounding community, with residents often helping to care for the grounds. - The program is co-managed by two nonprofits, Healthy Schools Campaign and Openlands, which fundraise to cover non-construction costs like community engagement and teacher training.