New initiatives put forth by the city are making Chicago a frontier in cities going green. Under the direction of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago has pledged to make Chicago the "greenest city in the US."
City Hall boasts the largest rooftop garden, one of the most visible and recognizable structures in the city. The rooftop garden,named the City Hall Green Roof Pilot Project is designed to provide education and research of weather patterns in the Midwest.
Mayor Daley has also spent many of his years in office overseeing the preservation of Chicago's 29 miles of shoreline, 15 miles of beaches and 500 parks. He is also responsible for the planting of more than 400,000 treesthroughout Chicago's neighborhoods.
Other initiatives driving Chicago's forefront include the placement of solar panels on a number of the city's buildings including the Field Museum, the Mexican Fine Arts Museum and the Art Institute; and free, natural gas-powered "trolley" fleets that transport tourists and conventioneers around town.