StormStore™ 
Community Engagement Strategy

In 2021, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), Daylight, and Borderless Studio came together, in partnership with community leaders, to develop and pilot a community engagement strategy around StormStore™, a stormwater credit trading market currently being piloted in Cook County, with the goals of (1) developing communication materials and activities relevant to McKinley Park and South Branch communities; (2) raising awareness and understanding around the potential of stormwater credit trading; and (3) garnering perspectives from residents that can inform policy recommendations for the City of Chicago. 

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As stormwater credit trading is still a nascent concept, there is significant need for learning. This is particularly true for engagement work planned in Chicago where policy changes are still required in order to allow for stormwater credit trading and StormStore™ participation. The primary objective for our community engagement activities was to help riverfront communities, residents, and stakeholders understand the economic and environmental benefits of a market like StormStore™, while gaining as much information as possible on the potential challenges and opportunities that might be faced as TNC and MPC develop policy recommendations to expand a regional pilot into the City. The engagement activities were also designed to solicit input from residents about early stormwater project opportunities in their communities. 

Above all else, this community engagement strategy aimed to center the voices of those most impacted by the issue of stormwater in policy recommendations and programs designed to address it. 

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(Project description from Community Engagement Strategy Guide )

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More about this project:

https://www.stormstore.org/

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2021

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Clients:

Metropolitan Planning Council 

The Nature Conservancy

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In collaboration with:

Daylight

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Illustrations by:

Kana Wakai