University of Illinois at Chicago

The UIC UC promotes equitable and sustainable green economic development in the Chicago region, focusing on applied research and technical assistance to help policy makers, planners, economic development organizations, private industry and community leaders address our climate crisis. Coming out of the pandemic with new opportunities, a key challenge will be making the Chicago region’s green economy growth equitable and financially beneficial. To this end, the UIC UC will provide expertise and technical assistance to develop, implement, and support regional strategies that result in job creation, high-skilled regional talent pools, and business expansion, including applied research, technical assistance and tools to help regional partners: 1) increase employment among underserved populations in good-paying green jobs; 2) increase green economic development in underserved communities within our region, particularly southern Cook County and Chicago’s South and West sides; and 3) increase growth in the region’s green economy with attention to innovation and inclusion in clean energy, food production, green infrastructure and transportation, distribution and logistics.