Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Plan

Oak Park's Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Plan – led by the Office of Sustainability & Resilience in partnership with Greenprint Partners – will provide the roadmap for achieving the ambitious goal of establishing 30% of Oak Park’s land as green infrastructure or enhanced management for native plants, wildlife and people by 2030.

The Village adopted this 30x30 goal in 2022 as part of Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP), the Village's comprehensive, long-range plan to build a more sustainable and climate-resilient community.

The Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Plan will outline strategies, partnerships and actions to help Village staff, community partners and residents work together to meet this target. Through this project, we will seek to:

1. Define biodiversity, green infrastructure and enhanced management as it relates to Oak Park;
2. Measure the baseline existing green infrastructure and identify areas of opportunity for expansion; and
3. Work with stakeholders and the community to develop strategies for reaching the 30% goal.

Why is Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure Important?

Climate change is already reshaping local ecosystems and communities through rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events. While living systems are vulnerable to these impacts, they are also among our most powerful solutions. Healthy natural systems protect biodiversity, absorb and filter stormwater, reduce urban heat, improve environmental quality and strengthen our shared cultural and ecological heritage.

What is Biodiversity, Green Infrastructure and Enhanced Management?

In Phase 1 of this project, we researched peer communities and worked with local experts and stakeholders to define what biodiversity, green infrastructure and enhanced management mean in the context of Oak Park. We established the following definitions as part of our Green Infrastructure and Enhanced Land Management Framework:

• Biodiversity is defined as the diversity of life in Oak Park. This includes the wide variety of species, populations, habitats and ecosystems that inhabit the Village.
• Green infrastructure (GI) refers to surface areas of open spaces designed to mimic ecological functions that protect biodiversity, mitigate stormwater runoff, and improve air and water quality.

• Enhanced management refers to actions related to the care and maintenance of open spaces that are intended to support biodiversity as well as ecological health and function

How to Get Involved

In Spring 2026, the Village will engage stakeholders and residents through open houses, pop-up events and a community survey. This process will allow the community to help shape and prioritize the strategies that advance Oak Park’s 30x30 goal.

To stay informed on the plan’s progress and opportunities to get involved, please subscribe to this project with your email. You can also submit questions below.