Chicago's Co-Governance Pilot Initiatives

Chicago United for Equity and the Office of Equity and Racial Justice selected three Co-governance Pilot Initiatives to test the practical application and components of Chicago’s Co-Governance Framework. CUE and OERJ will support the pilots through resources and co-facilitation, but each pilot will be driven by the key leaders identified below.

Urban Agriculture

  •  Leads: Office of the Mayor, Business & Neighborhood Development; City of Chicago Business Affairs & Consumer Protection; Advocates for Urban Agriculture 
  • Description: Identify policy priorities to guide a long-term, comprehensive urban agriculture plan.
  • Potential Equitable Impact: Enhance food access and security, strengthen neighborhood food sovereignty, boost the viability of small-to-medium urban farms, improve air quality, and reduce flooding.

 

 

Returning Resident Service Provision

 

  • Leads: City of Chicago Department of Family & Support Services; St. Leonard's Ministries 
  • Description:  Enhance support for returning residents by strengthening community re-entry centers, improving workforce programs, and expanding services for justice-involved girls and women. 
  • Potential Equitable Impact: Strengthen connections to workforce services, services serving justice-involved girls, and services for survivors of gender based violence.

Chicago Equitable Decarbonization

 

  • Leads: City of Chicago Department of Environment; People for Community Recovery 
  • Description: Reconvene and expand the Building Decarbonization Policy Working Group to assess progress and co-develop updated policy recommendations and co-governance strategies for a new report.
  • Potential Equitable Impact: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (buildings account for ~70% in Chicago), lower utility costs, improve indoor air quality and health, and support generational wealth-building.