WELCOME TO THE GREAT LAKES AND ST. LAWRENCE CITIES INITIATIVE
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of over 200 U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials working to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. The Cities Initiative and local officials integrate environmental, economic and social agendas and sustain a resource that represents approximately 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater supply, provides drinking water for 40 million people, and is the foundation upon which a strong regional economy is based.
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The Richard M. Daley Water Equity Community Award
BACKGROUND: This award was inspired by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley’s passion for our lakes and rivers. Mayor Daley’s leadership went far beyond Chicago as he became an unparalleled national and international advocate for protecting these precious resources. Donate Today!
2023 Webinars The Cities Initiative will continue its monthly webinar series in 2023. Check back often for additional webinars.
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View All InitiativesResilient Coastal Projects Initiative
With funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Fund for Lake Michigan and the Erb Family Foundation, the Cities Initiative has established a $2 million coastal resilience technical assistance program. The Resilient Coastal Project Initiative (RCPI) provides support to municipalities to increase local resilience to climate change using nature-based solutions that will connect people to nature and protect water quality. Partners for the RCPI include regional planning agencies, local non-profit organizations, state coastal programs and provincial conservation authorities, regulatory partners, and engineering partners, including Stantec and LimnoTech. By 2024, the RCPI will assist ninety communities in the United States in developing project plans and pursuing funding opportunities. The Cities Initiative is piloting the program in Ontario and Quebec in early 2023 and will pursue funding opportunities to expand the program’s reach in Canada.
Mayors Commission on Water Equity
The Mayors Water Equity Commission is comprised of approximately 10 mayors from across the Great Lakes region. The Cities Initiative staff will support its work with assistance from technical experts from the water industry and national leaders advancing integrated and inclusive approaches to water stewardship. The Commission will guide the development of an ongoing Water Equity Initiative for Great Lakes Cities that will develop cross-sector collaborations; exchange information and best practices; and build capacity among municipal governments and their partners to ensure equitable access to water resources and benefits. We also work with Congress and state legislatures to secure funding for badly needed water infrastructure investments in our cities.
Mayors Commission on Coastal Resilience
The purpose of the Cities Initiative’s Mayors Commission on Coastal Resilience is to work with the mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River on both sides of the border to develop a plan on how to mitigate the considerable damage to their shorelines caused by erosion, flooding and other impacts from high lake levels and climate change. Private sector, public sector and nonprofit agencies and organizations will come together to deliver recommended actions and examples of best practices.