Aurora's Green History

How the City is Being Green

The City of Aurora is a recognized environmental leader in the Fox River Valley area. Honors such as the Clean Air Counts Platinum Award, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Green Fleet designation, and Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation demonstrate the City's progress and initiative in environmental sustainability. Aurora has demonstrated a desire to develop in a sustainable manner through documented plans such as the:

• Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 2009(PDF, 2MB)

• Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 2025(PDF, 36MB)

• Countryside Vision Plan(PDF, 29MB)

• The revised FoxWalk Overlay District Guidelines(PDF, 10MB)

• Riverfront Vision Plan(PDF, 25MB)

• Seize the Future Master Plan(PDF, 60MB)

and through continuous efforts to sustain our downtown and historic character.

Program Endorsements & Memberships

Motivated to lead by example, the City of Aurora also endorses the:

• Chicago Area Clean Cities

• The Illinois Recycling Association

• Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

• In October 2008, the City took a proactive approach to by establishing a City Green Team in preparation of hosting the 2008 GreenTown: The Future of Community conference, and maintains a growing list of achieved and ongoing green initiatives.

Achieved & Ongoing Green Initiatives

See the City of Aurora's Achieved and Ongoing Green Initiatives(PDF, 66KB).

Sustainability Plan

A long-range plan for enhancing the quality of life for present and future generations of Aurorans through sustainable practices.

• City of Aurora Sustainability Plan 2019(PDF, 7MB)

• City of Aurora Sustainability Plan 2009(PDF, 447KB)

Bicycle Maps

• City of Aurora Bike Map(PDF, 1MB)

• Route 59 Bike to Metra Station Brochure(PDF, 484KB)

• Downtown Bike to Metra Station Brochure(PDF, 519KB)

Energy & Emissions Profile

Aurora's Energy and Emissions Profile(PDF, 142KB) was received July 13, 2009, from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

• 2019 Municipal Emissions Summary

CMAP provides greenhouse gas emission summaries for over 284 municipalities, released in June 2022, the summary from 2019 includes:

• Emissions summary: Emissions by sector, per capita emissions comparisons, and on-road transportation emissions

• Energy characteristics: Residential and non-residential energy consumption, per-capita energy consumption comparison, and renewable energy information

• Transportation characteristics: Mode of travel to work, electric vehicle usage and infrastructure, walkability, and more

• Community characteristics: Population, jobs, median household income, tree coverage, and more