Chicago’s First Cumulative Impacts Assessment Survey

Key findings and recommendations from Chicago’s debut Cumulative Impacts Assessment Survey were published this month by the city. The survey came out of a fifteen month project that was co-created by local residents, city officials, and community organizations, including five of MWEJN partner organizations, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Neighbors For Environmental Justice, People for Community Recovery - Chicago, Southeast Environmental Task Force, and the Chicago Environmental Justice Network.    

The survey details how the impacts of pollution exposure can add up over time, and the effects additive exposure has on Chicago residents. Neighborhoods that were the most affected by or vulnerable to these impacts were identified in the survey, along with policy recommendations and decision-making guidelines. This project was part of Healthy Chicago 2025, a city-wide initiative that aims to close the racial life expectancy gap by addressing structural causes of inequities across the city.