Through the Policy, Planning and Sustainability Division, CDOT supports a number of conservation and sustainable transportation programs that work to protect, restore, and enhance our natural resources and lessen the environmental impact of transportation in Chicago. They include:

• Educating communities and residents on sustainable practices through the Chicago Center for Green Technology, Chicago Conservation Corps program and the Sustainable Backyards Program.
• Planting and maintaining greenery on major streets through programs such as GreenStreets, which places trees to reduce “urban heat island” effects.
• Designing and constructing infrastructure projects that increase the use of sustainable materials and methods through the Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Guidelines.
• Encouraging the use of clean fuels and deploying clean vehicle technologies in the Chicago metropolitan area through the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition.
• Retrofitting streetlight and signal fixtures to improve energy efficiency.
• Preparing Chicagoans for the “Green Collar” economy through Greencorps Chicago, a year-long job training program.