Members of the Environment Board and its Climate Action and Resilience Plan Implementation Task Force will be presenting their recommendations for the Envision Evanston 2045 comprehensive plan at the Land Use Commission’s upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The commission has been reviewing the draft comprehensive plan and zoning code at meetings held over the last month. It asked several city advisory bodies to present facets of the plan that they specialize in, including sustainability elements included in the plan in the case of the Environment Board.
During its Jan. 9 meeting, the board decided to build on the recommendations it shared in the past, asking board co-chair Matt Cotter, board member and CARP Task Force chair Katarina Topalov and task force member Jerri Garl to develop a presentation for the Land Use Commission.
One mild point of contention that did surface during the meeting was the board’s position on high-rise residential developments. Board member Gul Agha, who was appointed in November 2024, gave a presentation arguing that high-rises emit more greenhouse gases than shorter, but still dense, buildings, both because of higher electricity and gas use and the emissions released through the production of concrete and steel.
The board was leery of taking position on the matter, but it agreed that concerns about embodied greenhouse gasses — the gasses created through the manufacture of building materials — should be part of its upcoming presentation to the Land Use Commission.
The case against high-rises
Agha cited a 2018 study that found that electricity use per square foot of floor area was about two and a half times higher in high-rises, while the use of natural gas increases by 40% per square foot. This is believed to be due to bigger buildings facing stronger winds and “greater exposure to lower temperatures” in the winter, while warming up quicker in the sun during the summer. Agha also looked at energy data collected by the city, which found higher electricity use in buildings that are 20 stories or higher.
Agha noted that buildings that are 20 stories or higher require more concrete and steel than others. Production of concrete causes higher emissions than brick, and unlike brick, concrete can’t be recycled, according to Agha.
He dismissed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification that high-rises sometimes get as little more than “green-washing,” because buildings can get points taken off for the materials they use while still getting certified.
He emphasized that he wasn’t opposed to density, but just in favor of mid-rise buildings, pointing to Paris and Washington D.C. as examples.
“We need to ban tall buildings as they’re [being built] today,” Agha said. “Ideally, it’s less than six stories — it makes for cities that are not canyons.”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, which took place before Agha gave his presentation, architect Nathan Kipnis argued that Agha was failing to take ongoing advances in sustainable design “that move the needle” into account. Steel, for example, may not be necessary, and there are ways to reduce building energy consumption that, Kipnis said, the city can mandate.
“This is Evanston’s sandbox. You can set the rules any way you want,” he said. “In my opinion, Evanston should consider higher standards for efficiency and embodied carbon.”
Board member Paula Scholl argued that the new Illinois Stretch Energy Code would at least make sure newer buildings are more sustainable. She also argued that other factors, such as the need for affordable housing, should be taken into consideration.
Board co-chair Michelle Redfield argued that Kipnis’ presentation shows that high-rises could be more sustainable. “We also don’t want to stifle innovation by saying we can’t do something,” she said.
Board member Olin Wilson-Thomas added that he would oppose any blanket prohibitions. “I would be hesitant for the Environment Board to take a stand against density of any kind,” he said. “I would just see it as fodder for a lot of NIMBY organizations.”
Preparing the Land Use Commission presentation
Topalov noted that the task force previously submitted memos in July and November 2024, and said that it made sense for the board and the task force to build off of that. While the board generally agreed to do so, board member James Cahan and Council Member Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th Ward) argued that the presentation should have stronger language around what the two bodies would like to see.
Cahan also said that he wanted Envision Evanston to explicitly reference the 2018 Climate Action and Resilience Plan. Cara Pratt, the city’s sustainability and resilience manager, said that it was deliberately not mentioned “because CARP won’t be relevant for 25 years.”
Nieuwsma suggested that, since Topalov and Garl have “been knee-deep in it for months,” they should develop the presentation. After some further discussion, the board decided to include Cotter as the third planner since he’s the board co-chair, which would save the step of having to run it by him before the Land Use Commission meeting anyway.
Environment Board talks high-rises, preps for Envision presentation is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.