Are you working to reduce flooding in your community?
Are you trying to green, high-density, low-income neighbourhoods?
Are you trying to promote social cohesion
and children’s health in under-serviced neighbourhoods?
Come learn about the Space to Grow project in Chicago where the city’s water and waste-water agencies are collaborating with school boards and a non-profit organizations to build green infrastructure on school yards that reduces flooding while creating yards that meet the needs of students and communities in low-income racialized neighbourhoods.
Intended Audience:
- Municipal staff working in public works, water management, sustainability, parks and recreations, or community services
- Staff working with school boards
- Staff working in public health
October 29th 2025 | 1pm-2:30pm (EDT)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Speakers
Emily Zhang
Space to Grow Project Manager
at Healthy Schools Campaign
Emily Zhang is the Space to Grow Project Manager at Healthy Schools Campaign where she supports the transformation of Chicago schoolyards into vibrant spaces that foster opportunities for health and wellness, outdoor learning, active play and green stormwater infrastructure. She helps convene the program’s partners, manages community design and facilitates long-term school support. With a background in geography and experience at the Urban Land Institute’s Healthy Places program, Emily is passionate about community-driven, equitable approaches to health and environmental justice.
Moriah Geider
Engineer with the Metropolitan
Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Moriah Gelder is an Associate Civil Engineer at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). She earned her bachelor’s degree in general engineering from Harvey Mudd College and her master’s degree in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She worked as an environmental engineering consultant designing GI installations prior to joining the MWRD in 2018 where she was able to build on her background by joining the Stormwater Department’s GI subsection. Moriah serves as a project manager helping communities throughout Cook County design and construct GI projects through the Green Infrastructure Partnership Program and Space to Grow Program.
This project is carried out with funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund
and the Government of Canada.