formerly citizens' greener Evanston
(as reported on the candidate's website)
Has volunteered at Just Harvest Food Depository
Evanston now has 25 years to achieve its carbon neutrality and zero waste goals as outlined in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP), and Sustainability and Resilience Manager Cara Pratt has said the city has already accomplished the “low-hanging fruit” in pursuing these targets.
What climate goals and policies would you prioritize in the coming term? How should the city pursue reduction of building emissions?
Do you support phasing out natural gas use in new construction, and requiring existing buildings work toward carbon neutrality over the next 25 years?
Advancing Sustainable Energy: I have long pushed for the City to leverage federal incentives for energy projects, especially geothermal HVAC for all our buildings. Though costly upfront, geothermal aligns with our CARP goals and pays for itself over time.
To cut building emissions, we should explore “community geothermal”, where a single well serves an entire block, reducing reliance on gas-fired boilers. A CARP engagement office could help homeowners navigate energy options and incentives.
We also need community EV charging stations for residents without garages. For new buildings, we must prioritize non-gas heating and cooling solutions — whether electric, solar, or geothermal.
Nearly 2/3rds of all households in Evanston own one or no cars, and a majority of residents do not commute via car. Each year, more Evanstonians of all ages are walking, rolling, and using bus or train service for convenience, physical fitness, cost-savings, and environmental benefits.
How do you incorporate walking, biking and public transit into your everyday life?
When I had an office in downtown Evanston, I would commute daily via bike. I used Hinman as my main route, much safer.
Academic research and case studies from cities like Paris, Amsterdam, and New York show that reducing car traffic and building protected bike lanes are necessary to meet climate and mobility goals. Plans such as the Chicago Ave Multimodal Project provide an example of how this can be implemented in Evanston.
Where would you want infrastructure improvements, such as traffic calming, pedestrianization/ street closures, and protected bike lanes, to encourage more walking and cycling?
The Chicago Ave bike lane is in my ward, and I support it in concept if the design can be adjusted in a few places for residential and retail parking
Public transit has seen a major change in ridership trends, with 9-to-5 commuter services falling short of pre-COVID milestones while off-peak and weekend demand climbs despite infrequent and often unreliable schedules. CTA, PACE, and Metra are facing a ‘fiscal cliff’, as federal dollars to keep transit service operating run out by 2026.
While not in the position to solve this problem on its own, what can the City of Evanston do to support existing bus and train service, and how would you want to see public transportation expanded in our city in the future?
I'd like to see more "L" stations ADA accessible. While the north/south corridor is well served, transit options going west need more options. Another stop on the Yellow line extension would be good.
With parallels to Envision Evanston 2045, Minneapolis has modified its zoning code in the past decade to eliminate minimum parking requirements, encourage transit-oriented development, and allow the construction of more “missing middle” housing city-wide. Together, these reforms lead to a stabilization of rent prices, a drop in homelessness, reduced displacement, and increased racial diversity. Environmental benefits were also realized, as more dense and mixed-use developments encourage lower rates of car ownership and generate less embodied carbon from construction.
What changes to Evanston’s zoning code, such as the ones listed above, would you support in response to the housing and climate crises?
We need a new Comprehensive Plan and a zoning update but the current proposal is defective. For example, I support the "missing middle" concept but the current EE2045 proposal has 100' tall buildings for M3 zoning backing up to single family homes. This is not smooth transition. EE2045 needs much more work to fit into Evanston.
