The benefits of cradle-to-cradle design are not limited to individual buildings. In Chicago, where Mayor Richard Daley is on a quest to make the city the greenest in America, cradle-to-cradle principles are providing an inspiring reference point for a host of citywide initiatives. Building on years of innovative environmental programmes, the City of Chicago is now developing community plans and cradle-to-cradle systems that will make it an international model for cities seeking designs that allow industry and ecology, human settlements and the natural world to flourish side by side.