Program that reduces risk of urban flooding wins environmental group’s top award

Bob Dean (left), CEO of Center for Neighborhood Technology, receives this year’s Blue Ribbon Award from Friends of the Chicago River’s Margaret Frisbie. (Photo provided by Friends of the Chicago River.)

July 6, 2020 – Friends of the Chicago River has announced the winners of the 2020 Chicago River Blue Awards. The awards recognize “river-sensitive projects for exceptional contributions to continuing the improvement of the waterway and adjacent lands.”

The top prize, the Blue Ribbon Award, was given to the Center for Neighborhood Technology for its RainReady program that helps communities address flooding.

The project to reconstruct the east end of the Chicago Riverwalk won a Silver Ribbon Award.

Steven Dahlman is the editor and publisher of Loop North News. With over 40 years of experience as a journalist and 20 years as a commercial photographer, his career includes work as a radio news director, reporter, and anchor. He is the co-author of three books on Chicago’s evolution, including Chicago’s River: At Work And At Play and Changing Chicago: A Portrait in Postcards and Photos. His first solo book, Marina City: The Definitive History of a Chicago Landmark, is scheduled for publication by Trope Publishing Co. on October 28, 2026.