Do you know where to find organic produce in your neighborhood? How about the nearest open space? Now, what about the closest environmental education center?

Find out all of this and more at Green Maps--a local art project that's discovering all things green in the city.

Presided over by Nadine Bopp at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Green Maps makes it easier to navigate the city's green side. Click on your neighborhood map and explore local sustainability hotspots, from parks to organic restaurants, from fair-trade shops to recycling centers. You may even uncover some decidedly ungreen destinations, like underground oil storage tanks and water pollutant sources.

Each map is as unique as its neighborhood. The layouts and styles vary from map to map, since different student groups created each one. As a result, some of the online maps are easier to navigate than others (click Ctrl + on your PC to zoom in). But don't be fooled by the individualistic approach. This project is part of a much larger Green Maps movement that's charting natural and cultural environments around the world.

Whether you're a city-dweller or an infrequent visitor to Chicago, the Green Maps project has something for you. "The Green Map opens up doors to choices. No matter where you live, there is going to be some choices that lead you to live what I refer to as an ethical lifestyle...So the Green Map is that doorway that says 'Hey look, you are already spending your money and making choices, so here are the ones that are good for the environment,'" says Bopp.


Want to find out which Northside neighborhood has over 20 toxic storage sites? Explore Chicago neighborhood-by-neighborhood, at the Art Institute's Green Maps website.

Interested in finding green places in Northeastern Illinois, check out the Edens Lost & Found Map from the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Other thoughts on finding local green hotspots? Post them below.