Highland Park May Require Bird-Friendly Buildings
Private Development Wouldn't Be Affected
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- The city council in north suburban Highland Park will soon consider a proposal to require bird-friendly construction for all new city buildings.
If the new law is passed, all future public buildings would be required to incorporate bird-safe architecture that's designed to lower the number of bird collisions with buildings, city officials told TribLocal.
Private developers would not be affected, but Highland Park Director of Community Development Michael Blue said he hopes the city's example would influence them as well.
Bird-friendly architecture includes curved windows and awnings, which have been shown to lower the incidences of bird collisions with buildings.
Bird-friendly construction would not necessarily cost more money, since bird-safe buildings are usually about architectural design, Highland Park Lakefront Commission chairman Donnie Dann told TribLocal.
The bird-friendly construction guidelines are part of a wider overhaul of building codes in the northern suburb, TribLocal reported.
Highland Park is in the flight path of a number of migrating birds that like to follow the Lake Michigan shoreline.
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