The Last 4 Miles:
Completing Chicago's Lakefront Park System
PHOTO: Joy Malnar
LAST 4 MILES: COMPLETING CHICAGO’S LAKEFRONT PARKS
“The Lakefront by right belongs to the people – not a foot of its shores should be appropriated to the exclusion of the people…” Daniel Burnham, 1909
Chicago is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, unequaled among major cities in the world due to the vision of our founding citizens and park advocates. Credit for preserving our lakefront heritage first belongs to the trustees of the Illinois and Michigan Canal Commission who, when authorized to sell city lots in 1836, crafted a caveat that protected a portion of Chicago’s lakefront to be “forever…open, clear and free.”
Preservationists and environmental champions, such as Frederick Law Olmsted and A. Montgomery Ward followed, establishing and preserving the lakefront for public recreation. This public use tradition was advanced by Daniel J. Burnham and Edward Bennett in their Plan of Chicago (1909). Today the lakefront parks stretch contiguously from 71st Street on the south to Hollywood on the north.
The 1909 Plan of Chicago established a unique vision for the city, that sets Chicago apart from most cities in this country and indeed across the globe. In the early years of the 20th Century, the City embraced Burnham’s bold plan by developing lakefront parkland through the 1950’s. A current lakefill project to create 20 – 40 acres of lakefront parkland at 45th Street (Morgan Shoals) is scheduled for completion in 2009.
In 1973 the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance established a special lakefront district. The Ordinance mandates the City of Chicago to create parks along the entire Chicago Lakefront:
“Complete the publicly owned and locally controlled park system along the entire Chicago Lakefront.”
The existing 26 miles of Chicago’s public lakeshore park system create a linear park expanse that is unrivaled around the world for its beauty and public accessibility. However, two lakefront stretches which total approximately 4 miles, are not part of the lakefront parks: two miles along the south lakeshore are not public parks; and on the north lakefront there are gaps between the small parks and beaches with no contiguous lakefront park north of Osterman Beach
Motivated by the Burnham Centennial Celebration in 2009 and the mandate of the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance to create parks along the entire Chicago lakefront, FOTP began a new initiative to work with citizens, park advisory councils, community groups and public officials to envision a plan to complete Chicago’s lakefront park system from Evanston to the Indiana border.
SOUTH LAKEFRONT PLANNING
In 2006, FOTP sponsored a community-design charrette at Calumet Park. A group of pro-bono architects and planners worked with citizens, park advisory councils and community organizations to develop concept plans for new parkland and greenways where no public parks now exist, including:
The results of this community-based planning effort resulted in a concept plan for completion of the lakefront path from 71st Street to the Indiana Boundary with connections to neighborhoods and bike trails in South Chicago and the Calumet area. The design concept plan includes over 500 acres of new parkland, with new beaches, recreational fields, greenways and nature areas. View South Lakefront Design Concepts.
NORTH LAKEFRONT PLANNING
For the north lakefront we held visioning sessions and design charrettes for both Edgewater and Rogers Park in 2008. In this way our pro-bono architects could more fully appreciate the special characteristics of each lakefront neighborhood.
EDGEWATER
Located on the edge of Lake Michigan, between Hollywood & Devon, Edgewater is one of the most “park poor” areas of the city, with less than 2 acres of parkland per thousand persons. There is a need for more open space and parks, and access to the Lake. The Last Four Miles offers an opportunity to create additional parkland, such as the expansion of Berger Park and the creation of new parkland. It is important to emphasize that Friends of the Parks and the community support the creation of lakefront parks to Evanston with NO extension of Lake Shore Drive, NO marinas, and NO commercial development. View Edgewater Design Concepts.
ROGERS PARK
Rogers Park extends further north than any other point in the City. Rogers Park is also “park poor” with less than 2 acres of park per thousand persons. In addition to Loyola Park, the Rogers Park lakefront has been historically developed with street end beaches and small parks. However, there are gaps between these beaches and parks, which prevent people from walking or biking along the entire lakefront,
As in Edgewater, Friends of the Parks supports the creation of lakefront parks from Devon to Juneway Terrace with NO extension of Lake Shore Drive, NO marinas, and NO commercial development. View the five design sketches for Rogers Park.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Please submit your comments either electronically or by mail. Include your contact information so we can keep you informed about the process of envisioning the future of the north lakefront parks.
Send your comments either electronically or by mail to: Eleanor K. Roemer, Friends of the Parks, 17 N. State Street, #1450, Chicago, IL 60602 roemere@fotp.org
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