Last Four Miles: Background Information
The Last Four 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…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 H. 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.
FAQ on Last 4 Miles: Completing Chicago’s Lakefront
In 1973 the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance established a special lakefront district and 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 four miles, are not part of the continuous lakefront park system: two miles along the south lakefront between 71st and 95th Streets; two miles on the north lakefront between Hollywood and the Evanston border. These four miles include the last remaining barriers to an uninterrupted chain of shoreline parks that all city residents can enjoy: new places to walk, bike, wade, explore nature or just gaze out over the expanse of Lake Michigan. 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. Click here to see the existing shoreline conditions on the South Side. Click here to see the existing shoreline conditions on the North Side.
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:
- Gap between the South Shore Cultural Center (71st) and Rainbow Beach (75th)
- Former USX steel plant site (79th & 87th)
- Iroquois Landing (north of Calumet Park)
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 for the park-poor South Chicago neighborhoods. 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 Rogers Park Design Concepts.
Update After three years of meetings, charrettes and dialogues, with the professional assistance of Friends of the Parks’ pro-bono Design Team, a concept plan has evolved for completing Chicago’s Lakefront parks from Evanston on the north to Indiana on the south. The concept plan presents limited lakefill from Ardmore to Evanston on the north in response to both the Edgewater and Rogers Park communities with their preference for a minimalist sustainable design to connect the small parks and beaches. The concept plan on the south side reflects limited park expansion between 71st and 75th Streets with more park and beach development at the old U.S. Steel property. Finally, the concept plan on the south side envisions the expansion of Calumet Park to the north on the land which is not used by the Illinois International Port District Authority for its maritime activities. The concept park designs were evaluated by a professional consulting engineering firm for feasibility and environmental peer review as well as cost estimates.
