Chicago Vision of the Future

Synopsis

Concepts for Chicago and similar cities to consider in planning for the next one hundred years.

Overview

2009 marks the Centennial of Daniel H. Burnham’s and Edward H. Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago. The Burnham Plan, as it become known, redirected Chicago’s development from disorganized industrial and commercial growth to a planned movement toward the “city beautiful”. Along the way, Chicago became a green city with a necklace of parks and boulevards recognized around the world for its beauty. Challenged by Burnham, Bennett and the Commercial Club of Chicago, the city committed to Burnham’s vision of an environment that could be both functional and beautiful.

One hundred years later, Chicago and major cities worldwide face different but equally portentous problems and opportunities. Powerful forces, both destructive and constructive, confront cities and society. Global warming is changing climate and energizing unpredictably destructive weather. Population growth and movement to the cities are at an all-time high. Global economics are reshaping trade and disrupting established patterns of supply and demand, Voracious energy needs are depleting traditional energy resources, High-tech materials sciences along with communications, computing, biological and engineering sciences are reshaping what is possible. Negative and positive, the agents of change have raised the stakes.

Established cities like Chicago must evolve more quickly. Entirely new cities will need to plan for change from the beginning. Both will need vision to weave new technologies into their urban fabric. Daniel Burnham’s famous dictum — “Make no small plans” — is most timely and appropriate in this year of centennial celebration.

This project explores urban possibilities for the next century. Rather than a conventional “plan”, however, it examines a variety of physical, procedural and organizational concepts now emerging or that soon could emerge from evolving technologies and changing social forces. Overall, the project is composed of four separate but integrated studies focusing on urban infrastructure, transport, environmental features (river and lake front), and the role of nature in the city.

Final Results

1. Overview

Project overview presentation: 1 Chicago Vision presentation_all

2. Hyper-connected Infrastructure

Advanced concepts for supplying energy, water, waste removal, communications and information services where needed throughout the city.

Report & appendices: 2_hyperconnected_infr_report, 2_hyperconnected apphyin_small

3. Responsive Transport

Transport options for moving people and commodities conveniently with minimal intrusion of the public space.

Report & appendices: 3 rpttran_small, 3 apptran_small

4. Featured Environment

Concepts for enhancing the contributions of special environmental features to the urban experience.

Report & appendices: 4 rptenvironment, 4 appenvironment_small

5. Infused Nature

Strategies for bringing nature more intimately into the public and private urban space.