This year marks the centennial of the Plan of Chicago, Daniel Burnham’s vision of Chicago as a “Paris on the Prairie,” replete with Beaux Art buildings, plenty of green space and a series of grand boulevards. The plan did have a lasting impact on Chicago’s physical make-up, from the open lakefront we enjoy today to the architecture of Wacker Drive. But the Burnham Plan also set the stage for future planning efforts, including efforts to build our airports, to develop our express and tollway systems and to expand green space. Joseph Schwieterman, co-author of Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region, updates us on the future of transportation in the region. 

Music Button: Reginald Robinson, “Nile River Ripples”, from the CD The Strongman, (Delmark records)

Continue to go “Beyond Burnham” at Chicago Matters: Beyond Burnham.