Ernest C. Wong is founder and principal of the national and international award-winning Site Design Group, Ltd. He has been instrumental in the development of the landscape architecture and urban design profession in Chicago. Mr. Wong’s talk addresses the development of Ping Tom Memorial Park, which he designed, its challenges and success throughout various phases of construction in 1998, and its significance to the Chinese community in Chicago. He also discusses the demolished Hardin Square Park and the Sun Yat-sen Park on 24th Place, focusing on the use of green spaces within the Chinatown area.

Wong sits on the board of numerous public service organizations and professional juries including the Driehaus Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design, the Near South Planning Board, and the Chicago Landmarks Commission. He is currently the chair of the board of the Chinese American Service League and was named 2010 “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune.

This Chinatown Centennial Lecture series is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.