Pilsen is a neighborhood located in the residential Lower West Side community in Chicago. In the late 19th century it was inhabited by Germans, Irish, Czech, Polish and Lithuanian immigrants. Mexican immigrants and Latinos became a majority in 1970 as the neighborhood served as a port of entry. The legacy of uneven development throughout major cities, including Chicago, has left various neighborhoods vulnerable to uneven stabilization. Yet Pilsen sprints forward as a “Think and Do” community.  

Patricia Saldana Natke, Principal of Urbanworks,  presents an inspiring master plan and recent lasting changes made through Transit Oriented Development, a new student dormitory at the Pink Line Stop, planning visions for a  Green Trail “ Paseo”,  proposed cultural  anchors, and connectivity to the Chicago River.

This program is part of Lunch Talks @ CAF, a weekly lecture series that takes place every Wednesday at 12:15pm at the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Further information and resources on this topic are available on our website at www.architecture.org/LunchTalksOnline.

Recorded live Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at the Chicago Architecture Foundation Lecture Hall.