Urban Revolution In Chicago

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Chicago is part of a growing new urban revolution. Chicago was named by the Potawatoni Indians to describe the smelly onions that grew along the river and wet prairie. However, onions were replaced by industrialization that fueled the fire of 1871 that consumed most of the city. Out of the devastation came the need to rebuild the city of Chicago. Architect Daniel. H Burnham designed Chicago to be a nurturing place insisting that the city’s seven miles of lakeshore be public space and free of commercial development. He also called for the construction of five manmade islands to be public parks, nevertheless, only Northerly Island was build and in 1949, it became Meigs Field Airport. Today, Chicago’s owes its beautiful lakeshore to Burham’s…show more content…
On March 30th, the 90-acre lakefront runway of Meigs Field was ripped out, within a year; it was replaced with wild flowers, prairie grasses, and trees. These were the first steps towards the formation of a new public space that is again called Northerly Island. Mayor Daley also invested in a green roof on City Hall. He even had beehives installed on the roof and City Hall now sells honey. Another of the Mayor’s ambitious projects was the creation of the 24-acres public space called Millennium Park. The park features Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which is the heart of the park; Crown Fountain, Cloud Gate, and Lurie Garden. Millennium Park allows people to relax, exercise, and enjoy family…show more content…
According to WBEZ91.5, in 2010 a satellite imaging study identified 359 green roofs in the city. When the beehives were first installed by Mayor Daley back in 2003, there were fewer than 10,000 bees. “Now, the total of number of bees buzzing about the garden tops 160,000. City Hall collects between 50-200 pounds of honey per hive during each of the two annual harvests. The honey is packaged and sold at a downtown farm stand.” (Helmer) In March 2011, the last building in Cabrini Green was demolished. In December of 2010, Annie Ricks was the last resident to leave Cabrini Green. In Lawndale, by 2011, Homan Square had achieved its goal of 50/50 of rental and owner-occupied mixed income housing. Fuller Park Development Corporation is still standing strong creating programs that enrich the community. Over the last six years, since they were mentioned in “Eden Lost and Found: Chicago,” Eden Place has continued to developed with the support and recognition of local leaders and organizations. In 2010, the Solar Bus Theater became a reality. An old junk yard bus was recycled and made into a solar powered theater where visitors can view education and enjoyable films. In 2006, Friends of the Chicago River opened the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum on the Chicago Riverwalk to provide people with the understanding of the dynamic relationship between Chicago and its

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