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The Burnham Plan Was Also the Bennett Plan

Posted by: Nate Berg

7 July 2009 - 11:00am

The 1909 Plan of Chicago is widely credited to Daniel Burnham. But Burnham's right-hand-man, Edward Bennett not only played a big role in writing the plan, he also helped put it into action.

This piece from Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin looks at the role of Bennett in drafting the plan, and his long career of project that shaped the city of Chicago. Also discussed are Bennett's frustrations with his lack of credit for some of the city's most notable designs and structures.

"As the architectural historian Joan Draper has documented, Bennett played an essential, albeit low-profile, role in bringing many recommendations of the plan to life. As consulting architect to the Chicago Plan Commission, the group of business and civic leaders charged with carrying out the plan, he and his staff quietly drew up designs that other agencies constructed. A trace of that influence survives on one of the many plaques on Michigan Avenue Bridge, where, if you look closely, you can find the letters, 'E.H. BENNETT, CONSULTING ARCHT.'"

Full Story: The forgotten man of the Plan of Chicago: co-author Edward Bennett helped realize its recommendations and was a pioneer in the field of city planning
Source: Chicago Tribune, July 6, 2009
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