In an ambitious plan dating back to the early 20th century, some Chicagoans want to build out park space over Lake Shore Drive's Oak Street S-bend. The project wouldn't be a straightforward one.
Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, one example of America's many waterside urban thoroughfares, just might find itself tunneling under 70 acres of new park space. 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, among others, is championing a plan to redo the roadway as it curves past Oak Street Beach just north of downtown.
Jay Koziarz writes, "At its heart, the plan would straighten out and bury Lake Shore Drive's tight and dangerous Oak Street S-bend and would provide unfettered pedestrian access to 70 acres of newly created lakefront parkland, beaches, trails, and a breakwater island."
This is far from a done deal. The proposal is expensive and construction wouldn't likely begin until 2020. "With a price tag reaching as high as $500 million, the project would be hugely expensive and would require the cooperation of multiple local, state, and federal entities like the various Departments of Transportation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers."
FULL STORY: A look at the ambitious plan to bury Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive and create new park space
Bus Lanes, Desired by Advocates for Chicago's Lake Shore Drive Project, Back on the Table
After releasing a list of project alternatives that didn't include new bus lanes in the existing roadway, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has changed its mind.
North Lake Shore Drive Redo Falls Short of Bus Priority Expectations
Strong criticisms of the project alternatives under consideration by the Illinois Department of Transportation for the closely watched North Lake Shore Drive project.
Lake Shore Drive Proposal Inspires Debate
Take a car lane or widen Lake Shore Drive? That's the question facing state and local officials in Chicago.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions