McKinley Park Development Council
South Branch of the Chicago River Connectivity Framework Plan
Focused on improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to the city center and surrounding neighborhoods, Living Habitats worked with the McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC), the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), Bridgeport Alliance, University of Illinois Chicago College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (UIC CUPPA), and other key partners to complete a comprehensive framework plan for the South Branch of the Chicago River.
Funded by the Our Great Rivers grant from the Chicago Community Trust, this project builds on previous planning efforts with the aim of creating a continuous trail corridor that runs from Richard J. Daley Boat Launch near Western Avenue to Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown. Along with future riverfront improvements as part of the new 78 Neighborhood development, this South Branch trail corridor would serve to connect six culturally distinct neighborhoods with downtown Chicago, the Museum Campus, other lakefront amenities, and the city’s regional trail network.
The initial phase of the project began with stakeholder engagement which included McKinley Park Development Council and partner organizations to better understand the challenges and opportunities presented by the existing corridor. Using feedback from this interface, Living Habitats initiated a comprehensive geospatial analysis of the corridor to understand land ownership and jurisdictional limitations, existing circulation and constraints to pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, river edge conditions, and additional environmental considerations. From this process, the Living Habitats team gained a detailed, parcel-by-parcel understanding of the corridor and contextual knowledge of the surrounding neighborhoods including land use, connectivity, and overall environmental conditions.
In parallel with this geospatial analysis, Living Habitats partnered with University of Illinois Chicago College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs to lead a multifaceted community engagement process that included “pop-up” engagement sessions at existing community events, focus groups, and a community-wide workshop to gather feedback and ideas from neighborhood residents. These efforts were distributed across McKinley Park, Bridgeport, and Chinatown and included surveys, engagement boards, and other materials in multiple languages including English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. Following this engagement phase, Living Habitats prepared a detailed engagement summary and analysis, giving the team an understanding of community wants and needs across a diverse cross-section of nearby residents.
The Living Habitats team then developed a full framework plan for the corridor based on the analysis and feedback received from stakeholders and community members. The completed South Branch Connectivity Project: Framework Plan provides detailed design recommendations, identifies river access points and areas for environmental improvement, addresses connectivity barriers, and outlines implementation measures to inform future pedestrian and bicycle connections to the South Branch of the Chicago River and beyond.
Location:
Chicago, Illinois – McKinley Park, Bridgeport, Chinatown, Pilsen and Little Village Neighborhoods
Date:
2023 – 2024
Team:
LIVING HABITATS: Team Lead
CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST: Grant Funder
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO COLLEGE OF URBAN PLANNING AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
MCKINLEY PARK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
COALITIONAN FOR A BETTER CHINESE AMERIACAN COMMUNITY
BRIDGEPORT ALLIANCE
