Week 3 – SHEcago
Hi everyone and welcome back!
Happy DC Architecture Month!
This past week at my internship I helped with organizing one of the many youth programs for design specifically the sustainable greenhouse design challenge. This event gives kids the opportunity to help create and build a model of a greenhouse and work collaboratively with their peers. Since it is going to happen in less than two weeks there has been much to finalize including the list of participants and the criteria of the challenge! (which I have mainly been focusing on).
Besides organizing the youth design events I have also started to get in touch with a local DC Urban Planning firm where I will be able to shadow in the coming weeks! At this firm I will have the opportunity to focus on more of the DC centered issues that arise in Urban Planning like gentrification and housing, how policy plays a role in city planning, and the integration of sustainability in Urban Planning.
Now for my developments to my senior project! I started looking more into the 1909 Plan of Chicago also known as the “Burnham Plan”, I’m going to try and keep my findings simplified and not go too into detail!
Who? Famous architect Daniel Burnham was offered by a group of businessmen to redesign the city of Chicago in 1906, Burnham was well known for his role as Director of Works for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. While preparing to start his plan he also hired co-author Edward H. Bennett.
What? The Burnham Plan was a Progressive Era proposal that started with Burnham and Bennett analyzing various large cities and came up with a list of 6 categories to focus on with the Burnham Plan. They had hopes that the 6 categories would help meet the economic, transit and social needs of Chicago.
Where? Focused on Chicago’s central area but the Burnham Plan’s impacts are still present as it resulted in North Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive and Chicago’s many lakefront parks, and regional forest preserves.
Why? Like mentioned above businessmen in Chicago recognized that Chicago was quickly developing into a city of commerce and wanted to develop a plan that would allow the city to grow and become a hub for innovation including efforts to beautify the city.
The Burnham Plan did not achieve every one of its goals but it still serves as a blueprint for city planning with many ideas and solutions for the constantly changing city of Chicago.
I hope you enjoyed reading this week’s blog post and make sure to come back next week!
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