1 Burst results for "Bloomingdale Trail"

WGN Radio

07:54 min | 2 years ago

"bloomingdale trail" Discussed on WGN Radio

"And I think the two are related because you know it's Those areas are much more attractive if it's easier to get to the lake front and enjoy the lake front. Once you're there, sure. Talk to me a little bit more you mentioned housing. Chicago is a city of old Chicago bungalows and different styles of housing that when money comes to an area that small and that's not as valuable as a three flat or something new and modern and sleek, are you concerned about? I mean, imagine that that happens and that's going to happen. But are we doing enough to preserve the history of the architecture of Chicago when it comes to the housing? Mm. I would say in some cases, yes, like the historic Chicago Bungalow initiative has been a very successful effort at Um, you know, maintaining this very valuable housing stock. But clearly, um this gentrification has cut of very double edged sword. In areas like you know, the Northwest side, the near north west side around the 606 Bloomingdale trail. I mean, there you've got, um older. Housing stock. That is great, affordable on has multiple units in it giving way to, you know, large, very expensive single family homes and you've got Widespread displacement of people occurring and this is really the same problem that Popped up in Pilsen, where recently the city tried and failed to Um, create a landmark district residents there did not think the landmark district was the answer. To the displacement and gentrification that was occurring, So it's an ongoing problem without a doubt. And, um You know, the city is much more than the shiny towers of downtown. You can have a vibrant function city unless you have Healthy neighborhoods and that that I mean, I'm really glad to say that Mayor Lights lit recognizes that she has hired a really smart planning commissioner Maurice Cox. Who is, you know, working on the Invest Southwest program to try to revive Business districts throughout the South and west sides on he's off to a good start, but it's really too early to tell whether this program will bear fruit. I hope it does, but it's gonna take a long time. A generation arm or two. Do you know the damage that's been done by redlining and just investment and Gun violence. There's it's a big big turn of the aircraft carrier that No, that Lightfoot and talks are trying to achieve and it's going to take a long time to do it. There is so much when it comes to people moving into the city. People living in the city. Transportation is so important because it's such a big area and you've got to still be able to get around. And it's much easier. People don't necessarily have to have cars. Is the city doing enough? No, this gets a little more planning than architecture. But is the city doing enough of marrying the building with the transportation needs and planning that out and Keeping that I don't know so that we don't get over congested in certain ways. Um, there have there have been some advances in that area. I mean, Rahm Emanuel, in particular was very strong on On transportation and really under him. There was a foundation of the Red line. The frown lines on notably, some very handsome transit stations were completed. Um, the millennium, The Washington Wall. Bast station became like a gateway to Millennium Park, And there were many others. Carol Ross Barney, a very fine architect did really handsome station to black station. That, um, serves as a gateway to McCormick Place, and she also did the Morgan station on the green line that Is a gateway to the gentrifying area on the near West side. So, um, at the same time, they're still big challenges. Uh, the extension of the Red line for their south past. 95th Street is a big issue, one that you know is really needed to provide access to jobs. Ondo opportunity, Economic opportunity for people on the far South side. So, um To Nick's story. Um, you know, there are there are some good things and not so and something's still very much on the civic agenda that really need to be accomplished. Well, going a little bit hand in hand with that part of having a city in an open lakefront is the accessibility to get around not just by transportation. But by enjoying the city itself, And that way, I guess there have been a lot of trails the 606 certainly the most famous but other trails that are connecting parts of the city. More and more. Um, are we happy with how those air turning out and how those blend in with the city and and joined the city together? Well, I mean, the six of six has been a fascinating and fraught development. It was part of Emmanuel's pushed to take Anachronistic. Facilities from the industrial age, Whether it be an old rail line that supplied, you know businesses. On factories like as 606 Woz, or makes field and turn them into Park land because they were essentially outmoded. So the problem with the success six was that Everyone thought it was going to. Everyone thought it would be a great thing because it would bring open space much needed open stays to areas where that could easily be described as park desserts like food deserts. They just didn't have a lot of open space. And this was a way that Alleviate that problem, you know, but no one really thought About the consequences of of doing this, and that's what you want. Six of six went in all these landlords moved in. They bought a property. They poured on homes. And you know that led to the gentrification I discussed earlier, so One of the things in the future that's really important is anticipating the consequences of Improve public spaces and ensuring that the very people who those spaces are supposed to help her not hurt by them s Oh, that's gonna be a challenge in the future for the city. You know you want Um, good development. You know, good park land to go hand in hand with improving communities, not, you know, forcing people out. There is an incredible amount of lakefront property. South south of the Museum of Science and Industry and Forget what the site it's called. Is it the steelworks site? Or Southwark? U. S Steel plant the old U. S steel plant a lot of what could be incredibly beautiful lakefront property. And I know that's been debated back and forth and plans have been made. I don't know if anything is even set right now or where that is all that. What do you hope for? I mean, that's like that Z property that's kind of once in a lifetime property for the city to figure out what really should happen there. Is that going to be done well by planners, or is the city keeping control of what happens there? Are you worried about that? Well, U. S Steel based in Pittsburgh still owns the property and they you know, they have been, um Not exactly.