Award
2021 Merit Award
Site
Chicago, IL
Client
Greater Chatham Initiative, City of Chicago
Category
Design
Landscape Architects
site design group, ltd. (site)
Project Details
Located in the heart of Chicago’s South Side Chatham community, the 75th Street Boardwalk activates the public right-of-way by replacing on-street parking spaces with safe outdoor dining and gathering opportunities for Black-owned businesses and their patrons. The unique placemaking and tactical urbanism project was designed as a series of modules that create outdoor rooms organized to fit the individual needs of the adjacent businesses. Boardwalk is built of repurposed plywood that was used to board up Chicago businesses in 2020. The project connected Black contractors with Black youth in the community to empower them by teaching them carpentry and construction skills. Local residents, business owners, and community leaders were deeply involved in all stages of the project – from the initial meet-and-greet to the construction of the Boardwalk itself, serving as a case study in the immense benefits of collaboration, community engagement, and tactical urbanism in supporting local businesses and strengthening a sense of place.
Project Team
Brook Architecture, Brook Architecture, Vladimir Radutny Architects, Booth Hansen, Krueck + Sexton, Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, Brown and Momen