As I dive further in, pun intended, to how urban spaces can be defined by water I'd like to look into Chicago. Specifically, the history, lakefront trail, and river walks that line the center and outskirts of the city. Having been to Chicago less than a year ago, this will greatly enhance my already basic understanding of the treatment of its water in the present day. Researching this city will heavily contribute to the question of how exactly water can define an urban space, and it serves as a prime example of how exactly the nature supported by water, natural resources created by water, and urban development can all play into one another to develop a city as large and diverse in architectural style and culture as Chicago.
Firstly, I'd like to talk about the history of Chicago and its relationship to the river. Founded in 1830, the city quickly became an ideal water hub for the Midwest for meatpacking and lumber. Before then, the river supported wetlands, marshes, and forests that held lots of wildlife. These include the American mink, bobcat, coyote, groundhog, little brown bat, meadow vole, muskrat, North American beaver, red fox, river otter, and Virginia opossum according to ChicagoRiver.org. This is what attracted the Potawatomi tribe and the first settlers of European and African descent who were in search of animal fur for trade in the area. The Chicago River became a key hub, because it connected to both the Michigan Canal to the Des Plains River and to the Mississippi River. Due to the growth of industrial and commercial development by the 1870s the water pollution was clearly visible. 1871 was also the time of the great Chicago Fire, so from 1889 to 1910 the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago began to work on cleaning up the river in an effort to revive the city. This was done with a 28-mile Sanitary and Ship Canal with locks near Lake Michigan and Lockport that reversed the flow of the river away from the clean water of Lake Michigan. It is now known as the only river in the world to flow away from its mouth rather than towards it! Over time new river channels were constructed for better transport and more railroad access up until 1922.
Nowadays, the river is no longer really used for industrial and commercial activities, so extra attention has been given to its aesthetic and ecological aspects. The most recent large project called the "Deep Tunnel" project was excavated 350 feet below the surface and is 109 miles long. Thankfully, practically eliminated the release of untreated water to streams, Lake Michigan, and people's basements. Beginning in 1962, a new tradition began on St. Patrick's day where the Chicago Journeyman's Union dumped 100 lbs. of green dye into the river to celebrate. This has attracted many people from outside of the city and in the city to gather around the river to celebrate the holiday in a very unique way. Now the Union dumps 40 lbs. of vegetable-based dye every year, because it is more eco-friendly. Sadly, this has shortened the amount of time the river stays green from a week to just three days.
Speaking of dumping things in the river 63,133 rubber ducks were recently dumped into the river for a short period of time to raise awareness and money for the Illinois Special Olympics. This too attracted many people from all over the city, and allowed the river to define the city space as an attractive and visually interactive feature.
Ecology of the river has been steadily growing over time too. To help with this fish hotels were constructed so that more fish can mate during spring in shallower spaces!
Next, I'd like to talk about the lakefront trail. Designed by Daniel Burnham in 1909, it was just a small fraction of a larger "City Beautiful Movement." As an architect and an urban planner he played a massive role in creating and building new ideas for the city of Chicago soon after the Chicago Fire destroyed so much of the city just 20-30 years before. Burnham AKA the "Father of the City Beautiful" took it upon himself to design the entire plan of Chicago, and after it was published it was considered one of the principal documents of the movement. The aim was to create a much more shaped and well defined city that would help to define the new American identity. Due to the impeccable speed at which cities were built they often felt cluttered and were considered ugly by the majority who visited. In his proposal innovation and history were juxtaposed against one another within the new "procession" of planned buildings. This procession consisted of classical and Baroque ideas that emphasized the spatial arrangement of groups of buildings based upon the movement of the individual from one space to the next. For example, great buildings or monuments were placed on converging diagonal axes. This gave these buildings a newfound sense of power that stood out against the repetition.
Drawing this "City Beautiful" Movement back to how water can define urban space, Burnham argued that civic harmony is found within parks. They can allow those that cannot afford typical recreational activities to enjoy nature and culture at no expense. They aid congestion, and allow for a break within a dense urban space like Chicago, and fountains can become the factor that draws people into these spaces.
Unlike most other cities, Chicago cherishes its riverfront and gives it back to pedestrians that might want to walk or sit in close proximity to the river. In a way, it is like another version of Central Park. It branches off of the lakefront trail is the beginning of the river walk, which runs along both sides of the river for 1.25 miles. From my past experience I actually got to experience this riverwalk in the form of an architectural boat tour. On the tour they specifically mentioned that the city mandated a 30ft pedestrian space along the edge of the river at ground level. The unique zoning law gave the waterfront back to the rest of Chicago rather than to just those who live and work in the buildings.
Another unique feature along the river I found was mirrors underneath the bridges. As we passed underneath bridge after bridge a few of them had mirrors along the lower corners that reflected the water in a dazzling way. This enhanced the otherwise dim, dark, undesirable sidewalk underneath the bridge next to the river. This is a good example of how water (even in less desirable spaces) can be highlighted with features that play off of them.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/263.html#:~:text=The%20river%20was%20crucial%20in,and%20shipping%20throughout%20the%20Midwest.
https://www.chicagoriver.org/about-the-river/river-ecology-and-wildlife/mammals#:~:text=Ecology%20of%20the%20Chicago%20Region,river%20otter%20and%20Virginia%20opossum
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/61.html
Comments
Post a Comment