Explore Our Great Rivers

Confluence

A riverside civic commons breathes new life into an underutilized site...

Lead Organization:  North River Commission 

River Geography: Chicago River - North Branch

Project Description: North River Commission (NRC) worked with community members, Perkins & Will, Omni Ecosystems, a steering committee, and partners including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and the Chicago Department of Transportation to reimagine River Park and Ronan Park. The project counters historic disinvestment in Albany Park by positioning the Chicago River as a gateway for recreation, community gathering, and economic development in the neighborhood.  

In River Park, the new design for RiverLab blends the lab and the Chicago Park District’s River Park Boathouse into the riverbank and expands space for boat storage and educational programming. In Ronan Park, the Global Garden Refugee Training Farm is getting renewed planting medium to enhance the production of produce for residents, restaurants, and farmers markets in the area. New gated entrances and water access are also included as part of the updated design. The southern entrance of Ronan Park along Lawrence is also getting an upgrade, transforming a simple concrete pad into an inviting plaza and pavilion. 

4000N a.

A walking museum highlights Native American history...

Lead Organization:  Chicago Public Art Group 

River Geography: Chicago River - North Branch

 Project Description: 4000N is a learning experience and recreational amenity that invites people to visit the neighborhoods along Irving Park Road and learn about and celebrate Native American histories, perspectives, and voices through interpretive installations and educational programming. Native American artist  Santiago X  worked with the community and youth from the  American Indian Center  to develop the designs for two earthwork installations along the Chicago River at Horner Park and Des Plaines River at Schiller Woods. The two serpent mounds are the first noted installations of wayfinding mounds by an Indigenous artist in North America since the founding of the United States. This homage to the ancestral practice of mound building serves to educate the public about the rich cultural history of placemaking, intending to activate the human connection to the river and its importance to the narrative of Chicago’s cultivation as a city.

4000N b.

A walking museum highlights Native American history...

Lead Organization:  Chicago Public Art Group 

River Geography: Chicago River - North Branch

 Project Description: 4000N is a learning experience and recreational amenity that invites people to visit the neighborhoods along Irving Park Road and learn about and celebrate Native American histories, perspectives, and voices through interpretive installations and educational programming. Native American artist  Santiago X  worked with the community and youth from the  American Indian Center  to develop the designs for two earthwork installations along the Chicago River at Horner Park and Des Plaines River at Schiller Woods. The two serpent mounds are the first noted installations of wayfinding mounds by an Indigenous artist in North America since the founding of the United States. This homage to the ancestral practice of mound building serves to educate the public about the rich cultural history of placemaking, intending to activate the human connection to the river and its importance to the narrative of Chicago’s cultivation as a city.

Lathrop Homes

A mixed-income housing development embraces the river...

Lead Organization:  Heartland Housing 

River Geography: Chicago River - North Branch

Project Description: After a multi-year community planning process, Lathrop Homes evolved into a mixed-income housing development designed to connect to and leverage nearby transit, public schools, local parks, and the riverfront. The redevelopment connects residents to the half-mile stretch of riverfront property along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The recently installed kayak launch allows visitors and residents to enjoy the river from the water.

H2NOW Chicago

Sensors provide real-time water-quality data..

Lead Organization:  Current Innovation, NFP 

River Geography: Calumet River and Chicago River – South Branch; Main Stem; North Branch

Project Description: Current’s H2NOW Chicago initiative was established as an innovative public-private partnership to measure microbial pollutants in an urban waterway in real-time, for the first time in the US. With H2NOW’s technology, anyone can go to Current’s  Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring page  to assess the safety of the water along any of the probe locations in the Chicago River’s Main Stem, North Branch, and South Branch, and now the Calumet River. This new site on the Calumet, near Blue Island, is more accessible than other probes, offering an opportunity for the public to more easily see and learn about the technology. Educating the public on water monitoring technology and how it can solve water challenges is key to Current’s mission. Aligned with this mission, Current established River Lab, a water-STEM focused high school curriculum in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. River Lab educates students on water monitoring technology and water quality, and nurtures awareness of job opportunities in the blue economy. Through Current’s innovative water quality monitoring and community education, they aim to foster more informed, productive, and safer use of Chicago’s rivers for recreational, environmental, and economic purposes.  

Chicago Riverpark

Downtown Riverwalk growing bigger and safer...

Lead Organization:  Active Transportation Alliance 

River Geography: Chicago River - Main Stem

Project Description: Active Transportation Alliance’s Chicago River Trail project envisioned an expansion of public space for pedestrians and bicyclists in downtown and improving safety by proposing the removal of one eastbound lane on Upper Wacker Drive to expand the Chicago Riverwalk.

 Ross Barney Architects  created concept designs for the Chicago River Trail that will provide a more comfortable and safer route to ride a bicycle on Upper Wacker Drive by installing a two-way bicycle path from Orleans Street to Columbus Drive. A two-way bicycle path will improve connectivity to Upper Wacker Drive, the Chicago River, and the lake and provide relief from sharing the Riverwalk or sidewalk with pedestrians.

El Paseo Community Garden

Empowering community through nature...

Lead Organization:  El Paseo Community Garden 

River Geography: Chicago River - South Branch

Project Description: Through relationship building, organizing, and stewardship, El Paseo Community Garden and their partners worked to ensure that the planned El Paseo Trail and other developments underway in Pilsen serve the existing community.

El Paseo Community Garden is  NeighborSpace  protected community-managed space, maintained by volunteers and donations. Get involved or volunteer by participating in public Stewardship Days and a variety of donation-based wellness programs and offerings.

Loomis Street "Rainbow Bridge" Mural

A bridge connects two neighborhoods at the river...

Lead Organization:  El Paseo Community Garden 

River Geography: Chicago River - South Branch

Project Background: The El Paseo Community Garden, a community fixture in Pilsen, used relationship building, organizing, and stewardship to ensure the planned El Paseo Trail and other developments underway in Pilsen serve the existing community. In 2019, the El Paseo Community Garden led the creation of the Rainbow Bridge on the Loomis Street Bridge, connecting Pilsen and Bridgeport over the Chicago River. The mural was completed through the  Yollocalli Arts Reach  Public Art internship program with lead artist Chris Silva. The youth artists created motifs that reflect the history and culture of Pilsen and the river.

South Branch Parks Framework Plan and Priorities Report

Three disconnected parks unite...

Lead Organization:  The South Branch Park Advisory Council 

River Geography: Chicago River – South Branch

Project Description: The South Branch (PAC) stewards three parks along the South Branch of the Chicago River: Park 571 and Eleanor Boathouse, Canal Origins Park, and Canalport Riverwalk. Though close to each other in geography, the parks are physically and socially disconnected from each other. Community members and park users in Bridgeport, Pilsen, McKinley Park, and Brighton Park participated in a visioning process and created a Framework Plan to improve amenities within and connections between the parks. In addition, a report was created that documents priorities and concerns for a riverfront trail along the South Branch of the Chicago River, including riverfront development processes which honor environmental justice, building local wealth, and protecting residents from displacement.

Community Vision for the Future of the Collateral Channel

Transforming toxic land and water for community benefit... 

Lead Organization:  Little Village Environmental Justice Organization 

River Geography: Chicago River – South Branch

Project Description: In partnership with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), LVEJO sought to transform the Collateral Channel, an abandoned and stagnant waterway on the Chicago River’s South Branch. Due to its methane emissions and poor water quality, the Channel is in urgent need of remediation and revitalization. LVEJO and CNT developed  The Little Village Collateral Channel Report,  which reviewed the history of the Collateral Channel; numerous plans for remediation and reuse on the site; current conditions on the site, including high levels of potentially carcinogenic sediment contamination and hydrogen sulfide gas; and community survey results revealing serious health concerns associated with the Channel. The project advocated for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to remediate the Channel and partner with the Little Village community to collectively envision a new future for the Channel and surrounding land. LVEJO also contacted the US Environmental Protection Agency, which is now conducting CERCLA Preliminary Assessment of the Collateral Channel. This ongoing project helps develop a blueprint for collaborative planning in a community to turn toxic land into an amenity for public health, pollution reduction, and economic opportunity benefitting Latinx residents.  

Little Village & South Chicago Riverfront Health

Map demonstrates burdens of riverfront industry...

Lead Organization:  Little Village Environmental Justice Organization 

River Geography: Chicago River - South Branch/Sanitary & Ship Canal, Calumet River

Project Description: The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization,  Southeast Environmental Task Force , and the  Natural Resources Defense Council  set out to understand the health implications of riverfront industrial sites, and  developed a map  showing the cumulative effects of environmental and social stressors, identifying the most burdened communities in Chicago. This work has been instrumental in the City of Chicago’s understanding of air quality across the City and is being used to inform local zoning policy.

To learn more about the findings click on the following link,  https://on.nrdc.org/3xKexni. 

Great Rivers Chinatown

Public art and data enriches a renowned riverfront park...

Lead Organization:  Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community 

River Geography: Chicago River – South Branch

Project Description: The Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) implemented Great Rivers Chinatown to make the riverfront in Chinatown's Ping Tom Park and the neighborhood commercial corridor more inviting and connected. Between 2018 and 2019, the community unveiled two large murals inspired by traditional Chinese culture under the Ping Tom Park viaduct. CBCAC, Metropolitan Planning Council, and Design Trust Chicago have since engaged community members to create renderings for enhancements to another viaduct in Chinatown at 23rd and Stewart. To better connect Ping Tom Park to other communities, CBCAC worked with the McKinley Park Development Council to engage community members on the  South Branch Connectivity Project Framework Plan .  CBCAC has also been involved with the Chicago Department of Transportation on a new road connecting Ping Tom Park to the Loop with pedestrian and cyclist safety features. To further enhance the pedestrian experience in Chinatown, CBCAC partnered with Site Design Group and later with CMAP to improve wayfinding and bike and pedestrian safety in Chinatown.  

CBCAC has also focused on supporting the Chinatown business community. In 2020, after finding out that businesses were being negatively impacted by the pandemic, they partnered with Chinatown Mutual Aid in Uptown to provide small business counseling. Additional data CBCAC collected on visitor demographics, spending habits, and activities is being used to inform plans and decisions on community projects. In 2023, CBCAC was selected to be the lead community-based organization in Chinatown for the Department of Planning and Development’s (DPD) Corridor Ambassador program, where hired ambassadors shared information and offered directions to tourists in the business corridor.

Chicago River Trail Feasibility Study

Expanding riverfront access to cyclists...

Lead Organization:  Active Transportation Alliance 

River Geography: Chicago River - South Branch

Project Description: The Chicago riverwalk currently ends at Ping Tom Park, leaving cyclists and pedestrians in communities along the South Branch of the Chicago River like Pilsen, Bridgeport, and McKinley Park without access to a connected riverfront path. To address this connectivity issue, Active Transportation Alliance partnered with Epstein Architecture, Engineering, and Construction to complete the  Chicago River Trail Feasibility Study  in 2019. This project reviewed the river corridor between Halsted and Ping Tom Park to identify a potential riverfront trail using land along the river edge, boardwalk structures, or a combination of both. The 6-month study resulted in a design concept for a trail along the South Branch. In 2023, McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC) used concepts from the study to create a  framework plan  for extending the riverfront trail from Ping Tom Park to the Daley Boat Launch on Western Ave. 

Better Beaubien in Action

Connecting residents to nature and water...

Lead Organization:  Forest Preserves of Cook County 

River Geography: Little Calumet River

Project Description: The Better Beaubien project, located at Beaubien Woods Forest Preserves on the South Side of Chicago, IL, focused on listening to and understanding the needs of the surrounding communities to nurture stronger connections between nearby residents and the remarkable nature and outdoor recreation activities that Beaubien Woods offers. Building on the community vision created for Beaubien Woods, the Forest Preserves and partners led a wide range of events and activities including the development of a bike library, launching the Beaubien Woods Conservation & Youth Outdoor Ambassador Corps, helping young people study water health and chemistry, and hosting a community native planting day at Altgeld Gardens. Ultimately, Better Beaubien in Action wants the nearby neighborhoods to feel safe, comfortable, knowledgeable, and passionate about actively stewarding and utilizing the river and Beaubien Woods.

Calumet Connect

Data empowers a community to plan...

Lead Organization:  Alliance for the Great Lakes 

River Geography: Calumet River & Lake Calumet

Project Description: The Calumet Connect is a local coalition of community and civic stakeholders focused on improving the health and well-being of communities and residents in Southeast Chicago by shaping the future of the Calumet region based on community vision. The partnership conducted community engagement and research to create the Calumet Connect Databook, a resource that includes information about environmental justice, economic development, and public health in the Calumet Industrial Corridor and surrounding residential areas. Using the quantitative and qualitative information gathered in the Databook, Calumet Connect advocated for more meaningful stakeholder engagement within the Calumet Industrial Corridor process, as well as reforms to the city’s land use and permitting. 

The Calumet Connect partnership is involved in other Our Great Rivers Cohort projects, including the update to the Calumet Design Guidelines and Calumet Area Land Use Plan, Schroud site remediation, and 100th Street site activation. The Alliance for the Great Lakes, Southeast Environmental Task Force and partners are continuing community engagement to expand the stakeholders involved in Calumet Connect, including residents, businesses, and other community organizations. The goal is to build on existing community organizing efforts to ensure community members lead the charge for change in the region. 

Little Calumet River Connections Initiative

Riverfront project honors the history, culture, and ecology of a special landscape...

Lead Organization:  Openlands 

River Geography: Calumet River - Little Calumet River

Project Description: Openlands worked to build awareness of and capacity for the African American Heritage Water Trail which runs between Beaubien Woods and Robbins. The project showcased the role of the Little Calumet River in African American history, including the Great Migration and Underground Railroad. Openlands continues to work with community partners to enhance accessibility through riverfront trails, incorporating signage and art to create awareness of the significant cultural places and important histories of the region.

To learn more about the significant cultural sites along the African American Heritage Water Trail, visit Openlands'  storymap .

Major Taylor Trail Improvements

Art and signage improve a historic bike path...

Lead Organization: Community and Neighborhood Improvement Project

River Geography: Little Calumet River

Project Description: The Major Taylor Trail is a seven-and-a-half-mile bicycle and pedestrian path that links the Dan Ryan Woods with Whistler Woods along the Little Calumet River. In 2018, a 400-foot-long mural was completed on the trail to commemorate the first African-American world champion cyclist, Marshall “Major” Taylor. The project team also developed site plans for a river overlook and consistent wayfinding signage across the trail.  The Major Taylor Trailkeepers  continue to steward and make improvements to the trail, along with hosting an annual bike ride and community event.

Lake Calumet Trail Feasibility Study

Connecting gaps, linking a trail...

Lead Organization:  Active Transportation Alliance 

River Geography: Calumet River - Lake Calumet

Project Description: The Lake Calumet Trail Feasibility Study identified alignments for the construction of a shared use path on and around Lake Calumet. A trail would better connect neighborhoods of the South side of Chicago through the Illinois International Port District (IIPD) and Big Marsh Park. Filling in trail gaps will ensure the community can take part in the growth of the regional trail network in the Calumet Region of Illinois and Indiana.

Great Lakes One Water Shared Services

Sharing the cost of green infrastructure maintenance...

Lead Organization:  OAI, Inc 

River Geography: Little Calumet River

Project Description: OAI Inc.’s project identifies opportunities to build a service-sharing model for green infrastructure along the Calumet and Little Calumet rivers. The team works with riverfront municipalities to develop a shared contract for building and maintaining green infrastructure at a lower cost to each municipality. The program also trains community residents for green infrastructure maintenance jobs, providing a match between municipalities' specialized needs and those seeking employment. The project leverages public-private partnerships, cross-sector collaborations, and workforce development to increase equity by maintaining and protecting natural assets in Black and Latinx communities, creating jobs, and decreasing flooding. Partners include Stantec, Greencorps, A Safe Haven Landscaping,  the Morton Arboretum, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the City of Blue Island and Faith In Place sites in Pullman and South Chicago.  

For more information visit:  https://oaiinc.org/high-bridge/  

100th Street River Access

Unlocking the river to the public...

Lead Organization:  University of Illinois Great Cities Institute (GCI) 

River Geography: Calumet River

Project Description: The 100th Street River Access project, facilitated by the University of Illinois Chicago Great Cities Institute (GCI), focuses on creating concepts for community use and river access on the Calumet River between the Chicago Skyway and 100th Street. This part of the Calumet River is largely inaccessible for public use, and the Southeast Side communities identified this site as a strong opportunity to provide public access to the river. The site was previously home to utility production and distribution operations and is still privately owned by People’s Gas and NRG Energy. In collaboration with Calumet Connect partners, NeighborSpace, the National Park Service, Blue Marble, Active Transportation Alliance, and the site’s private landowners (People’s Gas and NRG Energy), GCI hosted several activation events to get community input on future use of the site. The input will be used as a guide to develop and implement a plan for site activation which may include elements like a naturalized river edge, pedestrian trails, gardens, and public art installations. 

StormStore™ 

Innovating in stormwater management through credit trading...

Lead Organization:  The Nature Conservancy  and Metropolitan Planning Council

River Geography: Little Calumet River, Lower Des Plaines River

Project Description: StormStore™, a collaborative initiative by The Nature Conservancy and the Metropolitan Planning Council, expedites the implementation of localized stormwater strategies in the Chicago area, focusing on stormwater credit trading and nature-based solutions. Launched in 2020, the first stormwater trading pilot by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago offers opportunities for developers and landowners in the Little Calumet and Lower Des Plaines Watersheds of Cook County to reduce costs and mitigate stormwater runoff. Emphasizing riverfront sites for green stormwater infrastructure, the program supports residents, community groups, and municipalities in developing pilot projects to illustrate the effectiveness of a stormwater market.

Visions for Open Space in the Calumet Region

Activating parks along the Little Calumet...

Lead Organization: Friends of the Parks

River Geography: Chicago River - South Branch

Project Description: Friends of the Parks engaged the southeast side community about the future of the Whitford Pond natural area along the Little Calumet River, which has been acquired by the Chicago Park District as Park 576. They advocated for the confined disposal facility at the confluence of the Calumet River and Lake Michigan to be converted into a park. Community members participated via in-person and virtual park activation events, convenings, workshops, and surveys to evaluate park investment and development opportunities against the multiple priorities of the neighborhood. Friends of the Parks also focused on existing parks near the Calumet River: Steelworkers Park, Schafer Park, and Calumet Park. 

Reconnect Riverdale: Building up community through historic and living relationships to water, food, and land 

Amplifying riverfront stories in Riverdale...

Lead Organization: Calumet Collaborative

River Geography: Little Calumet River

Project Description: Calumet Collaborative supports the work of Riverdale organizations like People for Community Recovery and Altgeld Murray Homes Alumni to catalyze the opportunities and mitigate the potential challenges of the Redline Extension. The Calumet Collaborative collected oral histories of residents and discussing desires for their community as a foundation an economic and community development framework plan. The goal of the plan is to ensure the preservation of cultural heritage in the region and that new businesses and services developed along the corridor align with community interests. To further lay the groundwork for development that benefits the Riverdale community, the Collaborative supports two land acquisitions: The first acquisition is for community open space along the riverbank in partnership with NeighborSpace, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD), and Openlands, while the second is for the new Riverdale Community Land Trust. The goal of the Land Trust is to mitigate displacement risk for residents by building affordable housing and growing community wealth.  NeighborSpace, Far South CDC, and DPD are supporting this second acquisition.

Shroud/Hyde Lake 

Uplifting Local Vision to Manifest Benefits for Calumet River Communities...

Lead Organization: Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) 

River Geography: Calumet River 

Project Description: The Schroud site was formerly Republic Steel’s dump site, leaving behind contaminated waste that infiltrated the site, neighboring residential soil, Indian Creek, and the Hyde Lake Wetlands. Decades of community campaigning, much of it led by leadership at SETF, resulted in US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designating the site a Superfund site in 2019, a huge victory. EPA is conducting a remedial investigation to determine the immediate dangers on the site then a Feasibility Study, where EPA will consider options for cleaning up the site. Collaborating with partners like Calumet Connect partnership, NeighborSpace, Active Transportation Alliance, Southeast Youth Alliance and more, SETF engages residents in envisioning the future of the site and advocating for remediation that allows for this desired future use. The goal is to ensure robust community engagement in EPA’s process so that the Feasibility Study generates clean up and land use options that align with community visions. 

Conservation Action on Industrial Facilities

Restoring shorelines and habitats...

Lead Organization:  Wildlife Habitat Council 

River Geography: Calumet River

Project Description: Wildlife Habitat Council worked with industries and community partners located in the Calumet Industrial Corridor to promote near-shore and shoreline conservation improvements, and habitat restoration. Wildlife Habitat Council actively works with companies to develop an urban conservation model based on employee engagement and community outreach.

Industrial Site Guidelines for the Calumet River Corridor

Community voices shaping the future of the Calumet region...

Lead Organization: Alliance for the Great Lakes  

River Geography: Calumet River & Lake Calumet 

Project Description: In 2016, the City of Chicago started an Industrial Corridor Modernization Process, acknowledging that land use and zoning designations in industrial corridors needed an update. This city process, years of community advocacy, and a US Department of Housing and Urban Development investigation finding that the City of Chicago shifts polluting activities from White neighborhoods to Black and Latinx communities, although they are already  burdened with pollution, laid the groundwork for Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to officially start the review of the Calumet Industrial Corridor.  The planning process will include updating the Calumet Design Guidelines and Calumet Area Land Use Plan with a focus on ensuring the process centers community and resident voices. Updates will include revisions to land use and zoning along with additional requirements and guidelines for future development in the area. The goal is to shape the industrial corridor in alignment with community, economic, and environmental needs. 

The Alliance for the Great Lakes, UIC’s Great Cities Institute, The Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF), Calumet Collaborative, Friends of the Chicago River, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), and Calumet Connect partners are supporting community engagement efforts to ensure community leaders are driving the plan development. These efforts include conducting an industry survey to better understand industry needs (and their relationship to community needs), increase resident understanding of how land use and zoning impact their communities, and organizing stakeholders so that they are ready to fully engage in DPD’s process, which will take place over a three-year period. 

Protecting Water Quality for Chicago’s Southeast Side Communities through Green Infrastructure

Building a more sustainable Illinois International Port District...

Lead Organization: Delta Institute

River Geography: Calumet River

Project Description: Delta Institute (Delta) partnered with the Illinois International Port District (IIPD) and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to implement key recommendations from the 2022 IIPD Master Plan: grow sustainable industrial activities, develop publicly accessible recreation opportunities, and engage community voices. Delta facilitated Community Advisory Team meetings with community stakeholders to identify and prioritize sites and conduct a feasibility study for establishing green infrastructure (primarily stormwater treatment wetlands) in the Port. Delta will utilize the feasibility study for preliminary conceptual designs of treatment wetlands in tandem with other port area projects that support economic development and expand recreational access to create a more sustainable IIPD.