Many cities can look to Chicago for urban innovation & inspiration
The art, shopping and increasingly large number of young professional residents are just a few reasons the city continues to grow. The City of Chicago currently held a meeting to discuss their plans of building a new riverfront development on W. Chicago Avenue. Riverside Investment & Development along with Tribune Media confirmed their plans to redevelop the current neighborhood.
Photo: Solomon Cordwell Buenz (Total Landscape Care)
The plan is to turn the current area into a "landmark urban tech-centric neighborhood that will reflect how people want to live and work," according to Total Landscape Care. The goal of this project is to increase growth by connecting neighborhoods, creating and retaining jobs and young talent. Along with a major focus on sustainable development, The River District will add to Chicago's current reputation as one of the smartest cities in the world.
Additional features include:
- Increased public access and green space: 25%+ (more than 12 acres) of The River District will be dedicated to public use. This includes 5.1 acres of riverfront improvements, a public park, associated pocket parks to activate the building/streetscape relationship and site-wide landscaping.
- Support for city’s pedestrian and bike programs: The plan capitalizes on natural connections to surrounding neighborhoods by providing pedestrian and bike path connections and direct visibility from nearby streets. The site will also include multiple Divvy bike-share stations.
- Improved infrastructure enhancements: Under the plan, a major arterial boulevard linking Grand to Chicago and an extension of the city grid at Ancona and Superior will be built and associated signalized intersections installed. Viaduct construction to connect to Halsted and Chicago and site-wide upgrade of utilities will be made, and the plan calls for a sustainably developed storm water management system and access to high-speed fiber throughout the site.
From Total Landscape Care
Forbes recently updated their list of The Best Cities for Young Professionals, and Chicago did not place. Seattle took first, with Austin and Salt Lake City following closely behind. The cities were ranked based on social outlook, employment prospects, networking opportunities, rent and salary - all features that The River District hopes to instill in Chicago.
In addition to jobs and networking, cities can cater to an influx of residents by staying up-to-date with the world of technology. CityForce is one way to start. CityForce is your complete solution to city/municipality management! Manage, schedule and review inspections and permits, automatically generate custom reports, and handle payments - all in one place. With CityForce, you're saving time on the most monotonous daily tasks that keep you from staying active and engaged on other projects. Generally, you can purchase CityForce for your office for less than 1% of your annual budget!
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