35th Street Reimagined:
Codesigning Neighborhood Improvements with McKinley Park Neighbors
A community-driven design proposal, using the Charrette process
"The McKinley Park neighborhood has a long and complex history steeped in community, culture, and the pursuit of opportunity."
In Summer 2022, a cohort of University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Masters of City Design and Masters of Urban Planning students-- alongside community and institutional partners McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC), Design Workshop, and Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement-- embarked on a month-long research, community engagement, and planning/ design process. This project laid out the initial steps to a longer neighborhood improvement process spearheaded by MPDC. Our research, findings from several community engagement events, and community-feedback on initial design proposals resulted in a plan of community codesigns which is available to view below.
Step 1: Research
Using previous planning efforts and current quantitative and qualitative data, we compiled a robust profile of the community we would be working for, and selected 3 specific study areas within the community.
Step 2: Engagement
We conducted three community engagement events across five days, gathering data and feedback on the community's vision for the future of the study areas.
Step 3: Design
With the engagement data in center of our process, we created three robust design proposals for sites around the community, with policy recommendations to keep these in line with community goals.
Step 4: Feedback
Finally, we presented our designs to the community, and led focused discussions to help guide next steps for our community partners.
The Plan
McKinley Park Plan - Small.pdfWatch a Video of the Process
Photos of the Community Engagement Experience