Chicago Lagoon Proposal, Perspective

For the modern and the contemporary city, relationships with water have been contested. In the last decades, master plans and urban interventions have proposed new ways of integrating rivers, lakes, and the seaside into the fabric of the city. Historically, Chicago has been an innovator in establishing new relationships with the bodies of water it borders. On view here are a few prominent examples. Lohan Associates’ project celebrates Lake Michigan by incorporating the proposed lagoon into the city plan; the iconic Marina City embraces the Chicago River as part of its own urban strategy; and Studio Gang’s recent project at Northerly Island proposes that this man-made peninsula on Chicago’s lakefront be converted into a 91-acre natural ecosystem.