Plate 114 from The Plan of Chicago, 1909: Chicago. Proposed Boulevard and Parkway on Michigan Avenue and Pine Street

Although only portions were put into effect, the 1909 Plan of Chicago remains one of the largest and most comprehen- sive proposals for the transformation of an American city. One of its main goals was to enrich the city through the addition of expansive lakefront parks and lagoons. Grant Park, for example, began as a piece of land between the lake and the Loop commercial district that was to be redesigned to host a prestigious roster of cultural institutions, including the existing Art Institute, natural history museum, and library. Burnham hoped that the ensemble would help to edify and unify the citizens of this growing metropolis at a time of urban unrest around the country.