The Planning Charette at the Village of North Utica, Illinois on Saturday September 25, 2004 was a great success. Over 100 local residents, and city planners and landscape architects attended the event. The group toured the downtown, and then broke into 8 smaller groups to focus on specific issues of interest to the village.
At the end of the session each group presented their findings and recommendations. A number of excellent concepts and proposals were made. The Village will incorporate many of these ideas into the downtown improvement plan currently underway.
Our thanks to all who attended, and to the Fire Department who hosted the event. Special thanks to the Grace Bazelewski and the Pro Bono Committee of APA, who planned and coordinated the event.
Ideas, Great Thoughts, Not so Great Thoughts, and Proposals on City and Regional Planning.
UTICA DESIGN MEETING FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN FIRE STATION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2004 8:30 AM TO 1:00 PM
Join your fellow citizens, city planners, and landscape architects in refining and improving the plan for Utica. Projects include: Downtown streetscape & landscape Front and rear design of downtown buildings Improvements to the I & M Canal and bikepath Improvements to water quality, fountains, aerators Design & location for a Village and Township Hall Strategies to promote economic development & tourism Neo traditional development Housing redevelopment The location and the design of a memorial Park expansion near the I & M Canal Park plan for land along Illinois River and Rt. 178 Plan for Illini Native American Museum & Living Farm The work developed by the group will be included in the detailed plans to be developed by the COG, consultants, and Village Engineer. Everyone is invited & encouraged to attend
AGENDA FOR THE PLANNING MEETING SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2004
at 8:30 am at the Utica, Illinois Fire Station in Beautiful Downtown North Utica, Illinois
8:30 REGISTRATION, VIEW PLANS & GRAPHICS IN FIRE STATION
9:00 INTRODUCTIONS
Mayor Esmond or Clerk Brown Welcome everyone
Grace Bazylewski Welcome, explain process
9:15 PRESENTATION OF RECOVERY PLAN
John Paige & Craig Hullinger briefly discuss plan
Grace assign people to teams
9:30 WALKING TOUR
Led by Mayor, Trustees, Plan Commissioners, Paige, Hullinger, Lindeman, Fesco, Oliphant, Brown, Heitz
10:00 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:30 WORKING LUNCH - any fine restaurants in beautiful downtown Utica
12:30PM RECAP OF FINDINGS - Reconvene entire group, each presents - Grace
1:00 GENERAL DISCUSSION OF WHAT NEXT - IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Will be incorporated into next set of plans, which include Downtown Improvement Plan Facade Improvement Plan, Economic Development Strategy, Marketing Work, Codification, I & M Improvement, Park development, etc. COG Planners, Village Engineer, & Recovery Manager are there to ensure that findings are included in subsequent plans.
GENERAL RULES
TOPIC AREAS
1. Downtown Plan - for existing downtown, streetscape, facades
2. Downtown Plan for area destroyed by tornado
3. Plan for I & M Canal through town - landscape, water flow, bikepath, etc
4. Plan for expansion of downtown park to the northeast and to the south across the I & M
5. Park Concept Plan for 13 acres at north of IL River and east of Rt 178.
6. llini Native American Museum and Living Farm north of Il River and east of Rt 178
7. Tourism Marketing Plan, Historic preservation, presentation
8. Economic Development Strategy
9. Anything else for the good of the community - THE RECOVERY PLAN ACTUALLY HAS SOME 20 INTEREST AREAS TO CONSIDER
American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners Charrette Rules
The day will be divided into three major sections
1. A general introduction of the community, a recap of activities taken to date, a tour and a general visioning session undertaken by the whole group to confirm and/or select breakout session topics
2. A series of small group discussions listing on indicators to measure community assets listing approaches to facilitate change listing of priorities for action conceptualization of ideas through graphics
3. A summary session for the entire group
In order for the day to go smoothly and effectively the following are the rules of engagement for the exercise:
There are no observers. This is a participation exercise. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to join in and everyone has something to contribute.
There are no right or wrong answers as we think about the future of the neighborhood and its residents.
Respect the opinions of others. Encourage others to participate.
Commit yourself to a team approach together we can find solutions and directions.
Think in terms of how to make things happen.
For the small group discussions select a topic of interest and/or expertise.
If you came with your spouse or relative or another member of your block club or the same organization
consider splitting up to different focus groups to spread your knowledge and input.
Most of all -----------have fun!!!
Three categories of participants
Local residents: these are the experts on local conditions, issues and history. They hold the knowledge of what the community has to offer, the barriers they face and the future they see for themselves. We ask the local residents to be up-front, candid and vocal about their experiences, expectations and needs in improving their community.
APA/AICP/LAS attendees: these attendees come to the charrette with expertise in a wide variety of planning practice, experience and application. They are the resources in planning methods that they have seen applied in other communities across the country. We ask the attendees to listen to the residents and draw upon their professional expertise in incremental problem-solving to seek attainable solutions to the issues being discussed.
Agency representatives: there are a number of agencies and organizations that serve the community. These are often the "tool keepers" that hold the information to programs and tools that can get things done in the neighborhood. We ask these tool keepers to participate by keeping a keen eye out for
opportunities to use their treasure chest of tools.
In the large group
Listen to the presentations.
Contribute to the general discussion.
Ask for clarification as needed. There are no dumb questions!!!
Be respectful of other's perspectives.
Try not to be repetitive but build on the discussion of others.
Once in the small groups
Introduce yourselves: include personal information - what brings you to the charrette, what you hope to achieve in participating and so on.
Residents include how long you have lived in the area, what you like or dislike about their community.
Planners identify where you come from, what do you do in your profession.
Select record keeper and spokesperson:
The record keeper's job is to accurately capture and record the major points of discussion. The record keeper needs to be a good listener and be able to quickly record what the group discusses.
The spokesperson's responsibility will be to report back to the entire group of attendees when we reconvene on the findings of the individual focus group. Local residents are encouraged to take on these roles.
Small group activities - Take some time clearly state the issue for discussion what would be the ultimate solution or outcome envisioned?
If you do not understand anything presented do ask for clarification.
Challenge your fellow participants to think outside the box.
Do not dominate the discussion. Listen listen listen!!!!
Think in terms of doable steps in recommending approaches and setting priorities.
The reporter and the spokesperson in each small group should be ready to report. If they need some help in clearly presenting the findings of your group do help them along.
at 8:30 am at the Utica, Illinois Fire Station in Beautiful Downtown North Utica, Illinois
8:30 REGISTRATION, VIEW PLANS & GRAPHICS IN FIRE STATION
9:00 INTRODUCTIONS
Mayor Esmond or Clerk Brown Welcome everyone
Grace Bazylewski Welcome, explain process
9:15 PRESENTATION OF RECOVERY PLAN
John Paige & Craig Hullinger briefly discuss plan
Grace assign people to teams
9:30 WALKING TOUR
Led by Mayor, Trustees, Plan Commissioners, Paige, Hullinger, Lindeman, Fesco, Oliphant, Brown, Heitz
10:00 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:30 WORKING LUNCH - any fine restaurants in beautiful downtown Utica
12:30PM RECAP OF FINDINGS - Reconvene entire group, each presents - Grace
1:00 GENERAL DISCUSSION OF WHAT NEXT - IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Will be incorporated into next set of plans, which include Downtown Improvement Plan Facade Improvement Plan, Economic Development Strategy, Marketing Work, Codification, I & M Improvement, Park development, etc. COG Planners, Village Engineer, & Recovery Manager are there to ensure that findings are included in subsequent plans.
GENERAL RULES
TOPIC AREAS
1. Downtown Plan - for existing downtown, streetscape, facades
2. Downtown Plan for area destroyed by tornado
3. Plan for I & M Canal through town - landscape, water flow, bikepath, etc
4. Plan for expansion of downtown park to the northeast and to the south across the I & M
5. Park Concept Plan for 13 acres at north of IL River and east of Rt 178.
6. llini Native American Museum and Living Farm north of Il River and east of Rt 178
7. Tourism Marketing Plan, Historic preservation, presentation
8. Economic Development Strategy
9. Anything else for the good of the community - THE RECOVERY PLAN ACTUALLY HAS SOME 20 INTEREST AREAS TO CONSIDER
American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners Charrette Rules
The day will be divided into three major sections
1. A general introduction of the community, a recap of activities taken to date, a tour and a general visioning session undertaken by the whole group to confirm and/or select breakout session topics
2. A series of small group discussions listing on indicators to measure community assets listing approaches to facilitate change listing of priorities for action conceptualization of ideas through graphics
3. A summary session for the entire group
In order for the day to go smoothly and effectively the following are the rules of engagement for the exercise:
There are no observers. This is a participation exercise. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to join in and everyone has something to contribute.
There are no right or wrong answers as we think about the future of the neighborhood and its residents.
Respect the opinions of others. Encourage others to participate.
Commit yourself to a team approach together we can find solutions and directions.
Think in terms of how to make things happen.
For the small group discussions select a topic of interest and/or expertise.
If you came with your spouse or relative or another member of your block club or the same organization
consider splitting up to different focus groups to spread your knowledge and input.
Most of all -----------have fun!!!
Three categories of participants
Local residents: these are the experts on local conditions, issues and history. They hold the knowledge of what the community has to offer, the barriers they face and the future they see for themselves. We ask the local residents to be up-front, candid and vocal about their experiences, expectations and needs in improving their community.
APA/AICP/LAS attendees: these attendees come to the charrette with expertise in a wide variety of planning practice, experience and application. They are the resources in planning methods that they have seen applied in other communities across the country. We ask the attendees to listen to the residents and draw upon their professional expertise in incremental problem-solving to seek attainable solutions to the issues being discussed.
Agency representatives: there are a number of agencies and organizations that serve the community. These are often the "tool keepers" that hold the information to programs and tools that can get things done in the neighborhood. We ask these tool keepers to participate by keeping a keen eye out for
opportunities to use their treasure chest of tools.
In the large group
Listen to the presentations.
Contribute to the general discussion.
Ask for clarification as needed. There are no dumb questions!!!
Be respectful of other's perspectives.
Try not to be repetitive but build on the discussion of others.
Once in the small groups
Introduce yourselves: include personal information - what brings you to the charrette, what you hope to achieve in participating and so on.
Residents include how long you have lived in the area, what you like or dislike about their community.
Planners identify where you come from, what do you do in your profession.
Select record keeper and spokesperson:
The record keeper's job is to accurately capture and record the major points of discussion. The record keeper needs to be a good listener and be able to quickly record what the group discusses.
The spokesperson's responsibility will be to report back to the entire group of attendees when we reconvene on the findings of the individual focus group. Local residents are encouraged to take on these roles.
Small group activities - Take some time clearly state the issue for discussion what would be the ultimate solution or outcome envisioned?
If you do not understand anything presented do ask for clarification.
Challenge your fellow participants to think outside the box.
Do not dominate the discussion. Listen listen listen!!!!
Think in terms of doable steps in recommending approaches and setting priorities.
The reporter and the spokesperson in each small group should be ready to report. If they need some help in clearly presenting the findings of your group do help them along.
AGENDA FOR THE PLANNING MEETING SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2004
at 8:30 am at the Utica, Illinois Fire Station in Beautiful Downtown North Utica, Illinois
8:30 REGISTRATION, VIEW PLANS & GRAPHICS IN FIRE STATION
9:00 INTRODUCTIONS
Mayor Esmond or Clerk Brown Welcome everyone
Grace Bazylewski Welcome, explain process
9:15 PRESENTATION OF RECOVERY PLAN
John Paige & Craig Hullinger briefly discuss plan
Grace assign people to teams
9:30 WALKING TOUR
Led by Mayor, Trustees, Plan Commissioners, Paige, Hullinger, Lindeman, Fesco, Oliphant, Brown, Heitz
10:00 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:30 WORKING LUNCH - any fine restaurants in beautiful downtown Utica
12:30PM RECAP OF FINDINGS - Reconvene entire group, each presents - Grace
1:00 GENERAL DISCUSSION OF WHAT NEXT - IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Will be incorporated into next set of plans, which include Downtown Improvement Plan Facade Improvement Plan, Economic Development Strategy, Marketing Work, Codification, I & M Improvement, Park development, etc. COG Planners, Village Engineer, & Recovery Manager are there to ensure that findings are included in subsequent plans.
GENERAL RULES
TOPIC AREAS
1. Downtown Plan - for existing downtown, streetscape, facades
2. Downtown Plan for area destroyed by tornado
3. Plan for I & M Canal through town - landscape, water flow, bikepath, etc
4. Plan for expansion of downtown park to the northeast and to the south across the I & M
5. Park Concept Plan for 13 acres at north of IL River and east of Rt 178.
6. llini Native American Museum and Living Farm north of Il River and east of Rt 178
7. Tourism Marketing Plan, Historic preservation, presentation
8. Economic Development Strategy
9. Anything else for the good of the community - THE RECOVERY PLAN ACTUALLY HAS SOME 20 INTEREST AREAS TO CONSIDER
American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners Charrette Rules
The day will be divided into three major sections
1. A general introduction of the community, a recap of activities taken to date, a tour and a general visioning session undertaken by the whole group to confirm and/or select breakout session topics
2. A series of small group discussions listing on indicators to measure community assets listing approaches to facilitate change listing of priorities for action conceptualization of ideas through graphics
3. A summary session for the entire group
In order for the day to go smoothly and effectively the following are the rules of engagement for the exercise:
There are no observers. This is a participation exercise. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to join in and everyone has something to contribute.
There are no right or wrong answers as we think about the future of the neighborhood and its residents.
Respect the opinions of others. Encourage others to participate.
Commit yourself to a team approach together we can find solutions and directions.
Think in terms of how to make things happen.
For the small group discussions select a topic of interest and/or expertise.
If you came with your spouse or relative or another member of your block club or the same organization
consider splitting up to different focus groups to spread your knowledge and input.
Most of all -----------have fun!!!
Three categories of participants
Local residents: these are the experts on local conditions, issues and history. They hold the knowledge of what the community has to offer, the barriers they face and the future they see for themselves. We ask the local residents to be up-front, candid and vocal about their experiences, expectations and needs in improving their community.
APA/AICP/LAS attendees: these attendees come to the charrette with expertise in a wide variety of planning practice, experience and application. They are the resources in planning methods that they have seen applied in other communities across the country. We ask the attendees to listen to the residents and draw upon their professional expertise in incremental problem-solving to seek attainable solutions to the issues being discussed.
Agency representatives: there are a number of agencies and organizations that serve the community. These are often the "tool keepers" that hold the information to programs and tools that can get things done in the neighborhood. We ask these tool keepers to participate by keeping a keen eye out for
opportunities to use their treasure chest of tools.
In the large group
Listen to the presentations.
Contribute to the general discussion.
Ask for clarification as needed. There are no dumb questions!!!
Be respectful of other's perspectives.
Try not to be repetitive but build on the discussion of others.
Once in the small groups
Introduce yourselves: include personal information - what brings you to the charrette, what you hope to achieve in participating and so on.
Residents include how long you have lived in the area, what you like or dislike about their community.
Planners identify where you come from, what do you do in your profession.
Select record keeper and spokesperson:
The record keeper's job is to accurately capture and record the major points of discussion. The record keeper needs to be a good listener and be able to quickly record what the group discusses.
The spokesperson's responsibility will be to report back to the entire group of attendees when we reconvene on the findings of the individual focus group. Local residents are encouraged to take on these roles.
Small group activities - Take some time clearly state the issue for discussion what would be the ultimate solution or outcome envisioned?
If you do not understand anything presented do ask for clarification.
Challenge your fellow participants to think outside the box.
Do not dominate the discussion. Listen listen listen!!!!
Think in terms of doable steps in recommending approaches and setting priorities.
The reporter and the spokesperson in each small group should be ready to report. If they need some help in clearly presenting the findings of your group do help them along.
at 8:30 am at the Utica, Illinois Fire Station in Beautiful Downtown North Utica, Illinois
8:30 REGISTRATION, VIEW PLANS & GRAPHICS IN FIRE STATION
9:00 INTRODUCTIONS
Mayor Esmond or Clerk Brown Welcome everyone
Grace Bazylewski Welcome, explain process
9:15 PRESENTATION OF RECOVERY PLAN
John Paige & Craig Hullinger briefly discuss plan
Grace assign people to teams
9:30 WALKING TOUR
Led by Mayor, Trustees, Plan Commissioners, Paige, Hullinger, Lindeman, Fesco, Oliphant, Brown, Heitz
10:00 BREAKOUT SESSIONS
11:30 WORKING LUNCH - any fine restaurants in beautiful downtown Utica
12:30PM RECAP OF FINDINGS - Reconvene entire group, each presents - Grace
1:00 GENERAL DISCUSSION OF WHAT NEXT - IDEAS AND CONCEPTS
Will be incorporated into next set of plans, which include Downtown Improvement Plan Facade Improvement Plan, Economic Development Strategy, Marketing Work, Codification, I & M Improvement, Park development, etc. COG Planners, Village Engineer, & Recovery Manager are there to ensure that findings are included in subsequent plans.
GENERAL RULES
TOPIC AREAS
1. Downtown Plan - for existing downtown, streetscape, facades
2. Downtown Plan for area destroyed by tornado
3. Plan for I & M Canal through town - landscape, water flow, bikepath, etc
4. Plan for expansion of downtown park to the northeast and to the south across the I & M
5. Park Concept Plan for 13 acres at north of IL River and east of Rt 178.
6. llini Native American Museum and Living Farm north of Il River and east of Rt 178
7. Tourism Marketing Plan, Historic preservation, presentation
8. Economic Development Strategy
9. Anything else for the good of the community - THE RECOVERY PLAN ACTUALLY HAS SOME 20 INTEREST AREAS TO CONSIDER
American Planning Association/American Institute of Certified Planners Charrette Rules
The day will be divided into three major sections
1. A general introduction of the community, a recap of activities taken to date, a tour and a general visioning session undertaken by the whole group to confirm and/or select breakout session topics
2. A series of small group discussions listing on indicators to measure community assets listing approaches to facilitate change listing of priorities for action conceptualization of ideas through graphics
3. A summary session for the entire group
In order for the day to go smoothly and effectively the following are the rules of engagement for the exercise:
There are no observers. This is a participation exercise. Everyone is encouraged and welcome to join in and everyone has something to contribute.
There are no right or wrong answers as we think about the future of the neighborhood and its residents.
Respect the opinions of others. Encourage others to participate.
Commit yourself to a team approach together we can find solutions and directions.
Think in terms of how to make things happen.
For the small group discussions select a topic of interest and/or expertise.
If you came with your spouse or relative or another member of your block club or the same organization
consider splitting up to different focus groups to spread your knowledge and input.
Most of all -----------have fun!!!
Three categories of participants
Local residents: these are the experts on local conditions, issues and history. They hold the knowledge of what the community has to offer, the barriers they face and the future they see for themselves. We ask the local residents to be up-front, candid and vocal about their experiences, expectations and needs in improving their community.
APA/AICP/LAS attendees: these attendees come to the charrette with expertise in a wide variety of planning practice, experience and application. They are the resources in planning methods that they have seen applied in other communities across the country. We ask the attendees to listen to the residents and draw upon their professional expertise in incremental problem-solving to seek attainable solutions to the issues being discussed.
Agency representatives: there are a number of agencies and organizations that serve the community. These are often the "tool keepers" that hold the information to programs and tools that can get things done in the neighborhood. We ask these tool keepers to participate by keeping a keen eye out for
opportunities to use their treasure chest of tools.
In the large group
Listen to the presentations.
Contribute to the general discussion.
Ask for clarification as needed. There are no dumb questions!!!
Be respectful of other's perspectives.
Try not to be repetitive but build on the discussion of others.
Once in the small groups
Introduce yourselves: include personal information - what brings you to the charrette, what you hope to achieve in participating and so on.
Residents include how long you have lived in the area, what you like or dislike about their community.
Planners identify where you come from, what do you do in your profession.
Select record keeper and spokesperson:
The record keeper's job is to accurately capture and record the major points of discussion. The record keeper needs to be a good listener and be able to quickly record what the group discusses.
The spokesperson's responsibility will be to report back to the entire group of attendees when we reconvene on the findings of the individual focus group. Local residents are encouraged to take on these roles.
Small group activities - Take some time clearly state the issue for discussion what would be the ultimate solution or outcome envisioned?
If you do not understand anything presented do ask for clarification.
Challenge your fellow participants to think outside the box.
Do not dominate the discussion. Listen listen listen!!!!
Think in terms of doable steps in recommending approaches and setting priorities.
The reporter and the spokesperson in each small group should be ready to report. If they need some help in clearly presenting the findings of your group do help them along.
This is coolbert: Saw an interesting idea for tract housing the other day. They are called English row homes. Narrow single family homes, unattached, two story, on narrow small lots with only a few feet between adjacent homes. Two car garage unattached in back with alleyway. Each row home has a porch in front. Some fronts have porch on second level as well. Close to the street. Almost no yard work period. Designed with that in mind. Don't know what the layout is inside or what amenities are available or included. Basement? Not sure. Get more homes on the same area of land and provide single home housing at probably a cheaper cost. Smaller lots, less taxes, etc. Not a bad idea. Look cookie cutter like but not in a bad way. Each front has slight alterations so no two adjacent are alike. Affordable good housing at a price most people can bear. I need to find out more, such as interiors. Being built in Oswego? Get more and will post more later.
coolbert.
coolbert.
Grace Bazylewski
is putting together an APA PRO BONO CHARRETTE for UTICA, IL
the town near Starved Rock, Illinois that was damaged by the
recent tornado. Shoud
THE TASK WOULD BE TO REDESIGN THE AREA OF
THE DOWNTOWN THAT HAS BEEN DESTROYED IN THE RECENT
STORMS. IT WOULD BE ON A SATURDAY IN LATE JUNE OR
JULY.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
DETAILS ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD BE
INTERESTED.
GRACE BAZYLEWSKI
VILLAGE OF LANSING
708 895 7174
is putting together an APA PRO BONO CHARRETTE for UTICA, IL
the town near Starved Rock, Illinois that was damaged by the
recent tornado. Shoud
THE TASK WOULD BE TO REDESIGN THE AREA OF
THE DOWNTOWN THAT HAS BEEN DESTROYED IN THE RECENT
STORMS. IT WOULD BE ON A SATURDAY IN LATE JUNE OR
JULY.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
DETAILS ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU THINK WOULD BE
INTERESTED.
GRACE BAZYLEWSKI
VILLAGE OF LANSING
708 895 7174
This is coolbert: Convention centers. Everyone wants a convention center now. It used to be that Chicago, because of it's centralized location, was the place to go in the country for conventions. That is no longer the case. Cost of setting up and operating a convention, airplane travel, etc., have meant that other urban centers compete successfully with Chicago for convention business. And besides cost and location, Chicago cannot compete with places such as Las Vegas and Orlando from the entertainment standpoint and the climate as well. No easy fix to these problems, if there is one at all.
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: Land fills. These enormous "Mount Trashmore" land fills have to be built with extreme care. If they are not sculpted properly, and the top is allowed to deteriorate as the innards of the land fill decay, you can end up with a cavity existing on the top of the land fill. This cavity will fill with water which will depress the cavity even more, and result in a snowball effect that will create a situation where the entire land fill may collapse. An avalanche will occur, crushing nearby persons and buildings with garbage. The smell afterwards will be overpowering for miles around. Landfills have only a short life where garbage is placed in them, but must be maintained for decades afterwards.
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: Minor League baseball teams seem to be on the increase in a real big way. Kane County Cougars are a typical example. Professional baseball at a cheap price in an old time way. Price of major league ball seems to preclude a lot of customers. And the level of play for minor league ball is actually at a pretty high level of proficiency. Even a major league venue such as the Chicago area has a number of minor league teams now. A very good idea. Maybe football needs such a system too. Hockey team the Wolves are very successful.
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: Bike trails. These should be built all over urban areas. In profusion if possible. I know that a lot of them already are. Can be used, and should be designed for, from the start, for both cyclists and pedestrians. And some thought should be given to this aspect of design. Overpass or underpass for all major roads. Too difficult to cross otherwise. You want to keep moving continuously. Some of these roads are very dangerous to cross. Too many speeders. Is an inhibiting factor. This of course is a major extra cost, but should be made from the start. All these paths and trails should be connected into one large super-connecting urban network, and for the future plans should be made for a national super-connecting network. I think this is being done now, but needs to be accelerated as best. This is a worthy venture.
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: At one time, Daley the Elder proposed an island in the middle of Lake Michigan. The island was to be for an airport to supplement O'Hare and obsolete Meigs. This island, however, was to be not above the waterline, was to be below the waterline. Pilings were to be driven into the lake and the water pumped out. Large enough to create enough dry land below lake level to build an airport to rival O'Hare in size!!! This project never got anywhere. [Shiphol airport in Holland is actually below sea level, consisting of land created by pumping out water from what was once ocean bed to create dry land]. One thing to remember about the level of Lake Michigan. It is not constant. Constantly varies according to a cycle of rising and falling. Make that island high enough or you might find yourself with having an unusable man-made island in the Lake!
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: Just this weekend an article in the newspaper said that a pair of nesting eagles have been seen on the Little Calumet River. First time since 1897 that this has been observed. And a few years ago, it was reported that wild turkeys had returned to the south suburban forest preserves. First time since the 1880's that wild turkeys had been seen in the Chicago area. Wild life can co-exist with even the most urban areas. Bobcats and coyote and deer are supposed to abound in the forest preserve areas surrounding Chicago. In the case of the deer, even a nuisance. What other type of wild life can return to this area remains to be seen? A wild wolf from the UP of Michigan was captured in northwest Indiana last year. Migrated to the area in search of what? Damn, stranger things have happened. The movie "Wolfen" describes a pack of wild wolves in NYC killing off homeless people. Who knows?
coolbert.
coolbert.
This is coolbert: There used to be a mountain in the Chicago area. Where Joliet is now used to be a 700' high mound erected by prehistoric American Indians [Mound Builder culture]. This mound of tamped clay could be seen a long way off. When the first white explorers [Joliet and Marquette] came into the area, they came ashore in Lake Michigan where the Indiana sand dunes are now. Climbing to the top of the highest dune, which was about 200' high, they were able to see the mound in the distance. Rough calculations of line of sight distance would seem to indicate that this was possible. In the 1800's the mound was totally erased as the clay was used for manufacturing such items as clay pots and roofing tiles.
coolbert.
coolbert.
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