The expansion of walkways in Chicago would allow for safe, socially-distant strolls through the city.
While Chicago is still under the stay-at-home order, the city, currently in Phase 2 of JB Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, can still participate in outdoor individual activities such as walking, running, and cycling.
However, due to the narrowness of many of the city’s streets, maintaining social distance during these outdoor activities is a difficulty, and in some places, an impossibility.
“Many of us are working from home, only leaving the house for essential tasks and to spend a bit of outdoor time on solitary walks around the neighborhood. With warmer weather approaching, Chicago residents need viable options for getting out of their homes and stretching their legs,” reads the Chicago Promenade Plan.
The plan is proposed by Hammersley Architecture, an architecture and urban design studio that predominately focuses on commercial and performing arts spaces, as well as social infrastructure projects.
Chicago’s Promenade Plan follows the adapted measures that major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, and Minneapolis have taken to facilitate foot traffic throughout the city.
“Our goal with this booklet is to show how we as a larger community can open up our existing resources to offer relief to all of its inhabitants throughout the city,” the plan reads. “Neighborhood by neighborhood, these part-time promenades could be configured with guidance and input from neighborhood groups, local alderman, and City of Chicago government.”
The plan outlines their design features which facilitate movement rather than congestion. Promenade placements are also designed not to disrupt nor impede public transportation and emergency vehicles.
The trails would also connect high density areas with low density areas so as to be conducive to greater social distancing.
By adapting this program, Chicago would grant safer measures for citizens to go out, get some sunlight, and stretch their legs. The new measures would allow a degree of social time with others, and would provide the necessary distance for those to do so safely.
Hammersley Architecture encourages supporters to reach out to local alderman and public officials through social media.
[Featured image: @rvrmakes via unsplash]