Chicago's 606 Bloomingdale Trail was a unused relic of a railroad which is now turned into a public park and open space. It is a 2.7 mile long trail that runs across Logan square, Humboldt Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park. It has multiple points of access and also connects to the CTA and Metralines. Interestingly, the name has been derived from the first three digits of the Chicago code. It also connects six grade level parks along the trail. It is an exemplary example of how open space can be used to connect communities together and provide an opportunity for social interaction.
It is used for exercise and fitness, bicycling, and even for a casual stroll. I liked that the trail has defined paths for pedestrians and bicyclists. People living in the surround building get a good view of the park. As you walk along the trail, you can see walls displaying local artwork, which I thought was a very nice way to get people involved and blend into the community. The 606 has about 1200 art and culture programs year round, most of which are free of charge. The parks along the trail enable them to have "Trail mix events" which include large community festival celebrations and small events. They have programs to activate the space at night through "night out" events.
The Uber driver who dropped us off at the 606 was a resident of one of the communities for the past 30 years. He told us that everyone enjoys having a place close to home where they can go exercise or just sit on the benches with their family. He also said that it is used all throughout the day, especially by bicyclists as it provides a safe, and traffic-free east west corridor. Seating is well integrated into the trail. Water fountains that are provided intermittently along with floor markings indicating the distance one has covered.
The walk in the trail almost made me forget that I was in Chicago. There were many take-aways from this experience that I think could be implemented in our studio project (Health campus in Lawndale):
A space designed for all age groups,
Connecting different communities,
Involving the communities through art and culture programs,
Providing open spaces for physical activity,
Reducing crime rates by activating unused spaces,
Creating opportunities for social interaction, and
Providing safe places for kids to play which is away from the city traffic.
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