Chicago’s Front Yard Reimagined 2026
Grant Park is Chicago’s Front Yard and the centerpiece of Daniel Burnham’s legendary Plan of Chicago. UrbanWorks led a multi-disciplinary team through a two-year community engagement process to update the 319-acre park’s framework plan for the first time in a generation. Considering the park’s varied role as neighborhood park, a city destination, and a public open space, the revised plan will serve as a planning tool for the Chicago Park District and the greater community as resources to invest in the park become available over the next two decades.
The plan includes numerous measures to provide better pedestrian experiences throughout the park and introduces new ideas including the Forest Line along Michigan Avenue, unhindered pedestrian access between Buckingham Fountain and Queen’s Landing through the DSLD Deck-Over, and a reimagined Congress Plaza. The document promotes coordinated implementation that respects the historic integrity of the park and the evolving needs of the community.