The Chicago Plan Daniel Burnham

Chicago Fire The Chicago Fire began October 8, 1871. It ended October 10. It destroyed 3.3 square miles of Chicago. The city needed a plan for growth as it was being rebuilt.

Daniel Burnham Daniel Burnham was hired to design a plan for Chicago. He began working on this plan in 1909. He used his experience from the Columbian Exposition to help him with this plan.

Major Elements of the Plan 1. Improve the lakefront with public beaches and parks 2. Create a highway system reaching 75 miles from the city’s center

Major Elements of the Plan 3. Improve the railroads by combining rail lines and stations 4. Create outer parks including the Cook County Forest Preserves

Major Elements of the Plan 6. Build civic and cultural centers near Grant Park 5. Systematically arrange the city streets with a grid plan and certain diagonal roads

Problems Daniel Burnham died in 1912 before the whole plan was carried out. The plan was criticized because it focused too much on physical improvements. The Great Depression slowed construction because the city could not pay for the projects. The street plan had to be expanded after realizing that many more people than anticipated owned personal automobiles.

Burnham’s Successes 1. All but four miles of lakefront is open for public use through beaches and parks. 2. Grant Park and Museum Campus create the civic and cultural center he dreamed about.

Burnham’s Successes 3. Navy Pier is similar to the pier included in the original plan. 4. Many bridges, the two-level Wacker drive, and Union Station were all constructed.

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.” -Daniel Burnham