January 24, 2007

How Chicago Got Its Skyline

CHICAGO — Why does Chicago look the way it does? Many are familiar with the Burnham Plan, which was instrumental in shaping the city, but how did zoning contribute to the city's looks?

Joseph P. Schwieterman and Jane Heron will discuss how zoning shaped and continues to shape the city at the next American Planning Association's Tuesdays at APA forum at 5 p.m. on February 13, 2007. The speakers also will discuss Chicago's new zoning ordinance and offer their view on how it will impact the visual and economic future of the city.

Joseph P. Schwieterman is Director of DePaul's Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. He is co-author of The Politics of Place: A History of Zoning in Chicago (2006, Lake Claremont Press).

Jane Heron is an urban planner who has worked in many Chicago neighborhoods and began to advocate updating the zoning ordinance long before the city was ready to act. She chaired the interagency Zoning Coalition from 1984 to 1992. She has written on zoning, housing and building-code matters and was the editor of The Politics of Place.

The forum will begin at 5 p.m. at APA's office at 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600 (across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago). The event is free and open to the public.

Upcoming Tuesdays at APA events include a look at historic preservation in Chicago and housing issues in "first suburbs."

Contact

Roberta Rewers, APA Public Affairs, 312-786-6395; rrewers@planning.org