Community Profile History and Context Established in 1869, West Humboldt Park is situated within the greater Humboldt Park community area. Humboldt Park’s Chicago Avenue holds historic significance for the community, as it has been identified as one of the northernmost boundaries of the Great Migration, in which Black Southerners migrated north between 1916-1970. West Humboldt park retains a strong ethnic identity for Black Culture, and also has roots in Puerto Rican Culture. The neighborhood was designed for a working class population and has retained this demographic.
The Place
The residential, family-oriented community boasts an eclectic mix of bungalows, two-, three- and flour-flat houses. Neglect from planning efforts in recent decades has contributed to crime and vacancies across the Chicago Avenue corridor. Coinciding with our studio, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot commissioned the Invest South West Initiative in October of 2019 which has identified 12 corridors across 10 neighborhoods on the south and west sides of the city for future development. West Humboldt Park was selected for the present study given its proximity to UIC.
Demographics
Existing Fabric
0.5 mile study area
Population Density
Geographic Mobility
Residents below poverty line
Median Household Income
Median Age
Educational Attainment
Figure Ground
Vacant Parcels
Housing Units Humboldt Park
27.2% 18 20.9%
Chicago
22.5%
9.6%
18-44
44-64
65+
43.8%
7.7%
Humboldt Park
40.7%
22.9%
58.4%
32% White
1.3%
African American 33.3%
Chicago
12.4%
Hispanic or Latino
43.8%
Others
28.8%
6.5%
Housing stock map age Figure Ground
Median Household Income by Race
Employment Levels
200%
1960
1980
2000
Chicago Humboldt Park (Pulaski to Kedzie)
180%
Logan Square (Milwaukee Ave)
160%
300%
140%
250%
120%
200%
100%
100%
80%
150%
60%
60%
40%
100%
20%
50%
$140,000
$122,283
$120,000
1980
350%
2000
2019
$113,877
$100,000 $80,000
Poverty Levels
400%
$77,500
$77,989
$70,664
$64,943
$60,000
$50,496
$48,290
$40,000
$37,967
$33,205
$33,301
$20,000 $0
0% White
Black/African American
Humboldt Park
Some Other Race
Logan Square
Hispanic/Latino
employed
unemployed
Chicago Avenue
Chicago
0%
employed unemployed
above poverty below poverty
above poverty below poverty
Chicago Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue
Inferences MISSION OF OUR LADY THE ANGELS
Medical Services
LIFE CENTER CHURCH DELIVERANCE
Institutional Organizations Civic & Social Services Food & Dining
KELLY HALL YMCA
Everyday Services
ALL NATION PENTECOSTAL HOUSE OF PRAYER
SALVATION ARMY EL SHADDAL CHURCH NEW BEGINNINGS
IL DEPT. OF HUMAN SERVICES
Beauty & Cosmetics Construction
GREATER SWEET HOME MISSIONARY
Youth Services
ROWE CLARK ACADEMY
MEMBERSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Professional Services Grocery Stores
KELLS PARK COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Convenience Stores
CHRISTIAN LOVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Fitness, Health & Wellness GREATER LITTLE ROCK THE LORD'S CHURCH*
ORR ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR SUITES OF WEST HUMBOLDT PARK
POLARIS CHARTER ACADEMY
Strong Institutional Corridor
NEW TABERNACLE OF FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH*
Research & Development Arts Nature Parks & Services
MT. EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH SMART WOMEN/ SMART MONEY*
80’ Right Of Way | Auto-centric transportation
Entertainment
DALEY LIBRARY KIPP ONE ACADEMY
JASPERSTONE MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH*
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Number of existing businesses
50
55
60
65
70
Chicago Avenue
75
80
85
90
95 100
Milwaukee Avenue
100+
Analyzing Chicago Avenue Transect Analysis
Kedzie Avenue
Food Insecurity Analysis
ALDI Central Park Food Market
Chicago & Avers Foods
Chicago Avenue
Pulaski Avenue
Quik Mart
Existing Food Desert Existing Access to Food Existing Green Spaces 0.5 Mile Radius
Blockface Analysis
Vibrancy Analysis Block
Soundness & Topology North South
Vibrancy North South
Diversity of Uses North South
Pulaski to Harding Harding to Springfield Springfield to Avers Avers to Hamlin Hamlin to Ridgeway Ridgeway to Lawndale Lawndale to Monticello Monticello to Central Park Central Park to Drake Drake to St. Louis
3 1 3 3 1 2 1 2 3 1
3 2 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 2
2 1 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 1
2 2 1 2 3 3 3 2 2 2
1 2 3 3 2 3 2 2 1 2
1 3 1 3 2 2 1 1 2 3
St. Louis to Trumbull Trumbull to Homan Homan to Christiana Christiana to Spaulding Spaulding to Sawyer Sawyer to Kedzie
1 3 2 3 3 3
1 2 2 2 2 1
2 3 2 2 3 3
2 2 2 1 1 1
2 1 2 1 1 1
2 1 3 2 3 1
Soundness & Topology
TOTAL North
South
6 4 9 8 4 8 4 6 7 4 5 7 6 6 7 7
6 7 3 8 8 8 7 6 7 7 5 5 7 5 6 3
Evaluates the built environment considering the density, condition, and capacity of structures on the block. Looks at the social and asethetic appeal of the block. factors to consider could be visual design, presence
RATING
SCORE
Sound & Robust
3
Fair & Modest
2
Poor & Destitute
1
Hustle & Bustle
3
Average
2
Ghost Town
1
based on personal 1 Point Per evaluation of Unique Use varied uses
Preliminary Concepts 1. 2. 3. 4.
How can we help the community thrive? What interventions would this community benefit from? How did we looked at probable sites? What if we intervened: At Kells Park and the Kedzie Firehouse At the Intersection of Chicago Ave. and St. Louis
Between Lawndale and Ridgeway
Neighborhood Analysis
Assets and Gaps Assets • Robust, diverse housing stock • Strong Institutional Corridor: • Community Partnerships: West Humboldt Park Community Development Council/ SSA, Neighborhood Housing Service • Schools: Rowe and Clark Math and Science Academy, Orr Academy, Westinghouse College Prep, Laura Ward Elementary, Polaris Charter Academy; • Churches/Nonprofit Organizations: Salvation Army, Nia Family Center, Mission of Our Lady of Angels; • Community Spaces: Daley Library, Central Playground Park, Park No 432, Kelly Hall YMCA • Transit: 66 CTA Bus • Strong planning initiatives: ISW, LISC QLP, etc • Access to vacant land Gaps • Depopulation of Black residents • High Crime • High Unemployment • Lack of capital investment • Lack of ample greenspace • Homeless encampment just east of the study area • Fracturing of urban fabric created by vacant lots
Du/acre
3 % of vacant lots
2 pop/acre
Area
1
Institutional Commercial Existing Green Spaces Vacant Parcels
Neighbourhoods
Initial Sites Site-1
Site-2
Site-3
• Community feedback: park underutilized • Availability of city-owned parcels adjacent to site • Lack of green space • Need for recreation • Opportunity to bolster neighborhood identity
• • • • •
• Opportunity to reinvigorate surrounding blocks • Cluster of city-owned vacant parcels optimal for redevelopment • Opportunity for increased green space • Complement mixed-uses along the corridor
Third place entertainment. Outdoor dining. Pop up vendors. Food Trucks. Connect lots with street surface paint.
Guiding Principles Community
Culture
The UIC design team sought to reinforce existing community systems while introducing new amenities to the area through the creation of ‘third places’ without disrupting the existing community framework.
West Humboldt Park has strong roots in Black and Latinx culture. Keeping this in mind throughout the design process will protect existing culture while providing the services necessary to ensure it can thrive in the future.
Equity
It is critical that any intervention or future design proposal ensures equitable access and opportunities for success and does not adversely affect any individuals in the community.
Open Space
Access to green space improves quality of life. We plan to find ways to incorporate dedicated open spaces when considering new developments and activating existing spaces.
Accessibility
The neighborhood has diminished access to many essential facilities and services. The vision will increase accessibility to these amenities to everyone.
Sustainability
To ensure the long-term success of the community socially, economically, and environmentally it is imperative that green alternatives are explored and implemented.
The Vision | Streets Existing Conditions
Proposed Streets
Unsafe Roadway Conditions
80’ Right of Way Unsafe Driving & Pedestrian Conditons
Complete Streets
Lack of Streetscaping High Crash Corridor
Chicago Ave.
Experiment 1 Re-organizing the Streets
Parking Protected Street
Reduced
Improved
Given what is known to be true about the street from reports and analyses by various municipal, neighborhood, and outside organizations there are a few core issues that can be addressed in a reorganization of the existing road footprint, as it currently exists. Firstly, because of frequent issues controlling vehicle speed and aggressive driving behaviors, a road diet could be undertaken to limit the number of travel lanes on either side of the street from two lanes to a single lane. To ensure a smooth flow of traffic, part of the reclaimed space would be utilized for a shared center turn lane. Next, the lack of dedicated-space for multi-modal transportation can be addressed through the implementation of bike lanes along the corridor going both east and west. These could be accommodated through utilization of the extra real estate freed up by removing the two travel lanes. Due to the concerns about transportation safety for vulnerable users, these bike lanes would be parking-protected.
Experiment 2
Before
After
Before
After
Re-imagining the Streets
Similar to roadway scheme 1, dedicated space along each side of the street is accommodated through the introduction of five foot wide bike lanes. Additionally, the number of continuous travel lanes is reduced from two in each direction to one in each direction with a shared center turn-lane. Scheme two introduces more revolutionary ideas for the roadway is in the introduction of pedestrian plazas that reclaim a sizable portion of the road right-of-way for public use by residents. At these junctions, street parking and the center turn lane were removed and travel lanes for cars and cyclists were shifted together. Next, the sidewalk space on the side opposite of traffic flow was expanded from its existing 12 foot footprint to 38 feet. Finally, in the western plaza, two local roads were closed to create a continuous plaza along the corridor that could allow for safe continuous use by pedestrians, local businesses, and community organizations alike. High Crash Intersection Rowe-Clark Academy
After Active Social Hub
Invest SW RFP Site
After
The Vision | Housing & Public Realm Affordable and equitable access to quality housing stock is one of the hallmarks of a great community. Homes are the places where people eat, sleep, work, play, and where many people spend a majority of their time. Houses, apartments, etc. act as personal safe spaces that keep families and individuals secure and grounded as they grow and progress through life. It is imperative that neighborhoods strive to produce, protect, and maintain an adequate, appropriate amount of housing to support both current and future generations.
Throughout the development process for creating a fresh vision for the future of West Humboldt Park, the questions of how to best utilize vacant land and what population the neighborhood should plan to accommodate were frequently discussed with various stakeholders and partners. To determine how density should be balanced with practicality and ambition, a number of experiments were conducted to analyze what impact various levels of development would have on the physical fabric of the neighborhood.
Exisiting
Experiment 1
Experiment 2
Experiment 3
10 Dwelling Units/Acre Population: 15,500
12 Dwelling Units/Acre Population: 18,500
14 Dwelling Units/Acre Population: 24,500
17 Dwelling Units/Acre Population: 28,100
The Portal
The Boldt The Portal One of the most common points of discussion in conversations with local organization leaders during the design process was a desire for Chicago Avenue’s intersection with Kedzie Avenue to act as a gateway to West Humboldt Park. In support of this goal, one recommendation put forth by the design team has been the creation of a grand entrance spanning over the length width of Chicago Avenue and adorned with community branding to convey a sense of place. However, rather than merely make an empty aesthetic gesture with no practical purpose aside from basic wayfinding, an attempt to create a more activated and usable space would be recommended. In the design team’s representative illustration of what an intervention of this type could look like, the gateway landmark also serves as both a pedestrian bridge, a communal space, and a location for occasional commercial activity. The elevated walkway would be adorned with flowers and foliage to incorporate the natural elements present within Kells Park where the foundation of the site rests.
The Boldt Situated on a site adjacent to an already thriving active social hub, “The Boldt” will host a new community gathering space. The site is also in close proximity to Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy and the large pedestrian plaza introduced by reimagining the streetscape of Chicago Avenue. Access to these amenities provides a prime opportunity to construct a space that supports local businesses, creates a third place where local residents can congregate and socialize, and acts as a pillar and beacon of hope in the community.
Before
Before
In the representative illustration of what an intervention of this type could look like, the design team’s portrayal depicts a radical and unique structure that incorporates the use of indoor and outdoor spaces across multiple levels to create a sense of osmosis with the outside area. The building is comprised of multiple pods that can play host to local start-up entrepreneurs, established retailers from across the city or the country, and flex spaces that can be utilized by members of the community for gatherings, youth services and tutoring, organizational meetings, and innumerable other activities.