Connecting Everyone to the Outdoors in Illinois!
With the many challenges facing our nation, communities in Chicago and beyond are eager for solutions. YOU are part of the solution. Together, we are not just dreaming of a healthier, more equitable, more climate-resilient future—we are actively building it.
Every day each of us has an opportunity to make our neighborhoods and our nation more connected and sustainable. We can offer a kind word to a neighbor, attach rain barrels to our downspouts, join a block club. While these acts have merit, we sometimes wonder about their impact. At Trust for Public Land (TPL) Illinois we are dreaming big by uniting individual actions with advocacy for system-wide change that will bring the benefits of open space to everyone. We are grateful that you are working shoulder to shoulder with us in these efforts.
For the past several years, TPL Illinois has been investing in communities with tangible results, such as
the new Douglass 18-hole mini-golf course and the WACA/Bell Park Basketball Court (both in North Lawndale), and the Mamie Till-Mobley Forgiveness Garden in West Woodlawn. While we have other similar projects on the drawing board, a key element of our work—our secret sauce—is our role in bringing community dreamers together, creating actionable plans, helping our government partners say “yes,” and finding resources to get the job done. The expressed need for high-level coordination among those seeking to improve health, climate, and community benefits through greater access to open space led us to launch the Chicago Infrastructure Reuse Network, and now informs our work in the Riverdale community. This aspect of our work might be unphotographable, but it is real and it is essential.
Like our colleagues around the country, we are excited to welcome our new President and CEO, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser. She brings a wealth of experience in public policy, philanthropy, the outdoor industry, and community engagement, making her an ideal leader for TPL’s next chapter. She has served on numerous boards, including the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, Great Outdoors Colorado, and American Rivers. Carrie’s leadership will be instrumental as we amplify our efforts to expand outdoor access through equity, health, climate, and community commitments.
As TPL looks to the future, we remain committed to our vision of a world where every person can connect with the outdoors. We sincerely appreciate your steadfast support of TPL. Thank you for partnering with us on this journey.
Caroline O’Boyle Associate Vice President, Illinois State Director
PHOTO BY EDWARD YU/COURTESY OF THE NORTH FACE
Chicago Infrastructure Reuse Network
TPL’s mission is rooted in the belief that vibrant, public, accessible outdoor spaces comprise the heart of thriving communities. Our Chicago Infrastructure Reuse Network (CIRN) is a testament to this vision. We partner with community leaders to transform dormant railways, vacant lots, and abandoned properties into green, inclusive, and dynamic public spaces that improve quality of life for all of Chicago’s residents.
CIRN provides a forum where community leaders of infrastructure reuse projects from around the city can exchange ideas and share their collective wisdom. Working together, CIRN members engage government leaders in constructive conversations that result in more equitable and streamlined practices to enhance urban livability. TPL’s role in The 606/Bloomingdale Trail, which involved transforming a disused railway into a vibrant 2.7-mile linear park and multiuse trail, helped inspire the formation of CIRN and continues to serve as a model for how we engage in infrastructure reuse projects in Chicago and beyond.
As we continue to build on successes like The 606 and form additional partnerships through CIRN, we remain committed to transforming the city’s landscape and revitalizing neighborhoods through the innovative and forward-thinking adaptation of existing infrastructure.
THE ENGLEWOOD NATURE TRAIL
In Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, a 107-year-old elevated railroad corridor—long-abandoned and overgrown with weeds—is now on track to become a vibrant neighborhood amenity. Under the leadership of Grow Greater Englewood (GGE), led by TPL National Board member Anton Seals, Jr., and with an assist from TPL, the old rail line will be transformed into the 1.75-mile, 17-acre Englewood Nature Trail, an elevated greenway and linear park.
Community members have been integral to shaping the vision of the trail through years of planning sessions and public forums, ensuring the design of the greenway reflects their needs and priorities. The Englewood Nature Trail will be an oasis for exercise, recreation, and nature immersion within an urban setting, promoting physical and mental well-being. Native plantings will be incorporated to support biodiversity, reinforcing the ecological resilience of the neighborhood. Additionally, the trail will serve as the spine of GGE’s developing Agro-Eco District, a firstof-its-kind urban agriculture zone and green space connecting Englewood’s growing network of farms. By transforming this disused railway corridor into a multifunctional park and trail, GGE is forging a scenic pathway to increased equity, health, and social cohesion for Englewood residents.
PHOTO BY KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI
GROW GREATER ENGLEWOOD Empowering Community
Grow Greater Englewood (GGE) is a nonprofit organization that cultivates and supports urban farming, fresh food access, and economic development within its namesake neighborhood, located on the South Side of Chicago. Its co-founder and lead steward, Anton Seals, Jr. , is now bringing his passion for community engagement and sustainability to TPL as an influential and proactive member of our National Board of Directors. Due in no small part to Anton’s visionary leadership and collaborative spirit, GGE and TPL are making profound strides in transforming Englewood into a greener, more resilient, and more equitable community.
Deeply dedicated to championing community-driven initiatives and committed to effecting positive change in an area burdened by a history of systemic neglect and disinvestment, Anton co-founded GGE to tackle food deserts, foster economic opportunities, and connect residents to the outdoors. He advocates for policies and projects that merge urban planning with environmental conservation, emphasizing the critical role green spaces play in communities’ health, happiness, and well-being. GGE collaborates with local businesses, organizations, and farmers to reclaim and repurpose urban land for productive use. Their work dovetails seamlessly with our Chicago Infrastructure Reuse Network’s efforts to transform neglected public spaces into inclusive, sustainable, community-centered parks, gardens, and trails.
Under Anton’s leadership, GGE has successfully converted vacant lots into community gardens, established farmers’ markets that provide locally sourced produce, and—with participation from TPL—formed a community steering committee to help shape the future Englewood Nature
Trail, an elevated green corridor that will take the place of a century-old abandoned railway. They are currently working to transform Englewood into a thriving Agro-Eco District centered on sustainable urban agriculture, environmental stewardship, and the advancement of Black and brown local farmers.
“Grow Greater Englewood isn’t just about gardening or farming,” says Anton. “It’s about transforming lives, inspiring hope, and igniting a sense of purpose and pride within our community.” Together with Anton and GGE, we are excited to continue planting the seeds for a more resilient Englewood—a thriving neighborhood where ecological, social, and economic health are harmonized through thoughtful land use and community empowerment.
What we are doing in Englewood is right in line with what TPL does: promoting the stewardship of natural resources and community ownership of projects. When doing this work, you need a partner who is a co-conspirator, who knows when to listen and when to share insights and wisdom.”
Anton Seals, Jr., TPL National Board Member and Grow Greater Englewood Co-Founder
PHOTO BY EDWARD YU
Black History and Culture
Through our Black History and Culture (BHAC) initiative, TPL is committed to revitalizing culturally meaningful places in Chicago and beyond that reflect and celebrate the history of Black life in America. In Chicago, we are helping to bring attention to important public landmarks like those connected to the Illinois Black Panther Party, create a new public greenway that will honor the environmental movement at Altgeld Gardens, and reinvigorate the Major Taylor Trail. These projects, championed by local neighborhood leaders, celebrate Black heritage in profound and lasting ways, helping to build a vibrant future while honoring the legacies of the past.
ALTGELD GARDENS: THE HAZEL JOHNSON MEMORIAL GREENWAY
Altgeld Gardens was originally built in 1945 as a home for Black war industry workers and their families. Due to racist environmental policies, the neighborhood was built over a former industrial waste dump and sat in the center of a vast ring of polluters. When her neighbors began experiencing unusually high rates of health issues, resident Hazel Johnson—known today as the mother of the environmental justice movement—rose up and fought to change these policies by petitioning, protesting, and holding policymakers accountable to create a healthier community. Today, TPL is supporting
People for Community Recovery, led by Hazel Johnson’s daughter Cheryl Johnson, in creating the Hazel Johnson Memorial Greenway. In addition to climate, health, and public transportation benefits, the greenway will provide exceptional green space for play, respite, and learning about Hazel Johnson’s legacy as a tireless advocate for a greener, healthier future.
BLACK PANTHER PARTY ILLINOIS HERITAGE TRAIL
Last December, the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, marking the party’s first official recognition from the U.S. government. The Black Panther Party Heritage Trail initiative is dedicated to preserving the rich and influential past of the BPP’s Illinois chapter, celebrating significant cultural sites in Chicago and beyond that were long ago demolished and at risk of being erased from history. TPL is proud to be partnering with the BPP in developing the trail as well as creating the Mark Clark Memorial Park in Peoria in honor of its namesake, Mark Clark, a prominent Black activist who was killed during a police raid in 1969. By preserving and highlighting these landmarks, the trail will draw attention to the nuanced struggles and triumphs of Black Americans, ensuring their stories, contributions, and legacies are forever etched into the fabric of communities throughout Illinois.
PHOTO BY CHRIS BENNETT
The Major Taylor Trail
The Major Taylor Trail—named after celebrated cyclist and civil rights advocate Marshall “Major” Taylor, who in 1899 became the first African American world champion in cycling—spans 8.6 miles through the South Side of Chicago and nearby suburbs, linking diverse neighborhoods from 82nd Street to the Little Calumet River, and providing a vital green recreation and transportation corridor. Working with our partners at Friends of Major Taylor Trail and the Major Taylor Trail Keepers, TPL is coordinating efforts to breathe new life into the trail. Planned enhancements include a rain garden to mitigate flooding and an art installation honoring the legacy of Major Taylor, making the trail a more inviting, vibrant, and resilient space for everyone to enjoy.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Join us as we create, protect, and activate public spaces of historical and cultural significance to Black communities throughout Chicago.
COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Brenda Dixon
Dr. Brenda M. Dixon is a passionate community organizer, educator, member of our Chicago Infrastructure Reuse Network, and founder of the Major Taylor Trail Keepers Chicago (MTTKC), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the well-being of neighborhoods on Chicago’s South Side. We recently asked Brenda about her personal connection to the Major Taylor Trail and what inspired her to form MTTKC:
This is my home. I was born and raised here, and I grew up in the Major Taylor Trail community. The trail is one of the city’s first rails-to-trails conversions. When I was a little girl, the railroad tracks were abandoned and neglected. I remember when the trail was installed, and I realized that literally all they did was rip up the tracks and put down pavement. There were no amenities, nothing you would typically see on a trail—not even a bench, or a water fountain. I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t even a place to sit on a trail that’s 8.6 miles long. So it kind of hit a nerve with me, and I was like, I’m going to do everything in my power to say, “No, you will make this trail right.”
Community partners like TPL play a pivotal role in helping us to advocate for green spaces like the Major Taylor Trail. In MTTKC’s first few years, our primary focus was just getting the Chicago Park District to mow the grass and cut back the overgrowth, because the only thing you could do on the trail was walk. You couldn’t ride a bike because of the overgrowth. Now, we have a great relationship with the Chicago Park District. They keep our trail immaculate.
Let me tell you about my community—you build it, and we will come. You build it, we will respect it. We will honor it. We will cherish it and we will value it. I say that with great pride.
PHOTO BY CARLOS MAGANA
equity,
climate
CHICAGO ADVISORY BOARD
Kyle Barnett , Co-Chair
Solomon Barnett , Optiver, Co-Chair
Steve Baird , Baird and Warner
Jonathan Berger, Ashler Capital
Randy Fink , Invenergy
tpl.org/donate/il
Kenneth Gilkes, Jr. , ITAV Development
Trupti Guzraty
Kenneth Kaufman , Kaufman Hall
James Mann , Retired, Non-Profit Executive & Attorney
Jon Goff Great Lakes Region Director of Philanthropy jon.goff@tpl.org
Todd Meyer, Principal Planning, Design & Real Estate Advisory Consultant
Maulik Vaishnav