Chicago Park District

Last updated
Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District.png
Agency overview
FormedConsolidated in 1934
Predecessors founded in 1869
Jurisdiction Government of Chicago
Headquarters4830 S. Western Ave
Chicago, Illinois
Annual budget$385 million
Agency executive
  • General Superintendent, Rosa Escareño
Website chicagoparkdistrict.com
A footpath in Portage Park Portage Park Chicago Trail.JPG
A footpath in Portage Park

The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, 10 boat docking harbors, two botanic conservatories, a zoo, and 11 museums, along with one stadium. The Chicago Park District also has more than over 230 field houses, 78 public pools, and dozens of sports and recreational facilities, with year-round programming. It also owns and operates the lakefront stadium, Soldier Field, which the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire FC lease. The district is an independent taxing authority as defined by Illinois State Statute and is considered a separate (or "sister") agency of the City of Chicago. [1] The district's headquarters are located in the Brighton Park neighborhood.

Contents

Jurisdiction

The riverfront pavilion in Ping Tom Memorial Park Parkpagoda.jpg
The riverfront pavilion in Ping Tom Memorial Park

The Chicago Park District oversees more than 600 parks with over 8,800 acres (3,600 ha) of municipal parkland as well as 27 beaches, 78 pools, 11 museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons and 10 bird and wildlife gardens that are found within the city limits. [2] A number of these are tourist destinations, most notably Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest park which has over 20 million visitors each year, second only to Central Park in New York City. [3] With 10 lakefront harbors located within a number of parks along the lakefront, the Chicago Park District is also the nation's largest municipal harbor system.

A number of Chicago Park District parks are located in the vicinity of or even adjacent to a number of Chicago Public Schools. This design was done in order to make it easier for public school students and faculty to incorporate school assignments or physical activities into the learning experience. Additionally, a number of Chicago Public Library locations are sited within Chicago Park District facilities.

The Chicago Park District is governed by a board of seven (7) non-salaried Commissioners who are appointed by the Mayor of the City of Chicago with the approval of the Chicago City Council. [4]

Notable parks

History

In the 1860s, Chicago already had about 40 small parks, but no central plan, and it fell far short when compared to other major cities in the country. Lincoln Park was Chicago's first large park, created in 1860. Dr. John H. Rauch MD, who was a member of the Chicago Board of Health and later a president of the Illinois State Board of Health, played a key role in establishing Lincoln Park by persuading city officials to close several festering cemeteries filled with shallow graves of victims of infectious epidemics. Rauch next formulated a central plan for parks across the entire city, noting that they were "the lungs of the city", and pointing out that Chicago's parks were inferior to those in New York's Central Park, Baltimore's Druid Hill Park, and Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. His influence was key in setting up Chicago's modern park system. [5]

The current Chicago Park District was created in 1934 by the Illinois Legislature under the Park Consolidation Act (70 ILCS 1505 et seq). [6] By provisions of that act, the Chicago Park District consolidated and superseded the then-existing 22 separate park districts in Chicago, the largest three of which were the Lincoln Park, West Park, and South Park Districts, all of which had been established in 1869. In the late 1960s, the district lent its support for a Special Olympics for developmental challenged children. The Park District co-sponsored the first Special Olympics at Soldier Field in 1968. [7]

In the past several years, the Park District has initiated a program of renovating and beautifying existing parks and playgrounds, as well as initiating the building of a number of new parks, including Ping Tom Memorial Park, Ellis Park, DuSable Park, Maggie Daley Park and others. The Chicago Park District has also expanded programming in neighborhood parks throughout the city, and created a lakefront concert venue on Northerly Island on the site of the former Meigs Field airport. In 2014, the district won the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Parks and Recreation. [8]

Museums in the Park

Park District land hosts 11 museums in locations around the city. They are:

In addition, the district's parks host the free admission Lincoln Park zoological park, [10] the Garfield Park Conservatory, [11] and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. [12]

Government

The Chicago Park District's seven Commissioners govern the district. Under the Chicago Park District code, the Commissioners have a fiduciary duty to act, vote on all matters, and govern the Park District in the best interest of the Park District. [13] The Commissioners appoint the General Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer. On May 11, 2022, Rosa Escareño was appointed to the position. [14]

Lifeguard Service

The Chicago Lifeguard Service, or the Chicago Park District Beaches and Pools Unit, employs over 1000 as aquatics staff during the summer and 300 year round to protect the lives of patrons. Lifeguards are stationed at 23 beaches on Lake Michigan plus one inland beach, as well as, 26 indoor and 51 outdoor pools at city parks and 15 pools in public schools. [15] The Service is the largest municipal lifeguard force in the world and is regularly observed by representatives from Japan, Australia, Ireland, Germany, California, Florida and other locales. The Service also covers more waterfront than any other individual lifeguard force in the world; Chicago beaches cover over 26 miles of the lakefront. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Park (Chicago)</span> United States historic place

Garfield Park is a 184-acre (0.74 km2) urban park located in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. It was designed as a pleasure ground by William LeBaron Jenney in the 1870s and is the oldest of the three original parks developed by the West Side parks commission on the Chicago park and boulevard plan. It is home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest plant conservatories in the United States. It is also the park furthest west in the Chicago park and boulevard system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Park, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Lincoln Park is a designated community area on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is located west of Lincoln Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Park (Chicago)</span> Public park in Chicago, Illinois

Jackson Park is a 551.5-acre (223.2 ha) park located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was designed in 1871 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, then greatly remodeled in 1893 to serve as the site of the World's Columbian Exposition, making it one of the largest and most historically significant parks in the city. Some features attest to the legacy of the fair, including a Japanese garden, the Statue of TheRepublic, and the Museum of Science and Industry. As part of the Woodlawn community area, it extends along Lake Michigan and also borders the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and South Shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgewater, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Edgewater is a lakefront community area on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois six miles north of the Loop. The most recently established of the city's 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches that residents enjoy during the late spring, summer, and early autumn. Chicago's largest park, Lincoln Park, stretches south from Edgewater for seven miles along the waterfront, almost to downtown. Historically, Edgewater was the northeastern corner of Lake View Township, an independent suburb annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. Today, the Uptown community is to Edgewater's south, Lincoln Square to its west, West Ridge to its northwest and Rogers Park to its north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Park</span> Public park in Chicago, Illinois

Lincoln Park is a 1,208-acre (489-hectare) park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue, on the south, to near Ardmore Avenue on the north, just north of the DuSable Lake Shore Drive terminus at Hollywood Avenue. Two museums and a zoo are located in the oldest part of the park between North Avenue and Diversey Parkway in the eponymous neighborhood. Further to the north, the park is characterized by parkland, beaches, recreational areas, nature reserves, and harbors. To the south, there is a more narrow strip of beaches east of Lake Shore Drive, almost to downtown. With 20 million visitors per year, Lincoln Park is the second-most-visited city park in the United States, behind Central Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northerly Island</span> Human-made peninsula and park along Chicagos Lake Michigan lakefront

Northerly Island is a 119-acre (48 ha) human-made peninsula and park located on Chicago's Lake Michigan lakefront. Originally constructed in 1925, Northerly Island was the former site of the Century of Progress world's fair and later Meigs Field airport and, since Meigs Field's closure, has been a recreational area part of Chicago's Museum Campus. It is the site of the Adler Planetarium, the Huntington Bank Pavilion, the Northerly Island Natural Area, the 12th Street Beach and numerous art installations. Per its name, Northerly Island was constructed as an island, but is connected to the lakefront by a causeway at the northern end carrying Solidarity Drive to the planetarium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks in Chicago</span>

Parks in Chicago include open spaces and facilities, developed and managed by the Chicago Park District. The City of Chicago devotes 8.5% of its total land acreage to parkland, which ranked it 13th among high-density population cities in the United States in 2012. Since the 1830s, the official motto of Chicago has been Urbs in horto, Latin for "City in a garden" for its commitment to parkland. In addition to serving residents, a number of these parks also double as tourist destinations, most notably Lincoln Park, Chicago's largest park, visited by over 20 million people each year, is one of the most visited parks in the United States. Notable architects, artists and landscape architects have contributed to the 570 parks, including Daniel Burnham, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jens Jensen, Dwight Perkins, Frank Gehry, and Lorado Taft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Park Conservatory</span>

The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a conservatory and botanical garden in Lincoln Park in Chicago, Illinois. The conservatory is located at 2391 North Stockton Drive just south of Fullerton Avenue, west of Lake Shore Drive, and part of the Lincoln Park, Chicago community area. The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool and the North Pond Nature Sanctuary are further to the north along Stockton Drive. Along with the Garfield Park Conservatory on Chicago's west side, the Lincoln Park Conservatory provides significant horticultural collections, educational programs and community outreach efforts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Park (Chicago park)</span> Public park in Chicago, Illinois

Washington Park is a 372-acre (1.5 km2) park between Cottage Grove Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, located at 5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr. in the Washington Park community area on the South Side of Chicago. It was named for President George Washington in 1880. Washington Park is the largest of four Chicago Park District parks named after persons surnamed Washington. Located in the park is the DuSable Museum of African American History. This park was the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic swimming venue for Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Washington Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Station, Chicago</span> Neighborhood in Chicago, United States

Central Station is a residential development project in the South Loop section of Chicago, Illinois. Originally planned as a 69 acres (28 ha) development, it was later expanded to 72 acres (29 ha), and is now 80 acres (32 ha). Being planned by the city government, it encompasses the former rail yards and air space rights east of Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and 18th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnham Park (Chicago)</span> Urban park

Burnham Park is a public park located in Chicago, Illinois. Situated along 6 miles (9.7 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline, the park connects Grant Park at 14th Street to Jackson Park at 56th Street. The 598 acres (242 ha) of parkland is owned and managed by Chicago Park District. It was named for urban planner and architect Daniel Burnham in 1927. Burnham was one of the designers of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglass Park</span> Park in Illinois, United States

Douglass Park, formerly Douglas Park, is a part of the Chicago Park District on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1869 and initially named South Park, its 173 acres (0.70 km2) are in the North Lawndale community area with an official address of 1401 S. Sacramento Drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool</span> United States historic place

The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool, also known as Lincoln Park Lily Pool, is an important example of Prairie School landscape architecture designed by Alfred Caldwell and located at 125 W. Fullerton Parkway in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. Developed in 1936-38, it is one of Caldwell's most fully realized designs. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on November 6, 2002. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark on February 17, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Side, Chicago</span> Area of the city of Chicago, Illinois, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Park Conservatory</span> Greenhouse conservatory in Chicago, US

Garfield Park Conservatory, located in Garfield Park in Chicago, is one of the largest greenhouse conservatories in the United States. Often referred to as "landscape art under glass", the Garfield Park Conservatory occupies approximately 4.5 acres (18,000 m2) inside and out and contains a number of permanent plant exhibits incorporating specimens from around the world, including some cycads that are over 200 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Lakefront Trail</span> Shared-use path in Chicago, Illinois, US

The Chicago Lakefront Trail (LFT) is a 18.5-mile-long (29.8 km) partial shared-use path for walking, jogging, skateboarding, and cycling, located along the western shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. The trail passes through and connects Chicago's four major lakefront parks along with various beaches and recreational amenities. It also serves as a route for bicycle, skateboard and personal transporter commuters. On busy summer days 70,000 people use the trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Side, Chicago</span> District in Illinois, United States

The West Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. The other two sections within Chicago that associate with the West Side are the North Side and the South Side. The West Side consists of communities that are of historical, cultural, and ideological importance to the history and development of Chicago. On the flag of Chicago, the West Side is represented by the central white stripe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berger Park</span> United States historic place

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References

  1. Chicago Park District. "General Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer". chicagoparkdistrict.com. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  2. "About the Chicago Park District". Chicago Park District. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. "City Park Facts". The Trust for Public Land, Center for City Park Excellence. June 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2006-07-19.
  4. "About the Board of Commissioners | Chicago Park District".
  5. William K. Beatty (1991) "John H. Rauch - Public Health, Parks, and Politics" Proceedings of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago Vol. 44 pp. 97-118
  6. "70 ILCS 1505/ Chicago Park District Act".
  7. "Flashback: 50 Years of Special Olympics". Chicago Tribune. July 15, 2018. Section 1; p. 23.
  8. "Chicago Park District Wins Gold Medal Award from National Parks Groups". DNAinfo Chicago. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  9. "Museums In the Park: About Us". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-05-27.
  10. "Lincoln Park Zoo". Chicago Park District. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  11. "Garfield Park Conservatory – Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance". garfieldconservatory.org. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  12. "Lincoln Park Conservancy - Conservatory & Gardens". lincolnparkconservancy.org. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  13. "Chicago Park District Code | Chicago Park District".
  14. "Chicago Park District Board appoints Rosa Escareño as permanent CEO". 11 May 2022.
  15. "Chicago Park District - Aquatics". Chicago Park District. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  16. "Chicago Beaches | Home". cpdbeaches.com. Retrieved 30 August 2017.