“A Link to The Past, a Bridge to The Future”

-Bernard Loyd, Founder & President

Urban Juncture

BRONZEVILLE

Photo Source: https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-forum-bringing-economic-and-cultural-revitalization-to-chicago

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Midterm Findings

Introduction

Refining Vision, Goals, Strategies, and Metrics

Developing Alternatives

Recommendations and Implementation

Commercial Corridor

Evaluating Alternatives

Conclusions

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INTRODUCTION

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Photo Source: Invest South/West Kickoff Report

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Introduction

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Our Project and Community

• External planners from University of Illinois at Chicago
• Evaluating ongoing and past planning efforts, focusing on the Invest South/West and Build Bronzeville initiatives
• Prioritizing community identified issues

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Bronzeville Communities

Bronzeville Commercial Corridor

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Native Origins and

Land Acknowledgement

• Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo)
• Peoria
• Očhéthi Šakówiŋ
• Myaamia
• Kaskaskia

• Cession 78
• Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi)
• Odawa
• Ojibwe

Source: https://native-land.ca/

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Bronzeville Historical Timeline

Introduction

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Photo Sources: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Historical Society, Chicago Tribune, UIC, & Chicago Architecture

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Summarizing Midterm Findings

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• 2008 Bronzeville Alliance Retail Initiative

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• 2012 Developing Vibrant Retail in Bronzeville, Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)

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• 2013 Bronzeville Retail District Land Use Plan, Chicago Metropolitan Planning Agency (CMAP)

Community Input and Planning Initiatives

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Introduction

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Invest South/West

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2019 Chicago community planning initiative re-activating systemically disinvested neighborhood cores that have historically served as economic and social hubs for local residents

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• Transportation
• Mixed-Use Development
• Public Gathering Spaces
• Streetscaping

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Focus Areas:

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Sustainability

Framework

• Social
• Long-term, equitable livability
• Environmental
• Healthy community and built environment
• Economic
• Inclusive growth and success

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• Commercial Corridor
• Centralized opportunity for neighborhood growth

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Vision Building

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THE FORUM |

318-328 E. 43rd St., Chicago

THE FORUM

2022 Interior

Photo Source: Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Bernard Loyd,

Founder & President of Urban Juncture

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MIDTERM FINDINGS

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Summarizing Midterm Findings

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Community Population Trend

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Major Finding

Vacant lots

pose serious threats

of vacant land is City owned

36%

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REFINING VISION, GOALS, STRATEGIES & METRICS

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Our Vision

Our vision for the Bronzeville community plan is rooted in its historic legacy as a Black Metropolis and guided by the principles of creating a sustainable, resilient, livable community that fosters equitable growth.

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This vision of a revitalized Bronzeville includes a future under which social, economic, and environmental equity promotes a dignified life for all residents where the built and natural environments thrive in productive harmony.

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Goals

1. Prevent displacement
2. Use green space as a tool of resiliency and public health

1. Promote walkability, mobility, and access for all ages and abilities
2. Offer higher-quality support and social services

1. Support equitable, locally-oriented economic development
2. Invest in community-owned solutions

Resiliency

Livability

Equitable Growth

Strategies

Goals - Resiliency

1. Greater retention of existing population
2. Decrease number of people experiencing rent burden
3. Increase rate of homeownership

1. Increase acres of green space per capita
2. Equal distribution of quality greenspace

Prevent Displacement

Use green space as a tool of resiliency and public health

Metrics

Strategies

Photo Source: Build Bronzeville

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Goals - Livability

1. Increase public transit and bike infrastructure accessibility and safety

1. Increase medical access per capita
2. Decrease negative health stressors

Promote walkability, mobility, and access for all ages and abilities

Offer higher-quality support and social services

Metrics

Strategies

Photo Source: Block Club Chicago/Enrique Reyes

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Goals - Equitable Growth

1. Retain and increase locally-owned businesses
2. Increase access to capital
3. Increase earning potential of the local workforce

1. Create community owned vacant lots/land
2. Increase cooperatively-

owned enterprises

Support equitable, locally-oriented economic development

Invest in community-owned solutions

Metrics

Strategies

Photo Sources: Block Club Chicago

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DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVES

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With inevitable growth in Bronzeville, vacant lots are the primary issue and can contribute to smart growth

Developing Alternatives

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Developing Alternatives

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How are vacant lots impacting sustainability?

• Increased crime
• Decreased tax revenue
• Declining property values
• Decreased social life
• Environmental concerns
• Eyesore
• Prompt corridor decline

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How can we plan

for vacant lots?

Proposed Lot Alternatives

1. Status Quo
2. Dense Growth 
3. Dispersed Growth
4. Mixed Growth

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Developing Alternatives

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Developing Alternatives

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Alternative Locations Distribution

Mixed Growth

Status Quo

Dispersed Growth

Dense Growth

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EVALUATING ALTERNATIVES

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Status Quo Alternative Projections

Evaluating Alternatives

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Housing

Historic Preservation

Retail

Benefits Bronzeville

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No Effect 

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Harms Bronzeville 

Alternative Evaluation Matrix

Alternative Evaluation Matrix

Benefits Bronzeville No Effect Harms Bronzeville 

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Alternative Evaluation Matrix

Benefits Bronzeville No Effect Harms Bronzeville 

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Alternative Evaluation Matrix

Benefits Bronzeville No Effect Harms Bronzeville 

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Alternative Evaluation Matrix

Evaluating Alternatives

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• Greater Retention of Existing Population

• Increase Green Space Acreage

• Increase Transit Accessibility

Dense Growth

Dispersed Growth

• Increase Medical Access per Capita

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Evaluating Alternatives

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Alternative Evaluation Scores

Mixed Growth

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RECOMMENDATIONS & IMPLEMENTATION

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Implementation & Recommendations

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Recommendation Considerations

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What legislative changes are needed to activate vacant lots?

How can we activate vacant lots?

What is actively happening to the vacant lots?

Policy Change

Lot Activation

Built Vacant lots

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2.

3.

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Implementation and Recommendations

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Recommendations

• Update Housing Ordinance to be locally relevant
• Rehabilitation and renovation subsidies for existing buildings
• Revise grant program payment process
• Implement property tax abatement for those activating newly acquired vacant lots
• City subsidize remediation costs
• Tax cuts and zoning exceptions
• Zoning rights for small businesses

1. Policy Change

• Increase Affordable Housing to 20%

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Implementation and Recommendations

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Recommendations

2. Activating Vacant Lots

• Increase access to higher paying jobs through training programs
• Gap financing programs
• Incubator programs
• Revolving loan program
• Vacant lot trust fund
• Support for cooperatively-owned enterprises
• Increase number of business development centers
• Increase and promote active transport
• Crowd-Sourced platforms for microloans
• Local chamber of commerce delivers business counseling

• Increase transparency and knowledge of vacant lots

• Neighborhood Assessment of Green Space

• Work with Community Land Trust for development of permanent green space and affordable housing

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Implementation and Recommendations

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Recommendations

• Utilize nature-based solutions for stormwater management
• Create social plazas

3. Built Vacant Lots

• Create more medical facilities and/or health enterprise zones

• Restore crosswalks and sidewalks

• Activate 20% of vacant lots as community green spaces

• Utilize vacant lot at Kenwood Green Line stop

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Implementation

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COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR

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A Model for Vacant Lots

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Vacant Lot

4249 S. Calumet St., Chicago

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Site Selection Criteria

Transportation Hub

Site Flexibility

Building

Community Capacity

Community

Capacity

Individual

Family

Social & Economic Politics

Community Organizations

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“A Link to The Past, A Bridge to The Future”

Plaza

Outdoor

Public

The Forum

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Intervention Selection: Choosing A Plaza

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Community Supported

Economically Feasible

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Current Conditions

Proposed Rendering

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Social Impact

Environmental Impact

Economic Impact

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Commercial Corridor

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Current Conditions

Proposed Rendering

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CONCLUSIONS

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Future

“A Link to The Past, A Bridge to The Future”

-Bernard Loyd

THE FORUM

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