C40 Reinventing Cities
(East Garfield Park)

The primary objective of C40 Reinventing Cities project in East Garfield Park is to make Chicago a new type of world-class city based on strong, healthy, and sustainable neighborhoods. "The two city-owned lots on 5th Avenue and Kedzie demonstrate how thoughtful investment can support historically under-resourced neighborhoods without displacing existing residents, buildings, or cultural identity. Truly sustainable communities are built when people, structures, and culture are allowed to evolve and flourish together, rather than being routinely replaced. Our approach is to strengthen, grow, and enhance what is already there.

This new eco-district will demonstrate the social, economic, and environmental feasibility of developing vacant lots. The goal of this master plan is to implement a process and a project in such a way that it gives future developers and investors ideas and a roadmap to follow when redeveloping the numerous vacant lots in Chicago’s communities. The objective is not only to create zero impact structures but also to reinvest in cities and neighborhoods to enable them to thrive in a sustainable way. In Chicago, this will be through investing in and supporting neighborhoods as the backbone of our city.