Chicago mayor talks parks: Mayor Daley opens up about park land, recreation and the importance of citizen involvement.Richard M. Daley Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party and current mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. has been Mayor of Chicago The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest metropolis in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency since April 1989. Under his leadership' more than $11 billion has been invested in capital improvements to schools, parks, mass transit mass transit, public transportation systems designed to move large numbers of passengers. Types and Advantages Mass transit refers to municipal or regional public shared transportation, such as buses, streetcars, and ferries, open to all on a , city buildings and infrastructure. He has reformed the Chicago public schools Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians, is a school district that controls over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois. , reduced crime and improved the quality of life for Chicagoans. He has accomplished this by reinvesting in the city of Chicago, including parks and recreation. Under his leadership, the city has added 120 new acres of park land, instituted a city-wide recycling plan, planted more than 400,000 trees and created an urban oasis An urban oasis is a public open space, park, or plaza which is located in between buildings or formed by surrounding buildings in an urban setting. It can exist in any kind of culture. There are various sizes of urban oases. in Millennium Park Millennium Park is a prominent civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois and an important landmark of the city's lakefront. A redeveloped section of Grant Park, the 24. . We asked the mayor to share his experiences with urban parks and recreation, and how other cities can replicate his successful Chicago model. Q: Since you took office, the city of Chicago has seen tremendous growth in park land and open space. Why do you think preserving these areas is important? Daley: Parks and open space play a big role in the quality of life of Chicago. I constantly urge residents to get involved and work in every way for a better Chicago and a healthier planet. It's a wonderful legacy to leave for future generations. Q: Millennium Park was finished in 2004, and is considered the largest public/private undertaking in the history of Chicago This article is about the history of Chicago, Illinois. Early days At the beginning of recorded history, the Chicago area was inhabited by a number of Algonquian peoples, including the Mascoutens and Miamis. . Can you tell us about the idea behind Millennium Park and how it came about? Daley: Grant Park had long been considered "Chicago's front yard" with gardens, recreational fields, Buckingham Fountain Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago landmark located at Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway in Grant Park. The fountain, which was designed by Edward H. Bennett with sculptures by Jacques Lambert and modeled after Latona Fountain at Versailles, was donated to the city by Kate and the Art Institute of Chicago Art Institute of Chicago, museum and art school, in Grant Park, facing Michigan Ave. It was incorporated in 1879; George Armour was the first president. Since 1893 the Institute has been housed in its present building, designed in the Italian Renaissance style by . However, until the creation of Millennium Park, the northern end of Grant Park had a 16-acre eyesore eye·sore n. Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view. eyesore Noun something very ugly Noun 1. of railroad tracks and makeshift parking lots. It seemed to represent the last millennium more than the current one. Today, Millennium Park is a 24.5 acre celebration of art, architecture and landscaping where Chicagoans come together in the park to enjoy jazz, classical, gospel and world music concerts, dance performances, a photography exhibition, garden tours, festivals and more. Q: How does the finished product compare with the original idea? Are you happy with the outcome? Daley: The original plan included a band shell, a theater, a reflecting pool
A reflecting pool is a structure often used in memorials. It generally consists of a shallow pool of water, usually quite calm. and landscaped walkways. It was a nice plan, but it wasn't bold enough for Chicago's business and civic leaders. In April 1999, the Pritzker Foundation agreed to donate $15 million toward this outdoor music pavilion, which now bears the family's name. To ensure it would be no ordinary band shell, they hired a famous architect, Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, CC (born Ephraim Owen Goldberg, February 28, 1929) is a Pritzker Prize winning architect based in Los Angeles, California. His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions. , to design it. Once that was announced, Chicago's donor community kept going, and the result is what we see today. Millennium Park is hailed around the world as one of the finest public spaces any city has ever developed and is regarded as one of the most ambitious and successful public/private partnerships ever undertaken. And that's a real tribute to our city and to all the people who made it happen. Since its opening in July 2004, it has become one of Chicago's most popular destinations--for both residents and tourists. In addition, the park has also already spurred the growth of businesses and residential developments in the surrounding area. Q: Why are parks like Millennium important to a city? What do urban parks give city residents? Daley: Millennium Park generates civic pride, improves the quality of life in our city and is a reflection of Chicago's love of community, affinity for the arts and tendency for making bold statements. Parks are the essential building blocks of strong neighborhoods. Cities are vibrant and exciting, but they also can be overwhelming and intimidating in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. . Trees, flowers, a small park, even a sidewalk A Microsoft service that was launched in 1997 to provide online arts and entertainment guides on the Web for major cities worldwide. In 1999, Microsoft sold Sidewalk to Ticketmaster, which continued to provide guides, ticketing and other information to the MSN network. bench can soften the rough edges of a city, calm your nerves and make you feel a little more in control of things. Q: You said this year that you are trying to make Chicago "the most environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] city in the nation." How do you plan on achieving this? Any specific projects in the works? Daley: I'm proud that Chicago has become a national leader in the environmental movement. We are setting the standard for how a big city can live in harmony with its environment. This year we will plant 4,000 trees in Chicago parks, specifically targeting areas with the lowest tree canopy coverage. In addition, we recently announced the Chicago Conservation Corps, or C3. It will be a grassroots network of volunteers who will work together on environmental projects to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods across the city. They might plant a community garden. Help neighbors with home energy audits and weatherization tips. Start a ride-sharing program. Join in a neighborhood clean-up effort. Or do any of 100 other things. Each neighborhood has its own needs, and we want the ideas to come from the people who live there. Q: How does parks and recreation improve the health of Chicago? Daley: Parks not only help the environment, but they offer beauty to the community, and give people a place to relax and enjoy themselves. It's important for residents to be committed to the health and well-being of their community. Families visit Chicago's parks to connect with nature, get to know their neighbors or to engage in sports, environmental and cultural activities. Q: From the work you've done while in office, you've made citizens stand up and take notice of parks and recreation, and they've returned to the open spaces and renewed Chicago's urban park and recreation movement. How can other cities do the same? Daley: We've shown that our commitment to the environment conserves both natural resources and taxpayer dollars. It makes city government more efficient and strengthens the economy by improving the quality of life of our neighborhoods and business districts. Parks, trees, flowers and open space play a vital role in improving the quality of life in our city. No other city the size of Chicago can boast the number of parks and green spaces. We're proud of our parks, lakefront, trees and environment in general. Mayor Daley will deliver the keynote address keynote address n. An opening address, as at a political convention, that outlines the issues to be considered. Also called keynote speech. Noun 1. at the Urban Park and Recreation Summit on May 17-18, where he will speak about what parks and recreation mean to him and the city of Chicago. |
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