Chicago, IL
Student-designed interventions at a neighborhood gateway
The Project
North Lawndale is a neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side with a long history of disinvestment. The intersection of Homan Avenue and Harrison Street is the gateway into the neighborhood, located at an off-ramp from the Interstate 290 and at a rapid transit ‘L’ train station, with a high volume of car, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. Following a 2019 community survey to identify the barriers to walkability in the area, residents and local organizations identified the intersection as the primary concern, citing high rates of speeding, crashes, low lighting, and lack of beautification. To address these concerns and improve the lives of residents in the neighborhood, the “WA|K-H: Gateway to North Lawndale” project was developed and installed by School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) professor Eric Hotchkiss along with a team of eight local high school students and teaching artist Ash Bussey, working together with the community to bridge gaps and build connections through art.
As part of the project, a parking lane was converted to the beginning of a future bike lane. Sidewalk and curb extension paintings used two motifs from nature: butterflies, representing the transition to safety, and koi fish, which speak to the spread of Asian carp from the American South to Chicago (mirroring the Great Migration) and an examination of environmental justice and “invasive” species. Plastic delineator poles (or flex posts) painted by Douglass Park Art and Community Festival attendees were added to define the new space for pedestrians and cyclists. The preparation for the mural catalyzed a full replacement of the deteriorated sidewalk, which was completed before the mural was installed. Improvements to the impediments to walking and cycling at this arterial intersection will have far-reaching implications on the accessibility and the overall health of all residents.
“The WA|K-H initiative came from a continued effort to co-design projects with and for North Lawndale residents. We’re excited to have the opportunity to extend this transformational work led by SAIC faculty with our community stakeholders and neighborhood youth.”
Paul Coffey, Vice Provost and Dean of Community Engagement, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Use the slider to see the transformation
Best Practice Highlight: Public Realm Design as an Educational Tool
Through SAIC’s Lawndale Civic Design Course and paid internships, the WA|K-H project empowered Lawndale youth to understand the skill and unique creative perspectives they bring to table from their lives in the city. What happens when their stories and perspectives have a public platform that improves their neighborhood? The eight students participated in all aspects of research and design of the final streetscape interventions. By developing and implementing solutions to real-world challenges around them, youth designers learn that their own cultural histories should be represented in public space in the community they live in. SAIC supports youth to understand the value of their own cultural capital and voice in transforming their city.
Press
West Side Pedestrians Avoid This Busy Intersection, But Public Art And Street Improvements Aim To Make It More Walkable (Block Club Chicago, October 14, 2021)
For inspiration and tips for the creation of art on roadways and public places, download the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide which features successful plaza and roadway art activations around the world, as well as key steps for developing such projects.
