The 606
Chicago, IL
The 606 was a decade in the making.
As train traffic slowed on the Bloomingdale Line in the 1990s, attention turned to how the train line might be used to increase much-needed green space. The City of Chicago brought residents together to discuss an area of particular concern' Logan Square, a neighborhood that, at the time, had the least amount of open space per capita of any in Chicago.
Despite the neighborhoods historic boulevards, Logan Square needed an additional 99 acres of active open space just to meet the Citys minimum standard. The Citys proposal to convert the Bloomingdale Line to a park was included in the 2004 Logan Square Open Space Plan, which prompted the Chicago Department of Transportation to begin applying for federal transportation funding for the project.
The Citys proposal also prompted neighbors to form Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, an organization whose vision and mission were key to creating The 606. The group created a groundswell of community support not just in Logan Square, but in the other neighborhoods surrounding the rail line: Humboldt Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park. Friends of Bloomingdale Trail was familiar with The Trust for Public Land through their work on expanding Haas Park in Logan Square, and reached out to the national non-profit to help bring together a coalition of city and civic organizations to move the rail project forward. The alliance among the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, The Trust for Public Land, and dozens of groups generated the idea for a park and trail system that would connect four Chicago neighborhoods and create innovative park space that would serve both residents and visitors.
As train traffic slowed on the Bloomingdale Line in the 1990s, attention turned to how the train line might be used to increase much-needed green space. The City of Chicago brought residents together to discuss an area of particular concern' Logan Square, a neighborhood that, at the time, had the least amount of open space per capita of any in Chicago.
Despite the neighborhoods historic boulevards, Logan Square needed an additional 99 acres of active open space just to meet the Citys minimum standard. The Citys proposal to convert the Bloomingdale Line to a park was included in the 2004 Logan Square Open Space Plan, which prompted the Chicago Department of Transportation to begin applying for federal transportation funding for the project.
The Citys proposal also prompted neighbors to form Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, an organization whose vision and mission were key to creating The 606. The group created a groundswell of community support not just in Logan Square, but in the other neighborhoods surrounding the rail line: Humboldt Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park. Friends of Bloomingdale Trail was familiar with The Trust for Public Land through their work on expanding Haas Park in Logan Square, and reached out to the national non-profit to help bring together a coalition of city and civic organizations to move the rail project forward. The alliance among the City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, The Trust for Public Land, and dozens of groups generated the idea for a park and trail system that would connect four Chicago neighborhoods and create innovative park space that would serve both residents and visitors.