City Bureau — "A Neighborhood Rink in the (Co)Making"

    "As important as the rink itself is the architecture firm’s forthcoming Neighborhood Action Playbook: a booklet that documents the firm’s community engagement process in Garfield Park that could serve as a best-practices manual for those seeking to replicate their methods in other communities. Gang talked about the successes and challenges of their community engagement process."

    Read more

    A new community plaza on Madison Street that includes a roller rink and other amenities, designed by Site Design Group and constructed last summer, emerged as one immediate outcome of the Neighborhood Activation process in West Garfield Park.

    Spirit of Space

    A new community plaza on Madison Street that includes a roller rink and other amenities, designed by Site Design Group and constructed last summer, emerged as one immediate outcome of the Neighborhood Activation process in West Garfield Park.

    "A major goal of the project, and a key measure of its success, is to enable local stakeholders to develop capacity, gather resources, and set efforts in motion that fuel momentum long after the designer’s participation."

    — Jeanne Gang

    Related

    Project
    Neighborhood Activation to Increase Public Safety through Community-Empowered Design and Planning Chicago, IL, 2021
    Civic GatheringRepair
    Now

    City of Chicago Breaks Ground on Community Plaza and Roller Rink in West Garfield Park Neighborhood

    "Design has a critical role to play in uplifting communities and making our cities more equitable and resilient. Working with the people who know Garfield Park best—its residents—to imagine the future of their neighborhood has been incredibly rewarding. We're proud to help our home city of Chicago to invest in the safety and prosperity of this community." — Jeanne Gang

    Now

    WBEZ — "Garfield Park Community Plaza Aims to Reduce Gun Violence"

    "In West Garfield Park, residents are hoping a new community plaza, with a roller rink for kids and plans for family movie nights, will turn the tides."

    Listen to the whole story