Architectural Plans

Architect Daniel Burnham created his Plan of Chicago in 1909. Pictured here is a booklet that summarizes Burnham's much more detailed plan, as well as what got successfully implemented into Chicago's infrastructure. Among some of Burnham's wishes were street widening, a circular civic center, diagonal avenues, two-level riverfront drives, and municipal piers. As Chicagoans and tourists explore downtown, they can see Wacker Drive along the Chicago River, Municipal Pier No. 2, and Northerly Island. While plans like the civic center were never implemented, Burnham's Plan of Chicago shows how some of America's best known architects saw value and promise in the growing city.