Advocates and planners wrestle with the challenge of pairing new urban amenities with equitable development Chicago?s 606, a former industrial rail line turned linear park on the city?s near northwest side, opened in 2015 and has quickly become a part of daily life.
A car-free corridor filled with bike traffic, senior walking clubs, and arts and cultural events, the 2.7-mile trail even hosts the occasional evening stargazing event at a public observatory built into the parkway?s western edge. Miko?s, a neighborhood Italian ice stand visible from the path, has started an annual tradition of making a limited-edition flavor from berries grown on the 606.
Like the High Line, the Manhattan rails-to-trails conversion that inspired a raft of elevated pathways and industrial-to-recreational parks, the 606 has demonstrated the transformative potential of new parks. But, just like residents in the neighborhoods around New York?s High Line, Chicagoans in the areas closest to the 606?Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square?see the trail as a case study in the consequences?and cost?of this new generation of urban amenities.
Housing prices alongside the trail?s eastern half, in Bucktown and Wicker Park, which passes over a stretch of Damen Avenue lined with expensive boutiques, have long been on the rise. But like other such signature park projects across the country, like Atlanta?s Beltline or Philadelphia?s Rail Park, which opened last month, the presence of a p...