Hip to be (Linden) Square

Urban planning is the development of comprehensive designs for the use of space within cities, towns, and developments. “It focuses on the physical form, economic functions, and social impacts of the urban environment and on the location of different activities within it” (Fainstein). It aims to develop open land and revitalize existing parts of a city. For this Action Project, we were instructed to focus on renewing and revitalizing a small, urban area - in my case, the Village of Wilmette’s Linden Square. I chose this area because, not only is it just down the street from where I live, it is the location of the Linden CTA Purple Line, which I ride frequently. Using what I have learned about greenscapes, pedestrian needs, public transportation, traffic, parking, commercial and residential buildings, and amenities, I improved the existing area for both residents and commuters, alike. I attempted to create a safer, more comfortable, and inviting space, while capitalizing on the proximity of the CTA Purple Line Station. As a visualization of my thoughts, I made a 3D model of the space, redesigned, in Minecraft. I hope you enjoy!

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Google Maps

Linden Square is located on Linden Avenue and 4th Street in East Wilmette. It is a small business and shopping district marked by the end of the CTA Purple Line. The "L" came to Wilmette 108 years ago in a way no one anticipated. In 1908, a north side train line from downtown Chicago to Evanston was built. There were plans to, eventually, extend the line to Wilmette - a popular weekend and summer destination for Chicago city dwellers (“History of Wilmette”). Extending the line was, originally, opposed by the Wilmette Village Board of Trustees. They believed a cheap train from Chicago would bring in too many day tourists from the city. In a bold move, "L" service to Wilmette came to town on the night of April Fool's Day, 1912. Workmen extended the track, without permission, and built a 40-foot platform and ticket-seller's booth while Wilmette residents slept. The next morning, Wilmette woke to a transit system ready to take them to Chicago (Chang).

About 5 years ago, Linden Square was home to a little grocery store, comic book shop, hardware store, and popular breakfast spot. Unfortunately, the family that owns a majority of the buildings in Linden Square, the Ricketts, increased rent, which drove out many of these small, family-owned businesses. The Ricketts, most famously, own the Chicago Cubs. Now, it seems the only businesses thriving in Linden Square are big money makers - a popular orthodontist, dentist, dance studio, driving school, personal training studio, dry cleaner, dermatologist, pizza parlor, children’s acting studio, tiny coffee shop, coding school, and car service center.

Google Maps: Blue = strengths, Red = weaknesses

Linden Square has many strengths. The buildings are all architecturally unique. The main draw is the CTA station, but it also houses the variety of essential services and businesses mentioned above. Many people choose to live near Linden Square for it’s suburban surroundings, proximity to the lake, Wilmette Harbor, and Baha’i Temple, and accessibility to public transportation. There is a large park with play structures, tennis courts, a basketball court, and a wide-open green space behind the CTA station. The park area was not included in my plan because it does not need revitalizing. 

Linden Square is just down the street from my home. Unfortunately, my desire to walk there in my free time ended when all of the cool, small businesses closed. Since I commute to school via the Purple Line, I have several ideas about how the space could be better organized to please residents AND visitors. The charming history of Linden Square, described above, influenced my urge to redesign the area.

Inspiration for my design was taken from the Ozark Main Street Program - a revitalization strategy used in over 1,200 cities and 40 states. The program encourages imaginative use of business resources to support local downtown and neighborhood district revitalization, developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center. The Main Street approach is based on four points:

1) ORGANIZATION: Works with public and private sector community leaders to develop consensus and cooperation.

2) PROMOTION: Creates a positive image of downtown as a destination through marketing and special events.

3) DESIGN: Works to improve the physical appearance of buildings, structures, and public areas.

4) ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING: Finds ways to fulfill the area’s broadest market potential (“Main Street Ozark”).

More inspiration came from Daniel Burnham, who was an architect, urban designer, and the mastermind behind the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Burnham created a city within a city for the World’s Fair. Every detail was carefully thought through. It was a welcoming and exciting space that invited people to stroll through gardens, view exhibits, and enjoy the overall feeling of the environment. More importantly, he hired Federick Law Olmsted, creator of New York’s Central Park, to design the landscape architecture (Larson).

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LINDEN SQUARE ZONING:
ARTICLE 30-9. - COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS - Sec. 30-9.1.
(b) Purpose of the NR-1 Linden Square Neighborhood Business District. The NR-1 Linden Square District is centered at the intersection of Linden Avenue and 4th Street to promote commercial and multi-family housing primarily for the benefit of district residents and the surrounding neighborhood, in a small-scale, mixed-use neighborhood environment. The development standards and range of allowable uses are designed to maintain a relatively small-scale, pedestrian-oriented environment that capitalizes on the synergies with the public transportation and tourist activities afforded by the Linden CTA Station, Baha'i House of Worship, and Wilmette Harbor (“Municode: Wilmette, IL”).

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ISSUES 1 + 2: NARROW SIDEWALKS + LACK OF PUBLIC SEATING
The sidewalks in Linden Square are narrow, making it difficult to walk in pairs and pass on-coming pedestrians without having to stop or move aside. One cause for this issue are trees which are planted towards the center of the walkways. Since the CTA station is utilized by so many, this makes rush hour travel times frustrating, not to mention large groups waiting to go downtown for a CUBS game or festival. In addition, there are only a couple of public benches available throughout the area for those who need rest.

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SOLUTION:
Peter Calthorpe once said, “Walk. There's no great city that you don't enjoy walking in. You don't go there. The places you go on vacation are places you can walk. Why not make it everywhere?” He also pointed out that our biggest carbon emission comes from cars. Linden Square needs pedestrian-friendly streets with wider sidewalks. Enhancing the quality of the sidewalks will attract more pedestrians and help create an enjoyable space where people will want to walk and spend their time. Sidewalks are made up of three zones: the free zone, the service zone, and the transition zone (Santos). The free zone is where people actually walk. The service zone is where benches and trashcans are located. The transition zone gives pedestrians access to the buildings. In order to design appropriately sized sidewalks, it is important to keep these 3 zones in mind. Majora Carter, an activist and founder of Sustainable South Bronx, recommends more parks, green roofs, and greenways in urban planning, so the trees will be moved into dedicated spaces in the service zone, along with additional public benches (“Majora Carter on Creating Green Community Infrastructure”). Also, more planters will be placed near building doors in the transition zone, giving more space for pedestrians in the free zone.

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ISSUES 3 + 4: TRAFFIC + PARKING
The orthodontist, dance studio, coding school, and acting studio produce periods of dangerous traffic situations during popular pick-up and drop-off times. Parents often double park in front of these businesses, creating long lines of vehicles that thru traffic needs to skirt around, including large PACE buses. In the winter season, when it gets darker earlier, parents are seen darting across the street to their cars with little children. Parking is also an issue because there are residents in nearby apartment buildings who are competing for the same parking spaces as visiting customers.

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SOLUTION:
I propose to remove the existing dance studio and move it next door by combining the digital coding school and driving school. The digital coding and driving schools will move above the personal training studio and dog wash. I will call this renewed building “The Galleria.” The children’s acting studio will be built above the dance studio, and the old dance school will be taken down to become public parking spaces. By keeping the dance studio and children’s acting studio together, the parking lot will be a safer space for child pick-up and drop-off. It will also lessen traffic issues by eliminating the need to double park on the street.

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PROJECT CHALLENGE: Originally, I had trouble figuring out where to move the coding school, acting studio, and driving school. I ran out of empty storefronts to fill that would make sense with the flow of the area. Finally, it came to me - build up! By adding a second floor to two of the existing buildings, I was able to create the much needed parking spaces. Also, the patio and storefronts add an element of charm the area, which it currently lacks.

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ISSUES 5 + 6: EMPTY STOREFRONTS + LACK OF CONVENIENCE
Alchemy is a tiny coffee shop with no indoor seating. It is said to have the best coffee and scones in town, but it is located one block west of the CTA and, often, has a line. This makes it difficult for commuters to grab a quick cup of coffee if they’re in a hurry. Most of the people who frequent the coffee shop are coming from the west. It is too far out of the way for residents who live north, south, or east of the station. Also, it doesn’t allow for people to comfortably gather. Another thing Linden Square lacks is a convenience store for commuters to grab a bottle of water, snack, or morning paper. The area also lacks engaging, small businesses that produce an inviting and social atmosphere. Many people use the establishments in Linden Square out of necessity, instead of leisure - orthodontist, dry cleaner, child’s dance class, etc. The area lacks character and convenience.

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SOLUTION:
Writer James Howard Kunstler believes inserting charm in urban planning helps people to see relationships among spaces and invites participation (“Book Notes: Home from Nowhere by Kunstler”). I would reconfigure the old, empty bank into a large coffee shop that can accommodate more customers. It will have indoor and outdoor seating, as well as free WIFI. This would be a place for commuters to get morning coffee, a quick bite, or have a meeting. Parents could drop their kids at the dance studio, orthodontist, or driving school and use this space as a relaxing waiting area.

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The old Wilmette Chamber of Commerce is just outside of the CTA station. This building has been empty for years. I propose that we move any historical artifacts from the Chamber of Commerce into the Wilmette History Museum or Village Hall across town, and turn this space into a convenience store/newspaper stand for residents and commuters. It would sell cold drinks, magazines, newspapers, gum, candy, chips, etc.

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The building that, originally, housed the children’s acting studio (now located above the dance studio) will become a neighborhood restaurant/bar with indoor/outdoor seating. It will be a place people can meet after work for happy hour or before heading downtown for a CUBS game. On the weekends, families would grab lunch or dinner, stimulating the weekend business economy.

An empty storefront remains on 4th, next to the spa. My hope for this space would be a locally sourced gift shop or ice cream parlor.

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SDG 11: Target 6.11
SDG 11 is to “make cities and human settlements safe, resilient, and sustainable.” Target 6.11 states: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management (“Goal 11”).” Peter Calthorpe recommends we clean the air in order to address health care. We can shape cities into carbon neutral spaces if we add more green spaces. Keeping Majora Carter in mind, green roofs were added to three of the buildings. Public benefits to green roofs include improved aesthetics, water diversion, storm water management, and improved air quality. In the summer, green roofs can retain 70-90% of the precipitation that falls on them. In the winter, they can retain between 25-40% of precipitation. This helps reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and also delays the time at which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased stress on sewer systems (“Green Roofs”).

Private benefits of green roofs include energy efficiency, fire retardation, and noise reduction. The insulation green roofs provide can reduce the amount of energy needed to moderate maintain the temperature of a building. A study published by the National Research Council of Canada found that green roofs reduce the daily energy demand for air conditioning in the summer by over 75% (Liu 2003). Green roofs are also excellent at reducing low frequency sounds. It can reduce sound from outside by 40 decibels (“Green Roofs”).

SDG 11: Target 7.11
SDG Target 7.11 states: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities (“Goal 11”).” I believe the inclusion of additional public benches, wider sidewalks, safer pick-up and drop-off areas, and increased greenscape meets this requirement. As noted earlier, there is a large, open, and well-equipped park behind the CTA station that is not included in my revitalization effort due to its recent renewal.

CALCULATIONS:
To assess the scale of the buildings, these are the calculations for the area of Linden Square and the volume for two of the buildings.

Google Maps

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CONCLUSION
According to the United Nations-sponsored World Commission on Environment and Development in Our Common Future, sustainability in urban planning refers to “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Fainstein). In conclusion, the Village of Wilmette’s Linden Square would be revitalized into a thriving local destination, allowing for future growth and opportunity. In addition to the CTA station, studios, schools, and essential businesses, the plan for Linden Square would offer residents and commuters a safer, more convenient, and comfortable space. The green roofs and extra greenscape would provide aesthetic and environmental benefits. Wider sidewalks and added benches would invite pedestrians to stroll and linger - interacting with the space, as well as each other. The new public parking spaces would ease congestion and reduce the risk of traffic accidents in front of the dance and acting studios. The larger coffee shop and restaurant would encourage residents and commuters to gather, work, and enjoy themselves. People would begin to think of Linden Square not as a business district, but as a destination. In Peter Calthorpe’s TED Talk, 7 Principles For Building a Better City, he states, “ If we don't get that right, I'm not sure all the climate solutions in the world will save mankind, because so much depends on how we shape our cities: not just environmental impacts, but our social well-being, our economic vitality, our sense of community and connectedness.”

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CITATIONS

“Book Notes: Home from Nowhere by Kunstler.” December Communications, Inc., 7 June 2020, www.december.com/places/people/kunstler1996.html.

Chang, Chi-an. “Wilmette Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Linden ‘L.’” Wilmette-Kenilworth, IL Patch, Patch, 23 Apr. 2012, patch.com/illinois/wilmette/wilmette-celebrates-100th-anniversary-of-linden-l.

Fainstein, Susan S. “Urban Planning.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2 Apr. 2020, www.britannica.com/topic/urban-planning.

“Goal 11 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.” United Nations, United Nations, 7 June 2020, sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg11.

“Green Roofs.” Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, 7 June 2020, greenroofs.org/about-green-roofs.

“History of Wilmette.” History of Wilmette | Wilmette Historical Museum, 7 June 2020, www.wilmettehistory.org/history-wilmette.

Larson, Erik. The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America. New York : Crown Publishers, 2003. Print.

“Main Street Ozark.” Main Street Ozark, 7 June 2020, www.mainstreetozark.com/.

“Majora Carter on Creating Green Community Infrastructure.” Latest News, 7 June 2020, www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/majora-carter-creating-green-community-infrastructure/8021/.

“Municode: Wilmette, IL.” Municode Library, 7 June 2020, library.municode.com/il/wilmette/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APXAZOOR_ART30-9COZODI.

Santos, Paula Manoela dos. “The 8 Principles of the Sidewalk: Building More Active Cities:  .” TheCityFix, 18 Dec. 2018, thecityfix.com/blog/the-eight-principles-of-the-sidewalk-building-more-active-cities-paula-santos/.