Harold Washington and the Planning Tradition in Chicago

Abstract

Beginning with Daniel H. Burnham’s iconic 1909 plan, the planning tradition in Chicago emphasized the enhancement of the downtown as the key to the city’s health. Harold Washington challenged the tradition during his one-term mayoralty, as evidenced in his administration’s 1984 comprehensive plan, calling for balanced growth and increased attention to neighborhood concerns. Following Washington’s abrupt death in office, subsequent mayors quickly reverted to the more conventional approach to planning that held sway in Chicago and many other large US cities in postindustrial America.