Pullman United

PULLMAN UNITED 2025 URBAN EDGE STUDIO MASTER OF CITY DESIGN

PULLMAN UNITED URBAN EDGE STUDIO MASTER OF CITY DESIGN 2025

Team members

Thanh Thong Dinh Gabriela Gallegos Rich Norwood Luke Johnson Gwynn Klumpenaar

Umnia Khan Gabidel Miranda Elijah Williams Aidan Roberg

Faculty Dr. April Jackson Adjunct Professor. Vinayak Bharne

MCD TEAM TEAM

Richard Norwood

Luke Johnson

Elijah Williams

Gabriela Gallegos

Umnia Khan

Thanh Thong Dinh

Gwynn Klumpenaar

Aidan Roberg

Gabidel Miranda

FACULTY

Dr. April Jackson Associate Professor & Director of City Design, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Master of City Design

Vinayak Bharne Adjunct Professor, City Design, Department of Urban Planning and Policy Master of City Design

STUDIO TEAM

Dimitri Nesbitt Research Fellow

Symphony Malveaux Studio Manager

Zi Tang Research Fellow

Aesha Acharya Vinit Research Fellow

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS COMMUNITY PARTNERS Tracy Murray, 9th Ward Alderman Office Mike Shymanski, Historic Pullman Foundation Fylinda Wiley, Historic Pullman Empowerment Organization FUNDERS & COLLABORATORS Kristen Malecki, Center for Climate and Health Equity Yami Molina, Center for Climate and Health Equity DESIGN PARTNERS Brett Wiedl, MKSK Studios Jesse Hartman, MKSK Studios Donald Zellefrow, MKSK Studios Donald Donoghue, MKSK Studios Javier Ortiz, MKSK Studios Paul Bamson, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS Dr. Sevin Yildiz, Assistant Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, MCD Philip Enquist, FAIA, Adjunct Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, MCD Al Lawson, Rosemoor Community Association Rogelio Cadena, Revolver Studio David Doig, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Donald Higgins, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives Sara Egan, Openlands Laura Barghusen, Openlands Danielle Russell, Openlands Prayag Bagde, Lamar Johnson Collaborative Dhara Shah, MUSE Community + Design Katanya Raby, Far South Community Development Corporation Abraham Lacy, Far South Community Development Corporation Terrius Harris, National Parks Conservation Association Megan Lydon, Revolution Workshop

A COMMUNITY BASED APPROACH Pullman United is a result of the work of the Master of City Design, Fall 2025 Urban Edge design studio at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The studio is a comprehensive effort to explore what makes a prosperous, connected, and proud future for the Pullman community and Far South region. Our vision is rooted in environmental recovery, economic prosperity, and leveraging Pullman’s vibrant culture and history. This vision was co-created through direct engagement in Pullman, where concepts were converted into interventions based on community input. Pullman United arises from the voices of the people of Pullman and the Far South region. It is only with their consent, support, and insight that this plan was possible.

Sincerely, MCD Urban Edge Studio 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

Introduction ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 Overview Approach Vision Guiding Principles

02

Plan Making Process ������������������������������������������������������������������28 How We Got Here Timeline Community Engagement Plan Review

03

Community Profile �����������������������������������������������������������������������38 History Profile SWOT Analysis

04

Approaches for Pullman ������������������������������������������������������������78 Case Studies Focus Areas

05

Framework Plan ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 114 Our Vision Street Typology & Section Conceptual Design

06

Looking Forward ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 220 Implementation Placemaking Programming Policy

07

Afterword ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 248

PULLMAN UNITED

01 INTRODUCTION

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Chapter 1: Introduction

OVERVIEW The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Master of City Design Studios have been working in the Calumet region with community partners over the past year to develop plans that envision a new future forward ecological framework for the region.

The Fall 2025 Urban Edge Studio Pullman United builds upon the work of the Spring 2025 New Delta Studio and the Summer 2025 Pullman Charrette. Together, these prior studios form the Calumet Off the Grid plan, an interdisciplinary, ecological, and justice-oriented design framework developed through a National Institute of Health (NIH) funded grant in partnership with the UIC Center for Climate and Health Equity.

The Calumet Off the Grid plan centered on climate adaptation, landscape restoration, and community equity, drawing inspiration from the Calumet area’s distinctive break from Chicago’s street grid. This framework advanced the concept of a 2,000-acre public green space expansion anchored by Lake Calumet and Wolf Lake, establishing a five-part park system at Big Marsh.

As part of the grant, MCD studios have turned their focus to the neighborhoods of the Calumet region, beginning with historic Pullman.

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PULLMAN UNITED

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era to the craftsmanship of immigrant builders,

incorporated multiple feedback loops, students

to the rise of Black middle-class families shaped

co-developed design proposals with Pullman

by the Pullman Porters and leaders like A. Philip

community stakeholders, refining ideas for

Randolph. Pullman’s built environment is a living

improved connectivity to Big Marsh Park and the

record of how people shaped this community

integration of green streets as climate corridors.

and how the community shaped them right back.

This comprehensive landscape framework is rooted in environmental justice and reparative

Pullman draws people in for all kinds of reasons:

planning, creating a vision for increased green

train lovers who know its place in railroad

infrastructure, public health improvements,

history, nature and science lovers exploring

increased canopy cover and a 130-mile trail

Big Marsh and Lake Calumet, visitors tracing

network that links neighborhoods like Pullman

the African American Heritage Water Trail

to trails along the Calumet River and access

with its Underground Railroad and civil rights

to lakefront trails along the Illinois and Indiana

sites. It’s also connected to global stories, the

coasts.

Orient Express rail culture, waves of European immigrants, and the Great Migration pathways

The Fall 2025 Urban Edge Studio builds on

that still echo through families across the

the Calumet Off the Grid plan, focusing on the

country.

Pullman neighborhood, a designated National Historic District in 2015 by President Barack

Made in Pullman unifies the efforts of the

Obama. Pullman is also home to Chicago’s first

community as it has been working tirelessly

National Park. The MCD Urban Edge Studio

to bring in new green industries, workforce

was commissioned by 9th Ward Alderman’s

housing for artists, rehabilitate the historic

Office, led by Tracy Murray, Historic Pullman

sites with traditional building and design

Foundations, Mike Shymanksi, and Historic

methods, and create spaces dedicated to youth

Pullman Empowerment Organizations Fylinda

empowerment. The Pullman community has

Wiley to develop an Urban Design Framework

been doing this while facing decades of the

plan that focuses on strategies to connect North

same economic challenges that affect the entire

and South Pullman, address issues of affordable

Far South Side. That’s why this moment matters.

housing, support equitable transit oriented development and transit alternatives that

With the Obama Presidential Center opening

better connect Pullman to Big Marsh, economic

in 2026 and growing regional attention on the

development and community wealth building,

Calumet area, Pullman is positioned for a new

and building a healthy and sustainable Pullman.

chapter. This is a chance to amplify the power of the National Park, and create cultural, economic,

Made in Pullman: A Legacy for the Future

and ecological attractions that invite visitors to

When we talk about Pullman, we’re talking

experience a piece of American history that can

about a cultural treasure that carries layers

serve to remind us of what great work can be

of American history, innovation, labor rights,

accomplished when we believe in a better world.

migration stories, and pride. “Made in Pullman” isn’t just a slogan; it captures everything from the engineering breakthroughs of the railroad 13

Chapter 1: Introduction

Through a structured engagement process that

PULLMAN UNITED

Pullman United: A Restorative Justice Approach Understanding Pullman requires first understanding its geography and the distinctions embedded within it. The U.S. Census Pullman Community Area #50 extends from 95th Street on the north to 115th Street on the south, comprising three census tracts: 50-01, 50-02, and 50-03. The Pullman National Landmark District, established in 1970, covers tracts 50-02 and 50-03, generally west of the Norfolk Southern Railroad right-of-way. Chicago Landmark designation followed in two phases: the south component, with its greater concentration of individual historic buildings, was designated first, while the north component, where many residents lived in twentieth-century housing, required additional time and cultivation before receiving designation in 1993. The preservation work that made both possible began in 1968 with the Beman Committee for the Preservation of Historic Pullman, leading to State and National Landmark designations in 1969 and 1970.

The Pullman National Historic Park and State Historic Site now offers something new to both sides: a unifier. Where an industrial complex once defined and sustained the community, and where a vacant site sat as a physical barrier for half a century, there is now a place of national pride and international identity. Its historic architecture and landscape form a stage upon which the community’s many stories continue to be told.

The desires of residents on both sides remain the same: a walkable neighborhood with cafes, local entertainment, community-centered spaces, and affordable homeownership. A Pullman that is lively, connected, and reflective of its historic resilience, where people no longer need to leave to find safety, opportunity, and joy. It is within this layered geography of designations, organizations, and shared aspirations that this Urban Design Framework Plan takes shape.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

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PULLMAN UNITED

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The history of Pullman is inextricably linked

at Randolph’s 70th birthday celebration, King

to the legacy of the Pullman Porters and

shared,

the transformative leadership of A. Philip Randolph, whose work reshaped labor rights

“He has never been afraid to challenge an unjust

and laid essential groundwork for the modern

state power and speak out against the power

civil rights movement. As the first nationwide

structure. He has always had the penetrating

Black labor force, the Porters organized under

insight to dream when the time for a great idea

extraordinarily

had appeared.”

difficult

conditions,

pushing

back against exploitation, racial discrimination, and the paternalistic structures of the Pullman

The Porters’ activism became a blueprint for

Company.

later civil rights victories and 2025 marks the 100 Year Anniversary of this groundbreaking

In 1925, Randolph founded the Brotherhood of

union. Today, the A. Philip Randolph Pullman

Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the first successful,

Porter Museum preserves this legacy, being

Black-led trade union in the United States.

the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the black labor rights movement, the legacy of the

After 12 years of organizing, Randolph secured

Porters, and an archive for their stories.

recognition of the union in 1937, a landmark victory that empowered nearly 15,000 Black workers to collectively negotiate fairer wages, reasonable

hours,

and

dignified

working

conditions.

The influence of the Porters extended well beyond

labor

negotiations. Their

national

routes allowed them to discreetly circulate underground

magazines

and

newspapers,

build civic networks, and facilitate the Great Migration. Randolph expanded their impact by co-founding the Negro American Labor Council and pressing for federal action against segregation. His persistent advocacy led to President Truman’s 1948 order desegregating the armed forces, shaping the foundations of the civil rights era. Martin Luther King called A. Phillip Randolph his mentor, and while speaking

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Influence of the Porters and A. Philip Randolph: Labor Rights and the Foundations of the Civil Rights Movement

PULLMAN UNITED

George Pullman: Builder, Visionary, and the Limits of Paternalism George Mortimer Pullman was not born into

rents covering costs and returns guaranteed

wealth. He left school at fourteen, learned

to investors. Beauty and business, he insisted,

cabinetmaking as a teenager, and built his first

were not in contradiction.

fortune in an unlikely Chicago specialty: lifting

Then the Panic of 1893 hit, the worst economic

buildings. When the city undertook a massive

collapse in American history until the Great

re-engineering of its sewer system in the 1850s,

Depression. Railroad companies stopped buying

raising street grades by as much as ten feet,

new cars. By the end of 1893, over 16,000

Pullman developed a method for jacking entire

businesses had failed, including 642 banks

brick buildings off their foundations, often while

and 156 railroads. Pullman cut wages 20 to 30

people continued working inside. It was an early

percent. But he refused to reduce rents, having

signal of who he was: a man who believed that

promised investors a fixed return on town

with enough ambition, you could reshape the

properties.

environment entirely.

The workers strike of May 1894 was inevitable.

That belief became the animating idea of

Federal troops were deployed, thirty people died,

his life’s work. After the Civil War, Pullman

and the presidential commission investigating

designed the Pullman Palace Car, a luxury

the crisis delivered its verdict plainly: the town’s

railroad sleeping car that transformed long-

aesthetic features had little value to employees

distance travel. The business made him a

who lacked food. When Pullman died in 1897,

wealthy industrialist of the Gilded Age, and in

he was buried beneath concrete and steel

1880 he used that wealth to purchase 4,000

at Chicago’s Graceland Cemetary, his family

acres of open prairie south of Chicago. The

fearing workers would desecrate his grave. The

site, chosen for its access to the Illinois Central

town outlasted him, saved not by corporate

Railroad, would become something far more

paternalism but by the residents themselves,

than a factory campus. He hired architect Solon

who organized, preserved, and fought to keep it.

Spencer Beman and landscape architect Nathan

This act of collective preservation is an

Barrett to design it as a complete, beautiful

inheritance worth building on. The original

urban environment rather than a camp or a

vision of Pullman as a coherent, beautiful, and

set of barracks. Queen Anne rowhouses lined

socially intentional place did not die with its

curvilinear streets. Romanesque arches marked

founder. Today, the question is how to reclaim

the commercial buildings. There were parks, a

that energy, through the creativity, pride, and

library, a theater, a hotel, indoor plumbing, and

ambition of the residents and youth of Pullman

daily trash collection. By 1893 the town had

themselves, shaping their neighborhood not

12,000 residents and was celebrated nationally

as subjects of someone else’s vision but as its

as a model of what industrial capitalism could

authors.

achieve when vision met resources.

Pullman believed beautiful surroundings would elevate workers morally and socially. The town was also designed to turn a profit, with

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Chapter 1: Introduction

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PULLMAN UNITED

A Collaborative Approach to Co-designing Pullman Community engagement is a critical part of the plan making process. The engagement involved Pullman residents, officials, organizers, professionals, and business owners and spanned the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 MCD studios.

Held in Pullman in summer 2025, the Pullman Charrette was a robust interactive community engagement process. MCD students were joined by community partners, which included the 9th ward, Historic Pullman Foundation, Historic Pullman

Empowerment

Organization,

and

Rosemoor Community Association along with design partners SOM, Muse Community Design, and Design Workshop. Institutional partners the UIC Center for Climate and Health Equity, and the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement funded the engagement process. The Pullman Charrette utilized participatory tools such as pop-up events, community forums, surveys and design workshops to ensure residents’ priorities shape planning outcomes. Key takeaways included residents wanting to see walking and biking paths as ways to make access to Big Marsh Park easier, mitigation of pollution and improved green areas as the biggest environmental solution in the community.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

The summer 2025 studio cohort led a final

charrette activity boards containing information

Showcase and community conversation to

about the ongoing Pullman plan and encouraged

share engagement feedback and explain how it

residents to share as much as possible. Overall,

informed the urban design plans for Pullman. The

we engaged with dozens of people at the fair.

showcase also featured focus group breakout

We heard more about residents wanting to have

sessions, which created an environment for

more local places to shop and eat, green space

participants to give feedback on the studio’s

and parks, environmental related programming,

design strategies. Some of the takeaways from

and outdoor leisure locations in Pullman.

the focus groups from stakeholders were that they wanted to see increased connection to

In October 2025, we completed a windshield

Big Marsh Park with 115th Street as the most

survey of existing building conditions in Pullman.

desirable connector, more community gathering

Focused in North Pullman, the windshield survey

spaces, more tourism as an industry, more

consisted of walking the neighborhood, block-

vacant property renovation, and mitigation of

by-block and evaluating building conditions.

air and smell pollution.

In small groups, we categorized housing stock on the spectrum from uninhabitable to sound

The Fall Urban Edge Studio also participated at

condition. Along the way, we talked with

a resource fair in September 2025, which was

neighbors and mapped which assets were

held in the Pullman Community Center in North

strong, and which required more care.

Pullman. We operated a table with flyers and

Residents want walkable commercial corridors, access to high-quality groceries and expanded job opportunities within and near Pullman that support livable wages. They also emphasized the need to reactivate abandoned structures in North Pullman, create smaller neighborhood nodes, and more connections to assets like the Pullman Community Center, Gately Park, Chicago State University, and regional trail systems.

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PULLMAN UNITED

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PRINCIPLES

Our threats—from environmental concerns to economic disinvestment—are significant. Our strengths and opportunities are even greater.

To ensure we leverage every asset and address every vulnerability with intention, we have

defined five guiding principles that will direct our efforts, and usher the guiding question: How will we build lasting prosperity in Pullman?

To answer this, and to ensure we address every vulnerability and capitalize on every asset with intention, we have defined five core guiding principles. Drawing inspiration from the Calumet Off the Grid Plan, we are directing our efforts to transform the industrial past into a thriving future for all of Chicago’s Far South Side.

CLEAN Foster a healthy human and physical environment that establishes Pullman as a leader in environmental regeneration and green industry.

CULTIVATE Nurture the human and social capital of the community to promote cultural heritage and historic preservation of the built environment.

CONNECT Stimulate a multi-modal network that unites Pullman and fosters access to physical and social resources.

CREATE Drive innovation and stimulate economic vitality that generates wealth and opportunity for all.

COEXIST Build equitable and inclusive communities that promote the coexistence of innovative affordable housing and industry models that support social diversity.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

We have cast a bold vision for Pullman: A healthy, well-connected, and vibrant community.

However, our vision is just a map; to begin the journey, we need a clear roadmap to navigate the challenges revealed in our SWOT analysis.

PULLMAN UNITED

PULLMAN’S FRAMEWORK

The Pullman United outlines an urban design framework that redefines Pullman as a cultural and ecotourism destination for Chicago and the nation through five guiding strategies: 2-MILE CULTURAL TRAIL, which is a defining element that aims to connect North and South Pullman.

A RICH ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK of green streets, ecological corridors, activated alleyways, greenways, waterways, parks, and tree canopies that fosters a unified and connected Pullman.

An ECONOMIC ENGINE & CULTURAL DESTINATION comprised of the Pullman Town Center and Main Street along 111th Street, which complements the National Park in Central Pullman that provides a vibrant District for cultural heritage, shopping, and entertainment.

An INFORMAL ECONOMY of live/work artisan lofts, activated alleyways, cottage industry, and adaptive re-use of energy efficient affordable housing in North Pullman.

A HEALTHY PULLMAN with an Eco-district of sustainable workforce housing, green roofs, vertical gardens, community gardens, and a solar farm to promote ecotourism in South Pullman and an ecological corridor connecting Pullman to Big Marsh.

These strategies help organize the projects, programming, and policy initiatives across the three focus areas, playing into Pullman’s strengths and addressing its challenges in creative ways.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

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PULLMAN UNITED

02

PLANMAKING PROCESS

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Chapter 2: Planmaking Process

HOW WE GOT HERE Pullman United has been a one year effort encompassing two MCD cohorts, exploring all facets of the project from community engagement, exploration of the Big marsh region to create the plan you are holding in your hands today. These efforts are rooted in community engagement to create a Pullman that flourishes across the far south with concious connections to its historic and natural assets. Here, we describe the plans, processes and people that made this plan possible.

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PULLMAN UNITED

OUR WORK WITH PULLMAN The New Delta Studio

for spring 2025

The Urban Edge Studio for Fall 2025 is

centered on developing comprehensive design

strategically designed to build upon the preceding

and

Calumet

work, specifically synthesizing the Calumet Off

region in a plan, Calumet Off the Grid. A

the Grid and Pullman Charrette design work.

primary focus was on climate adaptation and

The Studio’s central mission is to fully integrate

natural habitat restoration, with ambitious

these existing plans and insights into a cohesive

plans for implementing green infrastructure

and

improvements. These efforts were designed to

specifically aimed at connecting North and South

integrate with and enhance a major regional

Pullman. A core goal is fostering broad climate

asset: a 130-mile trail network. The New

resilience and sustainability for the district

Delta Studio explored the establishment of

and the greater Far South communities. Key

Green Innovation Zones and the creation of

initiatives include prioritizing the development

vital Climate Corridors, which are intended to

of affordable housing, supporting workforce

connect local neighborhoods directly to the

development, and creating Equitable Transit-

ecological resources of Big Marsh.

Oriented Development (ETOD) and transit

planning

strategies

for

the

comprehensive

plan

recommendations

alternatives to improve access and mobility.

The summer 2025 Chicago Charrette Studio,

Ultimately, all these physical, programmatic, and

built on the New Delta Studio and integrated

planning improvements are underpinned by a

key urban development and ecological initiatives

commitment to robust economic vitality not just

through

for Pullman, but for the entire Far South side.

intensive

community

engagement,

which included a design charrette and showcase with focus groups. The primary physical projects student co-designed with stakeholders included a green ecological corridor and developing essential

infrastructure

connections

along

115th Street, such as a pedestrian bridge and boardwalk connections to Big Marsh.

These efforts are supplemented with broader neighborhood

improvements

focusing

on

streetscape upgrades, the creation of workforce housing, and short-term vacant lot activations to revitalize local areas.

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Chapter 2: Planmaking Process

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PULLMAN UNITED

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PULLMAN CHARETTE Held in Pullman in summer 2025, the Pullman Charrette was a robust interactive community engagement process. MCD students were joined by community partners, which included the 9th ward, Historic Pullman Foundation, Historic Pullman Empowerment Organization, and Rosemoor Community Association along with design partners SOM, Muse Community Design, and Design Workshop. Institutional partners the UIC Center for Climate and Health Equity, and the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement funded the engagement process. The Pullman Charrette utilized participatory tools such as pop-up events, community forums, surveys and design workshops to ensure residents’ priorities shape planning outcomes. The design workshop included four stations centered around the studio’s work on the larger Calumet region and the development of four guiding principles.

The Connect station centered around transit and trails, the Create stations centered around culture and identity, the Coexist station centered around industry and people, and the Clean station centered around environment and health.

The stations included interactive games, written responses, and traditional question and answer sessions.

The event engaged 47 participants and hosted a survey which focused on questions about access to Big Marsh and green spaces in the area.

The survey had 27 participants.

Pullman Charette | Summer 2025

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Final Showcase | Summer 2025

see walking and biking paths as ways to make access to Big Marsh Park easier, mitigation of pollution and improved green areas as the biggest environmental solution in the community, and the desire for more retail, grocery stores, and restaurants in the neighborhood. Students used these insights to co-develop solutions for the Pullman neighborhood that centered ecological and social repair with an inclusive approach that foregrounded co-existence and health at every stage—from housing and biodiversity building to landscape access and mobility.

FINAL SHOWCASE Finally, the summer 2025 studio cohort led a final Showcase and community conversation to share engagement feedback and explain how it informed the urban design plans for Pullman. The showcase also featured focus group breakout sessions, which created an environment for participants to give feedback on the studio’s design strategies. Some of the takeaways from the focus groups from stakeholders were that they wanted to see increased connection to Big Marsh Park with 115th Street as the most desirable connector, more community gathering spaces, more tourism as an industry, more vacant property renovation, and mitigation of air and smell pollution. This feedback was then incorporated into the final plan document.

THE COMUNITY IS HUNGRY FOR INVESTMENT - Pullman Resident

Community Panel Sept 2025

60% WANT MORE RESTAURAUNTS

Chapter 2: Planmaking Process

FALL COMMUNITY PANEL The fall 2025 studio utilized the charrette, survey and focus group data as a foundation to understand local sentiments and inform the fall 2025 planning efforts.

The first engagement of the Fall 2025 studio was a community panel held in September, where community partners met with our cohort to share their experiences and ideas for Pullman.

The panel featured representatives from City of Chicago 9th Ward Alderman Office, Rosemoore Neighborhood Association, Historic Pullman Foundation, And Historic Pullman Empowerment Organization. We incorporated this into the development of the vision, goals, principles, and design strategies of the plan.

Several guests gave lectures to the fall studio cohort. Key stakeholders were invited to share insight and support the goals of the studio research.

Community Panel Sept 2025

Representatives from Far South Community Development Corporation, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, and Openlands all contributed valuable insights about the planning context and ongoing planning efforts on the Far South side.

Our cohort internalized the examples shared by these guest lecturers to generate ideas on comparable interventions in Pullman that would achieve a similar impact. We subsequently identified potential interventions, and those aligning with the Pullman plan’s goals were incorporated into the plan proposal.

52% WANT NATURE BASED PROGRAMMING

40% WANT SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY

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PULLMAN UNITED

RESOURCE FAIR A resource fair in September 2025 was the next engagement activity. Here, members of our cohort attended a resource fair organized by the 9th Ward office of Alderman Anthony Beale to connect local residents to information about critical resources they may need. The fair was held in the Pullman Community Center in North Pullman. We operated a table with flyers and charrette activity boards containing information about the ongoing Pullman plan and encouraged residents to share as much as possible. Overall, we engaged with dozens of people at the fair. We heard more about residents wanting to have more local places to shop and eat, green space and parks, environmental related programming, and outdoor leisure locations in Pullman.

Resource Fair Sept 2025

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In October 2025, we completed a windshield survey of existing building conditions in Pullman.

Focused in North Pullman, the windshield survey consisted of walking the neighborhood, block-byblock and evaluating building conditions. In small groups, we categorized housing stock on the spectrum from uninhabitable to sound condition.

Along the way, we talked with neighbors and mapped which assets were strong, and which required more care. We received a personalized tour from local experts, ending with the A Philip Randolph Museum. Walking the neighborhood helped students determine if the ideas we had brainstormed made sense in practical terms. A conversation with local high school students also helped us understand the attendance dynamics of the football stadium and schools in the area. Overall, the windshield survey helped shape future design ideas that reflect community priorities and everyday life in Pullman. and traditional question and answer sessions.

Windshield Survey Oct 2025

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Chapter 1: Introduction

WINDSHIELD SURVEY

PULLMAN UNITED

PLAN REVIEW Pullman has benefited from extensive ongoing planning effects due to its unique positioning in the Far Southeast Side of Chicago and proximity to Big Marsh. Over the past 10 years, the following plans have been proposed for Pullman, the Far South Side, and the entire Calumet region.

Positioning Pullman (2015) AIA Chicago and the National Parks Conservation Association led a 3-day workshop with Pullman residents in the spring of 2015 following the community’s National Park Service designation.

The resulting plan, Positioning Pullman, reenvisions Pullman as a cultural hub for residents and visitors of the Pullman National Historical Park.

Positioning Pullman 2.0 (2019) 4 years after the Positioning Pullman plan was released, volunteers gathered once again to review progress made and the next steps to advance the community’s goals. Priorities were identified, including specific infrastructural and development improvements to protect local cultural heritage and connect North and South Pullman throughout and to nearby natural areas.

Lake Calumet Trail Feasibility Plan (2020, 2022) In 2020, a report was prepared for the Illinois International Port District exploring the feasibility of constructing a shared use path around or over Lake Calumet that would connect the South Side of Chicago to the Port District, Big Marsh Park,

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and existing regional trail network. The preferred path has been identified but implementation has not begun to date.

Roseland Community Medical District Master Plan (2022) The 2022 10-year phased master plan conducted by the Roseland Community Medical District Commission envisions a mixed-use campus over 3 city blocks, focused on high quality patient care, outpatient services and related investment to address long-standing community needs.

Big Marsh East Side Neighborhood Connectivity Plan (2023) In 2023, Friends of Big Marsh completed a study of Big Marsh Park to identify potential transportation improvements in and around Big Marsh Park that would help facilitate equitable access to the park. A key objective of this plan was to consider a location for an additional entrance on the east side of the park to improve walking and bicycling connections on the southeast side.

95th Street Corridor Development Framework -

Pullman Cultural Trail (2024) Building off of Positioning Pullman (2015) and Positioning Pullman 2.0 (2019), the National Parks Conservation Association and site design group, ltd. (site) collaborated with community members in 2024 to idealize a cultural trail through Pullman that would link culturally significant spaces and stories together as well as unite the neighborhood from 103rd Street through the National Historical Park and to 115th Street. The proposed trail would incorporate green space, sidewalks, and landmarks with public art and wayfinding.

Wentworth Avenue and South Lafayette Avenue as candidates for equitable transit-oriented development around the 95th Street station.

Major Taylor Trail Land Use Framework (2025) The 2023 Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s Major Taylor Trail Land Use Framework aims to repurpose vacant land, improve housing, stimulate retail and job growth, and expand open space around the Major Taylor Trail between 105th and 124th Streets. The plan was adopted in August of 2025.

95th Street Corridor Plan - DPD (2025) In 2025, the Chicago Department of Planning and Development and Chicago Transit Authority outlined a plan to reinvest in and revitalize 95th Street between Halsted Street and Cottage Grove Avenue to promote accessibility and accelerate local business growth. The plan calls out

KEY GOALS

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Chapter 2: Planmaking Process

CSU (2023) In 2023, Chicago State University proposed a university village featuring commercial and community resources to generate long-term investment, enhanced community ownership, and increased economic and housing opportunities along 95th Street.

PULLMAN UNITED

03

COMMUNITY PROFILE

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

FROM INDUSTRIAL BLUEPRINT TO NATIONAL TREASURE Pullman’s history is a multifaceted and unique American narrative spanning industrial innovation, pivotal labor rights achievements, and successful community preservation. The community began in 1880 as America’s first industrially planned community—a model company town built by George Pullman. This distinct design gave it an important role in American economic and urban history. The promise of employment at the Pullman Palace Car Company helped fuel the Great Migration, as Black Americans moved north to seek work, setting the stage for future social change.

37

PULLMAN UNITED

REGIONAL CONTEXT | CHICAGO

City of chicago data, community areas and cta ‘L’ stations

Pullman is located roughly 12–14 miles (20 km) south of downtown Chicago’s Loop, within Community Area #50 of the city’s 77 official communities. Its boundaries run from 103rd Street on the north to 115th Street on the south, and from Cottage Grove Avenue on the east to approximately Interstate 94 (the The Bishop Ford Expressway) on the west. The neighborhood sits adjacent to Roseland to the west, South Deering to the east, and West Pullman to the south.

38

REGIONAL CONTEXT | FAR SOUTH SIDE Chapter 3: Community Profile

City of chicago data, community areas

Located on Chicago’s Far South Side, Pullman is closely linked by rail, major highways, and the Calumet River system. Within a three-mile radius, the area connects eight community areas— Pullman, Roseland, West Pullman, Riverdale, South Deering, Calumet Heights, Burnside, and Chatham—forming a diverse urban context. Together, these neighborhoods compose a “bluegreen industrial” landscape, defined by a strong industrial heritage and a growing foundation for an emerging urban ecological corridor.

39

PULLMAN UNITED

LOCAL CONTEXT | PULLMAN

City of chicago data, community areas

The U.S, Census Pullman Community Area #50 extends from 95th Street on the north to 115th Street on the south. It consists of three census tracks, 50-01, 50-02, and 50-03. The Pullman National Landmark District (established in 1970) consists of census tracks 50-02 and 50-03, generally west of the Norfork-Southern RR right-of-way.

40

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Focus Area 1 | North Pullman

Google earth

Focus Area 2 | Central Pullman

Google earth

Focus Area 3 | South Pullman

Google earth

41

PULLMAN UNITED

FROM COMPANY TOWN TO LASTING SYMBOL OF RENEWAL

THE INCEPTION OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT Pullman stands as a critical site in American labor history and a crucial precursor to the Civil Rights Movement. The restrictive conditions of the company town model and the resulting labor disputes were central to the famous Pullman Strike of 1894. This intense labor conflict set the stage for later organizing efforts. Decades later, workers employed by the Pullman Company founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. As the nation’s first all-Black labor union, the BSCP successfully challenged economic and racial inequalities, laying the essential organizational and leadership foundation for the future Civil Rights Movement. Decades later, the community’s importance was affirmed through successful resident-led preservation efforts.

42

Chapter 3: Community Profile

COMMUNITY-LED PRESERVATION EFFORTS In the 1960s, residents formed the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO), which was instrumental in successfully fighting against the proposed demolition of the historic town for an industrial park. This grassroots effort secured the community’s legacy, leading to a series of federal recognitions: 1969 & 1972: Designation as a local Historic District and a National Historic Landmark.

2015: President Barack Obama designated the area a National Monument.

2022: Pullman officially became a National Historical Park, solidifying its status as a federally protected and nationally significant site.

This sequence of designations underscores the community’s transition from a controversial company town to a national treasure, preserved and protected by its own determined residents.

43

PULLMAN UNITED

DEMOGRAPHICS

RESIDENTS ARE LEAVING

PULLMAN IS DIVIDED

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

Population Chicago (-6.5%) and Pullman (-26.33%) have both lost population since 2000. While Roseland has the largest population of all Far South communities and has lost the most population since 2000, Pullman has the second smallest opulation and is projected to decrease by -2.5% by 2030.

Pullman is still projected to have the second smallest population in the Far South region by 2030.

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

Educational Attainment Roughly 10% of Pullman’s population over 25 years old have not earned their high school diploma.

This is slightly below the citywide average and is comparable with most other communities on the Far South Side. Between 50 and 60% of adult residents across these communities have graduated high school but have not earned a college degree, apart from Riverdale. This is almost double the citywide average of 35%, and Pullman’s percentage of college degree holders ranks 36 out of Chicago’s 77 communities.

44

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Race Pullman is a racially diverse yet segregated neighborhood. 74% of community residents are Black; 13% are White; 8% are Hispanic; and 5% are of other racial identity. The community has a high concentration of White residents compared

to

surrounding

neighborhoods,

which average around 2.33% of residents.

Many of Pullman’s White residents live in South Pullman, while North Pullman has the highest diversity in the neighborhood. Pullman has a higher concentration of Black residents and lower concentration of Hispanic residents

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

than the citywide averages of 28% and 30%.

PULLMAN IS AGING

Age Like many communities in the Far South region, Pullman is aging.

The

median

resident

age in all of Pullman is 40 years old, with North Pullman residents

falling

on

the

younger end of the spectrum.

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN Pullman’s high school and college graduation rates illustrate the need for youth centered design, improved school campuses, youth centric programming, workforce development opportunities

and

apprenticeship

type

programs. development that attracts younger professionals,

and

design

that

promotes

Shifting demographics and the segregated nature of the neighborhood highlight the need for more multi-family and rental housing options.

integration.

45

PULLMAN UNITED

ECONOMICS | CULTIVATE

LACK OF LOCAL JOBS

HIGHER THAN AVERAGE POVERTY RATE

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT

ECONOMICS Poverty

Median Income

The average poverty level in the Far South

Compared to the City of Chicago’s median

Communities is significantly higher than the

income average, Pullman’s median income is

city average. While the City of Chicago’s

notably low, approximately $20,449 below

poverty rate is 17% (defined as a family of

the

4 earning under $32,000 or an individual

with its northerly neighbor, Cottage Grove,

earning under $15,000), communities in the

where

city

average.

residents

This average

contrasts $20,000

sharply more.

Far South are disproportionately affected.

Unemployment The average unemployment rate across the Far South Communities is approximately 16%, which is double the average for the City of Chicago.

CMAP data highlights a significant racial disparity, showing that majority Black residents in the Far South side experience unemployment rates

16%

higher

than

nearby

white

counterparts with comparable education levels.

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

LABOR FORCE AND INDUSTRY Workforce Participation In the Far South Communities, nearly half of the potential labor force is currently not participating in the workforce. This significant non-participation rate points to the existence of deep-seated structural barriers to employment.

While specific areas like Pullman benefit from

2019-2023 american community survey five year estimates

46

high

transportation

mobility,

the

broader

Chapter 3: Community Profile

issue remains: residents are primarily seeking

Healthcare industry, followed by Education

accessible employment opportunities closer to

and Transportation but is encircled by four

home, suggesting a critical mismatch between

industrial corridors which suggests that there

job availability and local resident needs within

are jobs, but they are not hiring locally. This

this economically disconnected and historically

spatial mismatch creates a unique challenge

divested region.

between where industries are located and who is employed locally, suggesting that residents are

Industry Concentration The

region’s

employment

not benefiting proportionally from nearby job is

led

by

the

creation.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN The economic challenges facing Far South

while nearby industries fail to tap into the local

communities stem from historic disinvestment

talent pool. The current economic structure

and economic disconnection. This outlines the

ensures that residents are not benefiting

transition from recognizing these deep-seated

proportionally

problems to identifying and implementing solutions for a resilient future, with a specific focus on Pullman as a key area for renewal.

Crucially, this has led to a severe spatial mismatch between industries and who is employed locally.

from

nearby

job

creation.

To break this cycle, the focus must shift from simply noting the problems to executing targeted, place-based strategies that emphasize local connection, skills development, and resident ownership.

While industrial corridors and key sectors like

By strategically addressing the structural roots

healthcare and transportation are physically

of economic disconnection through targeted

present or nearby, many of the job opportunities

workforce pipelines, investment in a green future,

are not being filled by residents. This creates a

and the empowerment of local entrepreneurs,

vicious cycle where residents are forced to seek

the Far South communities can transition

accessible employment elsewhere, or they join

from a legacy of disinvestment to a model

the ranks of the non-participating labor force,

of equitable and resilient economic growth.

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PULLMAN UNITED

HOUSING | COEXIST

RADIAL DEVELOPMENT FROM HISTORIC PULLMAN

Housing Units. Source: homeownership: institute of housing studies - depaul university. Housing units: city of chicago building footprints

Housing Units Pullman has the largest percent of single-family homes across the Far South region. Only 10% of all housing structures are between 3 and 4 units large, and less than 10% are over 5 units.

Home Ownership & Vacancy. Source: homeownership: institute of housing studies - depaul university. Housing units: city of chicago building footprints

North and Central Pullman are primarily made up of 1-, 2-, and 3-unit homes. A greater mix of housing is present in South Pullman: housing

Home Ownership & Vacancy

structures here range from 1 to 18 units

Distribution of home ownership and rentals is split

large. Overall, this indicates a lack of healthy

evenly in Pullman and similarly across Chicago.

variety in housing types throughout Pullman.

However, home ownership is lower in Pullman than it is in neighboring communities. 86% of

Housing Age

housing units in Pullman are occupied, which

Similar to the size distribution of housing

compares to rates across the Far South region.

units, the age distribution of homes is starkly different between North and South Pullman.

Median Home Value & Gross Rent

We have identified a radial development from

There is an inverse relationship at play

historic South Pullman. Many of the housing

between property value and rent costs in

units in this area were built before the 1900s,

Pullman. The median home value increases

with a handful of units built post-1903. Many

from roughly $160,000 in North Pullman

of the recently built homes are located in

to $193,000 in South Pullman. Conversely,

North Pullman, where no homes were built

average rent costs shrink from $1,200 to $960

pre-1900. Central Pullman acts as the bridge

moving in the same geographic direction.

between the juxtaposing housing ages in the North and South regions, where housing ages range from pre-1883 to mid-2000s.

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

WEALTH IS TIED TO HOUSING STOCK

Housing Age. Source: city of chicago building footprints.

$1,154

$1,160

$967

Housing Gross Rent. Source: American Community Survey 2024, dp04 selected houding characteristics

Housing Units. Source: city of chicago building footprints

RESIDENTS SPEND 30% ON HOUSING COSTS

$159,400

$192,000

$193,100

Housing Property Value. Source: American Community Survey 2024, dp04 selected housing characteristics 49

PULLMAN UNITED

HOUSING | COST BURDEN

CHATHAM 49% CALUMET HEIGHTS BURNSIDE 34% 27%

PULLMAN 37%

SOUTH DEERING 41%

ROSELAND 42%

WEST PULLMAN 44%

RIVERDALE 50%

Percentage of housing cost burdened population. Source: institute of housing studies - Depaul university

Cost Burden

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN

Cost burdened households refer to households,

Wealth is tied to South Pullman’s historic

or rented units, where the occupants spend

housing stock and there is a predominance of

30% of their income on housing costs, including

dense single-family housing with few tenements.

rent and mortgage payments. 37% of Pullman

An increase in the number of rent controlled

residents face housing cost burden. Over half

units will aid lower cost burdens for residents.

of home renters are burdened, placing the number of Pullman’s burdened renters close to

As a community overall, Pullman could

10% higher than that of the city of Chicago. The

benefit from more diversity in housing types

percentage of cost burdened homeowners is roughly 10% lower than the citywide percentage.

50

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Looking east on S. Champlain Ave. bottom: looking west on S. Langley Ave

51

PULLMAN UNITED

MOBILITY | CONNECT

PULLMAN IS NOT WALKABLE

RELIANCE ON RED LINE EXTENSION

TRANSIT FREQUENCY IS LACKING

I-94

Street hierarchy based on daily traffic volume Source: 2024 IDOT average annual daily traffic 52

Chapter 3: Community Profile

95th Station 95th Station

103rd Station

103rd Station

107th Station

111th Station

111th Station

Bus Routes Metra Electric

Kensington Station Michigan Ave

Red Line Red Line Extension

Transit Nodes

Street Network

There are also five Metra Electric stations

Pullman has one highway and four major arterial

and four proposed CTA Red Line stations in

roads. Interstate 94 intersects Cottage Grove

addition to the existing 95th station. The 95th

Heights and North Pullman and forms a barrier

Redline station is a major hub for buses as it

between Big Marsh and the eastern side of

is the terminal for 13 CTA bus routes, several

North, Central, and South Pullman. The four

Pace buses, and several Greyhound buses.

major arterials that cross Pullman from west to

The Metra provides access to the Loop, the

east are: 95th, 103rd, 111th, and 115th Streets.

Museum Campus, and Hyde Park once per hour.

Transit Network

The Red Line extension will simplify bus routes

Pullman

is

well

served

by

transit.

The

and lengthen this central transit line through

neighborhood has 13 relevant bus routes,

Chicago. The Metra stations on 103rd, 111th, and

three of which run on a 10-minute frequency.

115th Streets are heavily trafficked by cars, while the 107th station is considerably less trafficked.

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PULLMAN UNITED

MOBILITY | CONNECT

Looking North on S. Cottage Grove Ave.

Vehicle Accidents

The number of vehicular traffic accidents

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN

within Pullman is similar to those bordering

Despite sitting in the center of the Far South

the neighborhood. Within Pullman, most traffic

region, auto-oriented and safe pedestrian

accidents occur on the four main corridors:

infrastructure within Pullman is not sufficient for

95th,

the neighborhood to properly serve residents or

103rd,

111th,

and

115th

Streets.

act as the connective tissue between the Far Walkability (Accessibility and Pedestrian

South region and local amenities. The bones of a

Accidents)

strong public transit system and street network

Pullman’s transit system is relatively well

are in place, though. Opportunities to improve

connected. According to Walk Score, however,

quality of movement for residents include paths

Pullman and several other Far South communities

connecting North, Central, and South Pullman

are not walkable or bikeable in terms of walking

to one another and to Big Marsh; as well as

distance to amenities and bike infrastructure.

sidewalk repairs, road diets, and both ecological

The 100-point based system ranks Pullman’s

and commercial activity along the main corridors.

walkability at 44 and bike ability at 49.

Areas with poor quality or missing sidewalk infrastructure overlap with frequent pedestrian

Unite Pullman and improve quality of

accident sites. Like the concentrations of

movement by providing safe pedestrian

vehicular accidents, most pedestrian related

infrastructure as a connective tissue.

traffic

accidents

in

Pullman

occur

along

Cottage

Grove

Ave,

95th

Street,

103rd

Street,

111th

Street,

and

115th

Street.

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

Traffic Collisions on Pedestrians and Cyclists Bottom: Injuries Status from Traffic Collisions Source: City of chicago, Ped/Bike Crashes by Month

No Injury Injury Vehicles accident. Source: City of chicago, Ped/Bike Crashes by Month Source: Chicago Data Portal | Traffic Crashes

55

PULLMAN UNITED

HEALTH | CLEAN

1 in 17 RESIDENTS HAVE HAD CANCER

OVER HALF OF PULLMAN IS OBESE

1,500 PULLMAN ADULTS HAVE ASTHMA

Advocate and Urgent Care

Adult Obesity Over half of Pullman’s adult population is

1 in 17 Pullman residents received a cancer

classified as obese, making it one of the

diagnosis. This suggests environmental and

most impacted communities in Chicago and

social determinants at play, such as proximity to

additionally situated on the high end of obesity

industrial sites, historical exposure to pollutants,

rates within the Far South Side communities. The

and lower access to preventive screenings.

data further reveals that there are significant racial inequities across Chicago, with Black,

Uninsured Rate

Hispanic, and Latino populations experiencing

Pullman faces a 5% uninsured rate, meaning 1 in

the highest obesity burdens.

20 residents may lack health insurance. This is half the rate of uninsured residents across Chicago,

Adult Asthma

and the surrounding Far South communities

Roughly 1,500 Pullman adults live with asthma,

face much higher uninsured rates than Pullman.

making it the community with the highest

Health insurance coverage plays a crucial role

percentage of adults suffering from the condition

in ensuring residents have access to preventive

in Chicago. The neighboring communities of

care, emergency services, and treatment for

Chatham and Roseland are also among the top

chronic conditions, and communities with higher

25% of communities with this issue. This rate

uninsured rates often face greater barriers to

is influenced by both environmental exposure

achieving positive health outcomes.

and healthcare accessibility. Asthma prevalence highlights links between housing quality, air

Hospital Access

pollution from nearby industrial activity, and

There

health infrastructure gaps.

boundary. The map to the [left/right] displays

are

no

hospitals

within

Pullman’s

this extreme disparity in access for residents Cancer Diagnosis Rate

of Pullman compared to those of the Northern

The cancer diagnosis rate in Pullman is

Chicago communities. The two hospitals closest

significantly

to Pullman are roughly a 10-minute drive from

higher

than

most

Chicago

neighborhoods: between 2017 and 2021,

56

the center of Pullman, and further hospitals to

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Adult Obesity. Source: Chicago health atlas

Adult Asthma. Source: Chicago health atlas

Food Deserts. Source: Chicago health atlas

Hospital Access. Source: Chicago health atlas

57

PULLMAN UNITED

HEALTH | CLEAN

Looking Northwest on E 113th St

the North are closer to a 15-to-20-minute drive.

to unemployment, minority status, disability, and

This spatial gap may affect emergency response,

access to resources. Furthermore, while Pullman

maternal care access, and management of chronic

itself is only moderately vulnerable, its proximity

illnesses. Access to nearby hospitals is essential

to West Pullman and other highly vulnerable

for emergency care, chronic disease treatment,

Far South Side communities places it at risk

and health equity. Despite Pullman’s relatively

of lacking resilience against natural disasters,

low uninsured rate, limited geographic access to

disease outbreaks, and other hazardous events.

hospitals remains a critical infrastructure issue.

Food Deserts Healthy food access is a critical component of human health and well-being. Access in Pullman is extremely limited, and many residents live

health disparities are a concerning issue that need to be on the forefront of urban planning and design for the neighborhood.

in food desert conditions. The food desert map highlights areas within a half mile and three-quarter mile walk of the three grocery

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN

stores closest to Pullman. Around one third of

As a result of the environmental injustice and

residents across the Far South Side region have

racism Pullman has faced, health disparities

experienced food insecurity, although Riverdale

are a concerning issue that need to be on the

is an obvious outlier being much higher.

forefront of urban planning and design for the neighborhood. Improving access to grocery

Social Vulnerability Index

stores and healthcare facilities, safe spaces for

Pullman falls on the lower end of socially

exercise, and health and environmental advocacy

vulnerable communities in Chicago, ranking #60

are vital for the well-being of residents

out of #77. While it falls on the lower end of the vulnerable area, Pullman still faces challenges tied

58

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Looking Southeast on E 111th St.

59

PULLMAN UNITED

HEALTH | CLEAN

19% CANOPY COVERAGE

Tree Canopy. Source: Chicago health atlas

FLOODING AND HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS

Impervious Surfaces. Source: Chicago health atlas

60

FLOODING AFFECTS WEST PULLMAN

Flooding. Source: Chicago health atlas

HIGH ENERGY BURDEN

Energy Burden. Source: Chicago health atlas

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Tree Canopy

to the east of Pullman, and Riverdale to the

Pullman lags behind most other Far South

south, are under the 80th percentile. As seen

communities in canopy coverage, with 19%

in the prior section, however, flooding remains

of land covered as of 2017. This places the

an issue even in those communities with lower

community second to last in the Far South

impervious areas. Reducing impervious areas

region, ahead of South Deering only. More

through permeable pavements and green roofs

tree planting can improve health, comfort,

will improve both climate resilience and livability.

and climate resilience. Projects that increase tree

canopy

should

be

implemented.

Energy Burden Most Pullman residents have a high energy

Flooding

burden, especially compared to northern parts

Flooding is a concern in all Far South areas, but

of Chicago. Residents pay 6% more of their

West Pullman faces more severe impacts. In fact,

income on energy related costs than the Chicago

almost 50% of West Pullman residents report

average. As climate change progresses, Pullman

that flooding is an issue in their neighborhood.

residents will continue to be financially affected

Pullman has a lower flooding risk compared to other Far South communities - only 22% of

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN

residents have reported flooding - however green

Officials can improve air quality monitoring and

infrastructure and drainage upgrades are needed

expand mobile health services, retrofit existing

to address impacts of flooding for the region.

housing for healthier indoor air, add afforestation and bioswales to prevent flooding and improve

Impervious Surfaces Pullman

experiences

shading, and build upon the community’s impervious

surface

potential to attract sustainable industries.

coverage, which intensifies flooding and heat island effects. South Pullman falls in the 90th percentile of impervious surfaces, while the rest of the neighborhood and much of the surrounding

improve air quality monitoring and expand mobile health services.

area falls in the 80th percentile. South Deering

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PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | CULTIVATE Chatham

S Martin Luther King Dr

Cottage Grov

Land Use Pullman’s land use profile reflects its industrial legacy and slow residential growth. The

Roseland

largest footprint is Industrial land, occupying

London Towne

a significant 22% of the total area. Adding to the unique structure, most of the commercial development is not integrated into the residential zones but is clustered around the Bishop Ford Expressway. This highwaycentric development suggests a focus on regional access and drive-by traffic rather than walkability and local neighborhood services. In essence, Pullman’s landscape is one of heavy industry dominating the land (22%), a low residential footprint (16%), and critical shortage of open space (0.5%), all while its commerce remains geographically distinct and separate from its homes.

Zoning

Palmer Park

The current zoning structure in the Pullman area reveals a landscape shaped by both its

industrial

history

and

its

strategic

future development. The dominant zoning designations

overwhelmingly

emphasize

West Pullman

manufacturing and industrial uses, a direct result of the area’s history as a major manufacturing

Sherwin Williams

center. This historical DNA is still clearly

Riverdale

legible through the zoning code, specifically Existing Zoning

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

Burnside

Calumet Heights

ve Heights

South Deering

Railrod Marsh

Harborside International Golf Center

Existing Landuse

M3-3

(Heavy

Manufacturing

with high regional accessibility,

this

designation

aligning its new development

represents the vast majority of

proximate to the Bishop Ford

zoned land at 69%. It permits the

Expressway/I-94

heaviest industrial uses, reinforcing

the area. In summary, Pullman’s

the region’s core identity as an

zoning acts as a dual narrative:

industrial

hub.

Currently

the

a vast foundation dedicated to

Planned

Developments

are

heavy industrial activity inherited

used to encourage development

from the past, augmented by

Transportation - 0.3%

near

current zoning mechanisms with

0

development aims to maximize

localized

the commercial potential of areas

along key transportation arteries.

Legend

Harborside Marsh Pond

Water Park Existing buildings Pullman boundary Metra line Red line extension Aggregated Zoning Manufacturing - 86% Business/Commercial - 1.5% Planned Development - 6.2% Residential - 5.3% Park/Open Space - 0.6%

Lake Calumet

300

600 miles

District),

the

expressway.

This

that

commercial

serves

growth

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PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | CULTIVATE Historic Designations In the 1960s, residents successfully fought a proposal to demolish the historic town for an industrial park. The formation of the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO) was instrumental in saving the community. This sustained grassroots effort led to a progressive series of federal recognitions and historic designations over the next half-century: 1969: National Registrar recognition.

1971: Designated as a local Historic District.

Floretnecl e Ho

1972: Designated a National Historic Landmark.

2015: President Barack Obama designated the area a National Monument.

2022: It officially became a National Historical Park, solidifying its status as a federally protected and nationally significant site.

Pullman Exhibit Hall

This sequence of designations underscores the community’s remarkable transition from a controversial company town to a national treasure, preserved and protected by its own determined

residents.

Pullman’s

Pullman Stables

historic

district is anchored by several iconic structures that serve as enduring testaments to the community’s past as a planned industrial town, and its present as a major cultural destination.

Pullman Clock Tower The Administration Building and its prominent Clock Tower stand in the heart of historic Pullman. This iconic structure is the central landmark and serves as the official Visitor Center for the National Historical Park. It is the gateway for guests exploring the town and symbolizes the historic control center of the original company-built community.

64

Source: Pullman History Foundation, National Park Service

Market Hall The Market Hall represents one of the most unique small-scale urban spaces in America.

Originally designed as a bustling center for commerce

and

community

meetings,

the

Classical-Romanesque building remains the focal point of the town square. Despite enduring multiple fires and structural damage over its history, the Market Hall still stands, embodying

Chapter 3: Community Profile

an Pullm Porteurm Muse

PullmToawner Clock

Markllet Ha Historic Site

e Greenusrtcohn Ch the resilience of the community.

Historic District

highlights the legacy of the Pullman Porters and their critical role in forming the first all-Black

Pullman Porter Museum

labor union, which laid the foundation for the

Located within the historic district, the A. Philip

Civil Rights Movement.

Randolph Pullman Porter Museum is a vital cultural asset. The museum pays tribute to, and displays exhibits on, the study of American Labor History with a specific and necessary focus on the African American contribution. It

65

PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | CULTIVATE Community Assets

Parks

Pullman community boasts an exceptionally

Green parks like Palmer Park, Lake Calumet and

dense and diverse concentration of educational

Big Marsh in Pullman are farther away from the

assets, especially when considering its size,

community’s core and Northside. Additionally

serving as a major institutional anchor for the

commercial assets are on the Western fringe. This

area and surrounding communities. Pullman

suggests an opportunity for better connectivity

boasts a high concentration of educational

or the development of smaller, localized green

institutions and positions Pullman as a significant

spaces within the denser residential areas.

educational hub, which is a powerful asset for

The Passion of Pullman Community Garden is

workforce training and community stability.

a central, resident-managed green space and food resource, supplementing the larger parks.

Cultural Assets

Harborside International Golf Center offers the

Pullman is uniquely positioned as a major

premier golf experience in the Chicagoland area.

regional cultural and recreational gateway, defined by its exceptional status as the only neighborhood in the City of Chicago to house a National Historical Park. This distinction is the neighborhood’s primary cultural anchor, driving preservation and tourism. Beyond the park, Pullman benefits from an array of cultural, historical, and significant recreational assets that enhance its physical environment and regional connectivity.

The community leverages public art to celebrate its history and identity. Its murals along 109th, 111th, 113th, and the exhibit hall visually narrate the neighborhood’s past, present, and future, enriching the pedestrian experience and sense of place. The A. Philip Randolph Museum and mural honors the legacy of the Pullman Porters and the foundational role of African Americans in the labor movement, providing a critical historical and social context for the area.

Pullman Mural. Looking South on East 109th St.

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

Cultural Assets

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PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | BUILDING CONDITIONS Abandoned Buildings An analysis of abandoned buildings within and surrounding Pullman suggests a relatively stable housing stock within the community itself, contrasting with broader challenges in the Far South region.

While the surrounding context area faces a more Building Conditions

significant challenge with 80 vacant abandoned

A recent windshield survey conducted by

buildings, Pullman proper shows a limited

students during a fall studio provided a focused

presence of abandoned structures, with only five

assessment of the housing stock and its

identified. This low number strongly suggests

condition in North Pullman, aiming to identify

that Pullman’s existing housing stock is largely

specific needs and opportunities within the

sound and well-maintained by comparison.

community.

The pattern of abandoned structures highlights

The survey revealed a mixed but generally

uneven investment and recovery across the

stable condition of the housing stock, though a

Far South Side of Chicago. While nearby areas,

significant portion requires attention:

particularly Roseland, show clusters of housing distress (evidenced by a high count of abandoned

● Sound/Habitable: 373 homes were found to

buildings), Pullman appears to have benefited

be in sound, habitable condition, representing

from

the majority of the housing stock surveyed.

investment. This stability is demonstrated by

● Minor Repair Needed: 128 homes were

the limited presence of abandoned structures

identified as needing some level of repair.

within Pullman proper, contributing to a

● Major Repair Needed: A substantial 62 homes

comparatively more robust and less distressed

were found to be in need of major structural or

housing environment than its neighbors.

extensive repair.

However, this observed stability is not the full

● Uninhabitable: Critically, 22 homes were

story. A comprehensive understanding requires

deemed uninhabitable, indicating an immediate

examining the internal housing conditions

need for demolition or complete rehabilitation.

of North Pullman—where significant repair

more

stable

conditions

or

focused

needs exist—alongside the external economic This data underscores an opportunity to

pressures and structural barriers that persist in

stabilize and improve the existing housing base.

the surrounding community.

While over two-thirds of the stock is sound,

Vacant Lots

the combined need for minor and major repairs

The presence of large lots in Pullman hints to

(190 homes) and the presence of uninhabitable

its unique historical context as an original,

properties point to a clear demand for targeted

meticulously planned industrial urban form,

housing rehabilitation and investment programs

and

in North Pullman.

that limits the quantity and spontaneity of

68

provides

a

developmental

challenge

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Building Conditions. Source: MCD urban edge studio, 2025 69

PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | BUILDING CONDITIONS new development. The existing landscape

zones. This creates a unique opportunity for

necessitates and rewards creative planning

planners to implement buffer spaces or mixed-

solutions designed to maximize the utility of

use projects that respect the historic footprint

these distinct parcels.

while strategically introducing new housing or commercial uses to serve the community.

The distribution of vacant land highlights a significant disparity between Pullman and the surrounding area. In Pullman proper there are 60 vacant lots while the larger context area of the surrounding Far South communities contains a much higher concentration, with approximately 1,000 vacant lots. This divergence in vacant property rates acts as a critical callback to the findings in the earlier abandoned buildings section. Moving forward, a comprehensive understanding requires rigorous analysis of the long-lasting impacts of structural and systemic pressures,

which

create

and

sustain

the

City Owned Lots

structural barriers preventing equitable recovery

The low number of City-owned lots in Pullman

across the Far South side.

(50) is consistent with its historic designation and meticulously planned industrial character,

The low number of vacant lots within Pullman

suggesting private ownership remains dominant

itself, combined with the fact that many of

and stability is higher. This contrasts sharply

the existing lots are larger and more uniform,

with the 500 City-owned lots in the surrounding

hints at the community’s stable, planned urban

context area, which points to widespread

design, rather than the fragmented, spontaneous

property abandonment and greater public sector

parceling seen elsewhere. Because Pullman

involvement in managing land in neighboring

was initially designed as a comprehensive

communities.

company town with a precise, static blueprint, opportunities for new development are seldom

This spatial distribution positions Pullman

and highly constrained. The potential for large-

uniquely for cross-neighborhood collaboration.

scale, integrated development is largely limited

The stability of Pullman, combined with the

to these few existing vacant parcels.

significant inventory of publicly held land in nearby areas like Roseland and Burnside, creates

Crucially, the vacant lots that do exist are often

a strategic opportunity to anchor regional

found in the transitional Industrial-Residential

development and coordinate a strategic land-

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Chapter 3: Community Profile

Soft Sites

use plan across neighborhood boundaries.

The majority of these opportunity sites are

Leveraging Pullman’s uniqueness and the greater

concentrated in North Pullman. However, a

Far South’s extensive inventory to support

significant cluster of land around 115th Street

housing and commercial goals that benefit the

presents a distinct challenge due to the presence

entire region.

of environmental pollution.

Soft Sites

This pattern suggests that future development

An analysis of soft sites (abandoned buildings,

efforts can be most efficiently focused on North

city-owned lots, and vacant lots) reveals that

Pullman, while areas around 115th Street will

the Pullman area contains many large potential

require strategic remediation before they can be

development sites.

fully utilized.

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PULLMAN UNITED

BUILT ENVIRONMENT | CURRENT & ONGOING PROJECTS

Current Projects (Source: Block Club, Chicago Complete Streets, Sun Times, CNI Group)

Communities in the Far South side, including

health. The proposed Protected Bike Lane and

Pullman, are currently experiencing a significant

Trail on 111th St will further improve this non-

wave of planning and investment, signaling a wave

motorized network. Morgan Park Commons,

of economic revitalization. This activity is divided

located nearby, is part of the larger effort to

across regional, neighborhood-specific, proposed

stabilize and improve housing and commercial

and recently completed projects, transforming

opportunities

both

the

physical

and

social

across

the

Far South

side.

landscape.

Within Pullman, investment is concentrated on

Projects like the Major Taylor Trail expansion

leveraging its historic assets while modernizing

and the Big Marsh East Side Neighborhood

its amenities and commercial offerings. The

Connectivity

core identity of Pullman is being reinforced

Plan

focus

on

connecting

communities with the region’s vast outdoor and

through

environmental assets (Lake Calumet and Big

Row House Restoration and Hotel Florence

Marsh), promoting active transportation and

Renovations.

72

the

conservation Furthermore,

efforts the

of

the

ongoing

Church

ensures

commitment to enhancing the local quality of

the survival of one of the community’s most

life and providing localized green space that

significant architectural and social anchors.

supplements the larger, more distant parks.

Pullman is attracting new commercial anchors,

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PULLMAN

including the future Hampton Inn—slated for

Pullman is defined by a distinctive and challenging

completion in 2027—which signifies growing

spatial organization. Its historical residential core

confidence in local tourism and business

is heavily influenced by adjacent industrial activity,

demand. This is complemented by immediate

which creates a key point of tension regarding

improvements

and

local access and quality of life. At the heart of

Cottage Grove Avenue Improvements and the

this challenge, the area is bisected by industry,

establishment of Veterans Roasters. The essential

physically separating North and South Pullman.

like

Restoration

the

111th

Street

upgrade of the 103rd Metra Station, completed in March 2025, significantly improved commuter

Pullman’s path forward requires a two-pronged

access as well their experience, directly addressing

strategy: leveraging its unique assets for economic

the need for better local transportation options

growth and executing deliberate, equitable physical planning to address its industrial division.

Future investment must maximize Pullman’s

.

cultural

and

economic

generators

while

promoting equitable growth. The community must capitalize on its unique assets, leveraging its status as a National Historical Park to maximize its potential as a tourist destination. Investment is needed to stabilize and remediate existing sites by investing in and supporting economic generators that are already anchored in the community.

The challenge of being bisected by industry Major Taylor Trail

requires innovative planning to reintegrate the community and improve access. This industrial

Recent successes demonstrate the momentum

division necessitates strategic solutions that

of revitalization, providing tangible benefits and

enhance local access and mobility between

drawing visitors. Pullman Crossings, is a key

the separated North and South segments. The

development piece that has introduced significant

strategic use of soft sites (vacant land/lots)

new commercial and retail space, improving

should prioritize development that effectively

local access to services and creating jobs. The

bridges these physical and social gaps and

POP! in Heights Park, completed in 2022, is a

improves the overall quality of life for all residents.

recreational asset that provides a much-needed, high-quality public space, demonstrating a

73

Chapter 3: Community Profile

Greenstone

PULLMAN UNITED

SWOT ANALYSIS

A PATH FORWARD

long-term

Pullman is a community with exceptional

The combination of their existing green spaces

foundations. Pullman’s Historic District is a

and the potential for a dense network of nature

point of strong local pride, and their deep Black

trails, the gateway to Big Marsh, and the option

history provides a unique cultural and narrative

for renewable energy makes Pullman an ideal

asset that few neighborhoods can match, making

candidate

us a prime location for investment. We can

Pullman’s assets to become a regional leader

capitalize on our Historic District and transit by

in environmental justice and sustainability.

pursuing the tourism and local, small businesses

The

opportunities. This is a direct path to economic

exacerbated by the lack of rental properties

revitalization

past.

and poor building conditions. We need a

The lack of local work opportunity and the

cohesive strategy that secures public-private

absence of employers, combined with the

funding and coordinates adaptive re-use to

threat of funding cuts and the structural

stabilize our current housing stock and attract

disinvestment,

We

new, high-quality development. Currently the

need to focus on securing partnerships and

high home ownership rate is a strength we

leveraging adaptive re-use to reverse the

can build on and gain momentum in by using

74

that

honors

poses

a

Pullman’s

severe

risk.

trend

for

an

of

‘industrial

Eco-District.

overreach’.

Leveraging

threat of continued deterioration is

Chapter 3: Community Profile

infill development and ETOD to increase the

high-quality public space, demonstrating a

stock of affordable homeownership. Pullman

commitment to enhancing the local quality of

is primed for residents with their multi modal

life and providing localized green space that

transit options and strong school network.

supplements the larger, more distant parks.

Pullman’s community faces a serious public health issue, evidenced by the high cancer rates and high obesity and asthma rates. This is directly linked to the poor air, water, and soil quality stemming from their legacy of industry. We need to develop immediate, targeted interventions to

mitigate

these

environmental

hazards.

and drawing visitors. Pullman Crossings, is a key development piece that has introduced significant

Pullman can be the epicenter of repair, restoration & transformation - Pullman Resident

new commercial and retail space, improving local access to services and creating jobs. The POP! in Heights Park, completed in 2022, is a recreational asset that provides a much-needed,

75

PULLMAN UNITED

04

APPROACHES FOR PULLMAN

76

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Approaches for Pullman: Case Studies A crucial step in the planning and design process for this Studio was looking at success stories of tactical short-term, progressive intermediary, and innovative large-scale projects that uplift the health, well-being, and economic vitality of the communities they serve. This iterative, collective process resulted in the accumulation of a breadth of case studies that this Studio has leaned on to strengthen the feasibility and progressive nature of each intervention proposed in the following sections of our plan and urban design strategies. Many of these projects have been completed in communities like Pullman; they share valuable insights about lessons learned and opportunities to leverage unique urban characteristics when deriving urban design interventions. The projects outlined below span applications that this Studio applies to Pullman’s unique context.

77

PULLMAN UNITED

SUCCESS STORIES

78

North Pullman is a key part of the larger Pullman

the community and are leveraged in our design.

community, with its own unique strengths and

Finally, the strong transit accessibility of the

characteristics. Specifically, the large number

community makes it ripe for transit-oriented

of schools, community centers, and athletic

development which can act as a gateway to

facilities here inspire a need for youth focused

North Pullman. We also explore interventions

design.

around

to support the informal economy, which already

cultivating the next generation and inspiring

exists in Pullman, as well as ways to support local

them to experiment with different fields, such

artists through live/work residential housing

as the arts. Cultural institutions like the A.

units.

Our

interventions

center

Philip Randolph Museum are prized assets of

CENTRAL PULLMAN Central Pullman is the vital core that anchors

historical assets for economic growth and

and elevates Pullman as the Crowned Jewel

executing deliberate, equitable physical planning,

of Chicago’s Far South Side. It serves as the

we will finally bridge the industrial division that

focus area that unifies and elevates the proud,

bisects the community. Interventions include

prosperous parts of the neighborhood. This

advancing transit-oriented development, Main

central section is where we transform the

Streets, and local small businesses to support

industrial blueprint of Pullman into a living

the unique historic district.

national treasure, by leveraging its unique

SOUTH PULLMAN We see South Pullman as the beginnings of an

set of ecological challenges: it is the portion

EcoDistrict for all of Pullman and the Far South.

of the neighborhood with the highest amount

South Pullman has much going for it, from the

of flooding and is sandwiched between the

wealth of cultural assets to public parks and

industrial area to the North and contaminated

farmer’s markets to the Kensington Metra station

Sherwin Williams site to the South. These

and eventual CTA Red line connections. While

unique challenges require targeted spatial and

South Pullman’s historical designations are the

programmatic interventions that leverage the

core of Pullman’s spirit, this area has a unique

area’s strengths and opportunities.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

NORTH PULLMAN

PULLMAN UNITED

NORTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

YOUTH SPACE

ALLEY ACTIVATION

ETOD

YOUTH POP-UP

80

LIVE/WORK LOFTS

ECOLOGICAL CORRDIOR

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

81

PULLMAN UNITED

NORTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Alley Activations - Berwyn Shops, Berwyn, IL Designer: City of Berwyn Developer: Berwyn Development Corporation As a retail incubator for the City of Berwyn,

a whole. Through this homegrown

Berwyn Shops is designed to support entrepre-

small business owners have sold out events, in-

neurs, attract small businesses, and boost com-

creased their product lines, and graduated into

mercial activity for both the project space and

storefronts. The shops rely on stakeholders and

the Roosevelt Road corridor. This project con-

partners to continue investment and ensure

tains a collection of individual 12ft by 12ft store-

the long term viability of the project. This proj-

fronts, called cottages, aimed at up-and-coming

ect can be implemented in the alleys of North

businesses and entrepreneurs. The cottages aim

Pullman to turn underutilized space into a space

to generate an impact greater than the sum of

that supports local entrepreneurs and attracts

their parts and affect the Berwyn community as

patrons seeking culture and retail.

82

project,

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Affordable Housing - Congo Street, Dallas, TX Designer: bcWORKshop Developer: bcWORKshop The Dallas community struggled with similar

green infrastructure (stormwater management,

issues to Pullman such as poverty, low educa-

retention, and bio-filtration, solar power and

tional attainment, lack of job skills and vocation-

solar thermal systems to the homes). The initia-

al opportunities. The bcWORKshop took on an

tive involved architecture students, volunteers,

initiative aimed at stabilizing the homeowner-

and residents. This project can be an example

ship of five families on the street. The project

of how to implement affordable housing with-

consisted of 3 phases. First, families were hes-

out displacing current residents, and to a further

itant to relocate, so BC built a “holding house”

degree, ensuring their input is a part of the con-

on the street that each family could move into

struction process. North Pullman has historic

while their homes were renovated. Second, fam-

homes that residents would not want to part

ilies were involved in redevelopment plans and

with, so Congo Street’s tactful approach would

they reclaimed as many materials as possible

translate well.

during reconstruction. Third, they implemented

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PULLMAN UNITED

NORTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

eTOD - Fifth City Commons, East Garfield Park Chicago, IL Designer: Perkins&Will and Nia Architects Developer: Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) This development is a 43-unit affordable hous-

ply roughly 2/3rds of the building’s electricity.

ing apartment building which has two commu-

This eTOD stands as a testament of what af-

nity rooms, a terrace, fitness room and three

fordable housing is possible in Chicago, and we

laundry rooms, as well as charging stations for

can apply its core characteristics to each eTOD

electric vehicles and on-site composting as part

at 103rd and 111th: housing that is affordable,

of the Passive House clean energy standards. It

equitable, livable, energy-efficient, and passes

also has a roof with solar panels which will sup-

Passive Housing standards.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Live/Work Lofts - The Otis Apartments, Pilsen, Chicago, IL Designer: The Otis Developer: The Otis The Pilsen neighborhood has become a leader

space for a home studio, room to display art-

in connecting live work lofts to arts and culture.

work, or an area for collaborative projects. Like

These lofts allow artists to reside in the commu-

Pilsen, Pullman has a large inventory of former

nity. Many of the developments are adaptive re-

industrial warehouses and other buildings that

use of older industrial buildings. The open floor

are prime for converting to residential lofts. Do-

plans and expansive walls provide the flexibility

ing so would foster a habitat for budding artists

that can be adjusted whether someone needs

and creatives to thrive in the neighborhood.

85

PULLMAN UNITED

NORTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Pedestrian Bridge - Madison LakeWay, Madison, WI Designer: City of Madison Parks Division Developer: Madison LakeWay Partners

The bridge spans water and allows access to

Ford Expressway.

downtown Madison. The bridge features a trail

Pullman vertically to the east and horizontally to

system accommodating pedestrians and cyclists.

the north, and cuts Pullman off from one of the

The bridge is lined with grass and trees for a

most valuable assets in the Far South: Big Marsh

more pleasant experience. The project will ac-

Park. Inserting a pedestrian bridge near 103rd

tivate acres of underutilized shoreline and im-

Street in North Pullman would greatly improve

prove connectivity for residents accessing parks

connectivity between Big Marsh and the rest of

and other recreational amenities of the area.

Pullman and provide a precedent for other need-

The concept of a pedestrian bridge can be ap-

ed bridges in Pullman and the Far South.

plied to a major barrier in Pullman: the Bishop

86

The expressway divides

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Youth Space - Rest. Play. Ride., Detroit, MI Designer: NW Goldberg Cares (NWGC) Developer: Ralph C Wilson Foundation

A bus stop was converted to a playground in

a community. This tactical intervention could

the Goldberg neighborhood of Detroit, Michi-

be applied to Pullman at the vacant lot on the

gan. Funded with a Ralph C Wilson Foundation

corner of 107th Street and Cottage Grove Ave-

Play Everywhere grant, this project improved

nue. The lot is currently sitting underutilized and

access to safe open space for the youth in the

could have a playground erected on it to serve

area. These types of spaces can attract other

the youth of the community, with little need for

types of tactical interventions in the community.

major construction or inconveniences on neigh-

The project is also evidence that minimal square

bors. The project would serve the youth-orient-

footage is needed to make a positive impact in

ed goals of North Pullman.

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PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Youth Pop-up - First Fridays, River North Arts District, Denver, CO Designer: River North Arts District (non-profit) Developer: River North Arts District (non-profit) Once a month the streets in the neighborhood

community center could be closed to vehicles

close to vehicles and have a pedestrian only fes-

and remain pedestrian only for a set period of

tival. The festival hosts artists and vendors of

time on a recurring basis. The closed off street

all kinds and is marketed to youth and families.

will have vendors, performers, play spaces, food,

These types of activations demonstrate the abil-

music, and other entertainment. The event will

ity of streets to be used for more than vehicles.

become a destination for not just North Pullman

This project could be applied to 103rd Street at

residents but for all of the Far South region.

Gately Park. The access road to the school and

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CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

89

PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

REAR SHOPS ACTIVTION

FIREHOUSE COVERSION

ETOD

TOWN CENTER

90

DECK PARK

CLOCK TOWER ACTIVATION

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

91

PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

eTOD - Fifth City Commons, East Garfield Park Chicago, IL Designer: Perkins&Will and Nia Architects Developer: Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) This development is a 43-unit affordable hous-

ply roughly 2/3rds of the building’s electricity.

ing apartment building which has two commu-

This eTOD stands as a testament of what af-

nity rooms, a terrace, fitness room and three

fordable housing is possible in Chicago, and we

laundry rooms, as well as charging stations for

can apply its core characteristics to each eTOD

electric vehicles and on-site composting as part

at 103rd and 111th: housing that is affordable,

of the Passive House clean energy standards. It

equitable, livable, energy-efficient, and passes

also has a roof with solar panels which will sup-

Passive Housing standards.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Firehouse Conversion - 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Atlanta, GA Designer: Interplan Developer: 4 Rivers This project involved the challenging conver-

door for a balcony). The interior design focused

sion of a nearly 100-year-old historic firehouse

on preserving the historic character by exposing

(former Fire Station No. 16) into the flagship

the original wooden beams and rafters on both

Atlanta location for 4 Rivers Smokehouse. The

floors. The result was a unique, comfortable,

project was a comprehensive “gut rehab” con-

and rustic dining environment that honored the

version, departing significantly from 4 Rivers’

building’s history.

typical portfolio. The most significant challenge was the building’s age, necessitating substantial

Pullman possesses a key opportunity in the

structural reinforcement. This included engaging

historic firehouse on Cottage Grove Avenue. This

a structural engineer and shoring company to lift

currently vacant structure can be transformed

the existing roof to address sagging roof trusses.

into a vibrant, multi-use hub, directly addressing

The facility required an extensive overhaul of all

the community’s desire for an activated space.

utilities, as the existing mechanical, plumbing,

This project is perfectly positioned to house a

and electrical systems were entirely insufficient

wellness center and/or a flexible community

for a commercial restaurant operation. The de-

center offering diverse programming for Pullman

sign strategy centered on historic preservation

residents across all demographics. Reimagining

while injecting the brand’s signature rustic atmo-

the firehouse will not only unlock an incredible

sphere. Designers were legally restricted from

asset but also serve as a source of unique cul-

permanently altering the exterior of the historic

tural charm and activation along the proposed

building (with the minor exception of adding a

Cultural Trail.

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PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Rear Shops Activation - Silver Dollar City, Branson, MO Designer: Jack and Peter Herschend Developer: The Herschend Family Silver Dollar City originated from Marvel Cave,

Pullman shares an equally profound connection

its first attraction. The theme park began in

to innovative American industrial craftsmanship

1960 when the Herschend family, who leased

and design excellence. The proposed Rear Shops

and operated the National Landmark cave,

Activation will fundamentally redefine the visitor

opened an adjacent 1880s-themed Ozark

experience. The space will be transformed into

Mountain village. This founding area, the town

a Curated Discovery Hub that immerses visitors

square,

structures

in the material and design legacy of the Pullman

alongside essential shops like a blacksmith,

era. Featuring local, modern artisans working in

a general store, and an ice cream parlor,

trades critical to the original Pullman Palace Car

establishing the park’s commitment to historical

Company, such as woodworking, upholstery,

authenticity from day one. The park’s unique

and metal smithing. This direct demonstration

identity is defined by its seamless integration of

of skill establishes a living history component,

thrilling, modern theme park rides with a deep,

mirroring the successful artisan model. Digital

uncompromising reverence for Ozark Mountain

and physical displays will connect the products

heritage and craftsmanship. This core feature

sold to the historical processes and innovators

is maintained by over 100 demonstrating

who worked in the Pullman shops, creating a

artisans—including

glassblowers,

seamless link between the commerce and the

blacksmiths, and potters—who actively practice,

park’s interpretive message. The activation will

create, and sell their unique trades throughout

serve as a powerful interpretive tool, driving

the village, providing guests with an immersive,

home the history of innovation and labor at

living history experience alongside world-class

Pullman while providing a sustainable, high-

entertainment.

quality revenue stream for Pullman’s local

Pullman National Historical Park offers an

economy. It transforms the visitor experience

unparalleled opportunity to adopt the successful

ensuring that guests leave not just with a

experiential

souvenir, but with a tangible connection to

featured

authentic

log

master

heritage

model

strategically

deployed by destinations like Silver Dollar City.

94

Pullman’s legacy of industrial craftsmanship.

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Clock Tower Activation - The Shepherd Arts Park, Detroit, MI Designer: Office for Strategy+Design Developer: Anthony and JJ Curis Library Street Collective) The Shepherd Art Park revitalized a once-

brick Romanesque church; and achieves critical

vacant 3.5-acre site in a historically depopulated

site performance goals.

Detroit neighborhood, transforming it into a

Our revitalization strategy for the Clock Tower

dynamic cultural hub. The newly reimagined

within the National Park’s campus will adopt

site honors a church that once anchored the

the multi-functional approach proven successful

community, transforming it into a new kind of

by the Shepherd Art Park. The park’s success

hub that facilitates social interaction, art, and

lay in moving beyond a single function, instead

play. Aimed at contributing to the city’s artistic

introducing a range of integrated elements

renaissance, the project included outdoor art

designed to serve the community and attract

galleries, a sculpture park dedicated to Detroit

a broader visitor base. The space will be

artist Charles McGee, play areas, events spaces,

transformed by introducing diverse, overlapping

and a new skate park designed in collaboration

programmatic uses for social interaction through

with Tony Hawk. The design integrates diverse

initial pop-ups, art installations, and recreation.

programmatic

needs;

creates

a

sense

of

discovery and play; harmonizes with the vast

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PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

Deck Park - Klyde Warren Park, Dallas, TX Designer: OJB Landscape Architecture Developer: City of Dallas and the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation Klyde Warren Park is a 5.4-acre deck park

for a transformative deck park. This strategic

constructed directly over a recessed eight-

location allows the deck park to serve as

lane freeway (Woodall Rodgers Freeway). This

Pullman’s iconic Gateway. By constructing the

deck park is a feat of urban infrastructure

park over the recessed freeway, the project

effectively creating green space “out of thin

will create a highly visible urban feature that

air,” transforming what once was a barrier into a

freeway riders will encounter before they

vibrant community connector. Since its opening

officially enter the historic district. This instantly

in 2012, the park has seamlessly stitched

establishes an unforgettable visual anchor for

together Dallas’s most dynamic districts: the

the National Historical Park and the wider Far

Uptown

internationally

South side. The deck park’s primary functional

recognized Arts District, and the downtown

role is to act as the essential connective tissue

business center. The park’s impact extends

between two major assets: Pullman National

far beyond recreation. It has served as a

Historical Park and the adjacent Big Marsh Park.

powerful economic and social catalyst for the

This intervention directly remediates a formally

entire region, driving significant real estate

pedestrian-hostile

development and increasing quality of life. By

transforming it into a pedestrian friendly point.

fostering foot traffic and providing a central,

By physically bridging the divide, the park will

accessible gathering place, Klyde Warren Park

incentivize visitors of the to move beyond

has achieved its founders’ vision: a neutral,

National Park’s formal campus boundaries and

welcoming center where families from diverse

into the wider regional trail systems surrounding

neighborhoods can create new traditions and

Pullman and Big Marsh. This expansion drives

share experiences in the heart of the city.

foot traffic, extends the visitor’s stay, and

neighborhood,

the

piece

of

infrastructure

distributes the economic benefits across the The 111th Street and Bishop Ford Freeway

entire Far South side, maximizing the potential

intersection presents a uniquely primed canvas

of both major green and historical assets.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Town Center -Village of Oak Park’s Greater Downtown Master Plan Oak Park Chicago, IL Designer: Crandall Arambula PC Oak Park’ master plan focused on the town center

high-density developments are included in the

- a plan to make a mixed-use district with brick-

plan. This plan sets the stage for the community

paved streets, narrow passages, and mid-rise

to congregate, shop, relax, and play. Additionally,

mixed-use buildings to make a lively and exciting

its close proximity to rapid transit makes it a

place. These mixed-use buildings were designed

prime example of eTOD done right in Chicago.

to have unique local shops on the first floors

The Town Center concept can be applied to the

with 3-5 floors of residential units above in order

land on 111th - the parcel that sits at the edge of

to bring residents to the district. The plan lays

CNI’s Pullman Crossing development. Pullman

out important areas and functions of the town

doesn’t necessarily have a central district, main

center, and utilizes courtyards, car-light streets,

street, or a central courtyard - key features for a

parks, and other public spaces in order to create

pedestrian oriented community. Oak Park sets

livable, dynamic, and spontaneous spaces. An

an example for how Pullman could have its very

opera club building, a health club, and mixed-use

own Town Center.

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PULLMAN UNITED

CENTRAL PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

National Park - Lowell National Historic Park, Lowell, MA Developer: National Park Foundation Lowell National Historic Park has reinvented

exhibits and museums to show artifacts and

itself as a destination that brings visitors and

movies that explain the history of the industrial

tourists from all over the US. Home to the Boott

area. The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust

Cotton Mills Museum, “mill girl” boardinghouses,

hosts various events, often free, such as nature

and Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit, the Park has

walks and other community-focused activities,

an interactive textile production facility where

for the Park. Pullman’s National Historic Park

visitors can watch weaves be made in action.

can similarly incorporate interactive elements,

The Park additionally features a riverboat

walking tours of Pullman along the Cultural Trail,

tour of Pawtucket Canal, a trolley tour to see

and visits to Big Marsh Park via a shuttle service.

Lowell’s historic industrial buildings, and several

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDIES

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

SOLAR FARM

GREEN ROOF PARK

PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

GREEN SCHOOLYARD

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VERTICAL GARDEN

MARKET HALL

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

DELI & CO-OP

COMMUNITY ARTS HUB

WORKFORCE HOUSING

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

New Life for a Superfund Site - Maywood Solar Farm, Indianapolis, IN Designer: Hanwha Q Cells Developer: Hanwha Q Cells A chemical manufacturing company set the

nature was needed to implement a minimally

example for Environmental Protection Agency

invasive, above ground mounting system for

(EPA) Superfund sites in 2014 when they

the panels in under just 1 year of construction.

unveiled Maywood Solar Farm, the largest

The 10.82-Megawatt system now supplies clean

array installed on such a site of its time. After

energy to approximately 2,000 homes per year

undergoing 20 years of remediation to mitigate

and has not hindered remediation efforts taking

extensive groundwater and soil contamination

place on other areas of the property. Notably,

caused by the Reilly Tar & Chemical Corporation

the $30 million project leveraged minimal state

and preceding factories dating back to the

funds to complete the project and instead used

1950s, Aurorium partnered with the EPA,

conventional solar financing between Hanwha

Indianapolis Power and Light (IP&L), German

Q Cells and IP&L. The solar park at the Sherwin

solar developer Hanwha Q Cells, and a team of

Williams site can follow a model similar to this

committed engineers and consultants to bring

to ensure it is cost effective, compliant with EPA

36,500 solar panels to 43 acres of the 120-acre

requirements, and provides maximum benefits

site. A committed, interdisciplinary team of this

to all parties involved.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Immersive Experiences - The Solar Strand, Buffalo, NY Designer: New York Power Authority Developer: Hood Design StudioFoundation In 2012, the University at Buffalo, in collaboration

areas to create an immersive experience.

with Hood Design Studio and the New York

Funded by the New York Power Authority, this

Power Authority, constructed the Solar Strand:

$14 million project proves that infrastructure

a 750-kilowatt solar PV system that would both

improvements can better resident wellbeing

power hundreds of student apartments and

not only by curbing carbon emissions, but also

serve as a living laboratory for students, faculty,

by generating learning opportunities regarding

and the public. The 5,000-panel array spans 3

environmental stewardship. In Pullman, we can

acres and additionally features benches, outdoor

incorporate interactive elements that the Solar

classrooms, walking paths between rows of

Strand has pioneered into the solar park at the

panels, and surrounding meadows and wetland

Sherwin Williams site.

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

Community Solar - Green Energy Justice Cooperative Projects, Aurora, Naperville, Romeoville, IL Developer: Blacks in Green Foundation In 2022, Blacks in Green (BIG) and similarly

By employing community solar programming,

aligned Chicago organizations launched a clean

these projects lower energy bills for subscribers

energy cooperative called the Green Energy

across Aurora, Naperville, Romeoville, and

Justice Cooperative (GEJC). Aimed at boosting

surrounding areas. Many of these subscribers

the local green economy and cultivating clean

include

energy sovereignty in areas suffering from

homeowners, who qualify for a lower opt-in

environmental justice issues, GEJC received

rate, as well as Black and Brown residents.

funding from the Illinois Power Agency (IPA)

Additional benefits to subscribers include profit

to build 3, 3 Megawatt solar farms in Illinois

sharing, involvement in the solar cooperative,

communities in 2023. As of July 2025, the

and related workforce training. Building off BIG’s

Aurora and Naperville installations are installed

past decade of advocacy engagement through

and running.

the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), Pullman can

low-

and

moderate-

income

seek partnership with GEJC to ensure energy from the solar park reaches local households.

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

EcoDistricts - Broadway-Slavic Village, Cleveland, OH Designer: OJB Landscape Architecture Developer: City of Dallas and the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation Broadway-Slavic Village, one of Cleveland,

the community acquire funding to carry out

Ohio’s oldest neighborhoods, became the ninth

projects. South Pullman, and eventually all of

and largest EcoDistrict Certified community

Pullman, could join Broadway-Slavic Village as

in 2022 after engaging in a 3-year process

one of the few EcoDistrict certified communities

of community and stakeholder engagement.

in the country by employing the programming

The certification was sought after to identify

and spatial interventions proposed in this plan

the equity and climate protection needs of

document. Community engagement efforts of

the community, including resiliency against a

this studio and the prior MCD studios focused

loss of industrial jobs, high quantity of vacant

on the Calumet region have laid the groundwork

homes, and pollution brought on by prior

for this certification process.

industrial activity. The resulting EcoDistrict Roadmap identifies specific goals, strategies, and performance targets, and has helped

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

High-Performance Affordable Housing - Conservatory Apartments, Chicago, IL Designer: HED Design Studio Developer: Interfaith Housing Development Corporation The Conservatory Apartments is the first

elements and daylighting features to improve

Passive House US (Phius) certified, large-scale,

quality of life for occupants. The project is

multi-family project in Chicago, IL, setting the

situated in close proximity to the CTA Green

example for other affordable housing projects

Line, making it a strong candidate for equitable

in humid-cool climates. Completed in 2024 by

transit-oriented

HED Design Studio and the Interfaith Housing

opportunity to follow the precedents set by the

Development Corporation, the 43-unit project

Conservatory Apartments by completing one

boasts a 14-kW photovoltaic system, energy

of the first Phius certified affordable housing

efficient appliances, and an advanced plumbing

projects in the Chicago area with the workforce

that have saved 25% of water use on site, in

housing project in South Pullman.

addition to being a high-performance building.

As a participant in the Living Building Challenge Pilot Program for affordable housing, the project team additionally incorporated biophilic interior

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design.

Pullman

has

an

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Community Hub - The Foundry, Cambridge, MA Designer: CambridgeSeven Developer: Cambridge Redevelopment Authority

In 2022, the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts,

exercise studios, cooking rooms, office tenants,

and the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority

and gathering space. We can follow this strong

recruited

to

model with the proposed conversion of the

reimagine a 1980 steam pump manufacturing

historic Stables building into a community and

facility into an all-electric, LEED Gold certified

educational hub. Two particular aspects of this

community hub. To uplift residents of different

project that we can learn from are ensuring

ages, abilities, and backgrounds, neighborhood

that residents are included in the process of

groups were engaged to ensure the hub brought

choosing amenities to include in the space; and

intentional use to a previously unoccupied

prioritizing energy efficiency and conservation

building. 70% of the existing structure was

of materials in the renovation process.

design

firm

CambridgeSeven

reused during construction, and the project was specifically designed to preserve the historical character of the structure. The resulting project is an inclusive conglomeration of makerspaces,

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

Deli & Co-op - Brome Modern Eatery, Dearborn, MI Designer: Hallarsan Group The owners of Brome Modern Eatery in

existing infrastructure from the previous tenant

Dearborn, Michigan transformed a 6,000-square

but ultimately executed a biophilic, healthy

foot, mid-1900s jewelry store into a modern

eatery. This success story shows that there is

fast-casual restaurant in under one year in

promise in repurposing old spaces, even in the

2015. After purchasing the vacant space and

face of difficult existing conditions, with the

working with the city to acquire nearby land

right dedicated project team.

to be used as patio space, the team removed remnants of the prior business and installed interior finishings made of wood pulled from local railroads, two live green walls, and floorto-ceiling windows to maximize lighting. The project encountered some issues with removing

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Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Open Market - Pike Place, Seattle, WA Designer: Miller Hull Developer: Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, began

around the existing Market Square structure,

as a farmer’s initiative in 1907 and has grown to

once rebuilt, can preserve Pullman’s historic

500 stalls of vendors, restaurants, and artists over

character, and uplift and expand the present-

9-acres and 11 buildings by the city’s waterfront.

day farmer’s market to bring healthy food and

After facing demolition in the mid-1900s, an

related goods to Pullman residents.

advocacy non-profit fought to establish the area as a historic district, preserving the character and vitality of the market. In 2017, an outdoor expansion brought additional open-air space with a public gathering area, a neighborhood center, and affordable housing. Like Pike Place Market, an indoor-outdoor market in and

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PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN: CASE STUDY

Green Schoolyard - Space to Grow Program, Chicago, IL Designer: Varies Developer: Healthy Schools Campaign, Openlands, Chicago Public Schools The Space to Grow program works with

using funding procured through Open Lands’

Chicago communities to upgrade underutilized

partners. A partnership

schoolyards with gardens that function both

Elementary School and the Space to Grow

as stormwater management mechanisms and

program would expand the program’s reach to

learning opportunities with outdoor classrooms

the Far South and bring a green schoolyard to

and quality play spaces. Residents and students

the elementary school and other residents of

have been involved in much of the planning and

Pullman.

planting of these gardens, and the program’s policy enables the schoolyards to remain open after school hours to be used by the rest of the community. As of 2019, Space to Grow has worked to implement 34 schoolyard projects

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between

Pullman

Chapter 4: Approaches for Pullman

Vertical Garden - Stanford Shopping Center, Stanford, CA Designer: Tournesol Developer: Tournesol The developer installs vertical gardens of foliage

adjacent to the Kensington Metra station. The

on an assortment of surfaces. Here, the buffer

buffer wall would provide residents with better

walls of the center development have had

air quality and visual aesthetics on their street.

foliage planted on the facade. The plants grow over time, and their impact grows along with it. The plants dampen noise and decarbonize the environment around it, as well as humanize the space more. A project like this one could be implemented in South Pullman to cover the concrete wall along Cottage Grove Avenue

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05

FRAMEWORK PLAN

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OUR VISION FOR PULLMAN By executing our vision, we are turning a point

historic,

of tension into a point of connection, ensuring

planned

community

rooted

in

innovation—and a boundless future.

the whole of Pullman is proud, prosperous and united:

Pullman is a community of unparalleled historical significance—a living testament to industrial

A Prosperous Pullman prioritizes equity to

innovation, pivotal labor rights achievements,

improve access to amenities and resources for

and successful preservation. Yet, the physical

all residents;

legacy of its industrial blueprint presents a central challenge: a vibrant, historical residential

A Proud Pullman builds on existing cultural and

core is currently bisected and overshadowed by

historic assets to promote growth;

its industrial past, creating a separation between North and South Pullman.

A United Pullman is one equitable, inclusive, healthy community.

Our work is centered on transforming this relic of an industrial blueprint into a National Treasure— the crowned jewel of Chicago’s Far South.

We envision a healthy, well-connected, and vibrant Pullman—where community, culture, and abundant opportunity are catalysts for lasting prosperity across the Far South Side.

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Chapter 5: Framework Plan

We stand at the crossroads of a rich past—a

PULLMAN UNITED

PRINCIPLES We have cast a bold vision for Pullman: A healthy, well-connected, and vibrant community.

However, our vision is just a map; to begin the journey, we need a clear roadmap to navigate the challenges revealed in our SWOT analysis.

Our threats—from environmental concerns to economic disinvestment—are significant. Our strengths and opportunities are even greater.

To ensure we leverage every asset and address every vulnerability with intention, we have

defined five guiding principles that will direct our efforts, and usher the guiding question: How will we build lasting prosperity in Pullman?

To answer this, and to ensure we address every vulnerability and capitalize on every asset with intention, we have defined five core guiding principles. Drawing inspiration from the Calumet Off the Grid Plan, we are directing our efforts to transform the industrial past into a thriving future for all of Chicago’s Far South Side.

CLEAN Foster a healthy human and physical environment that establishes Pullman as a leader in environmental regeneration and green industry.

CULTIVATE Nurture the human and social capital of the community to promote cultural heritage and historic preservation of the built environment.

CONNECT Stimulate a multi-modal network that unites Pullman and fosters access to physical and social resources.

CREATE Drive innovation and stimulate economic vitality that generates wealth and opportunity for all.

COEXIST Build equitable and inclusive communities that promote the coexistence of innovative affordable housing and industry models that support social diversity.

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PLAN GOALS

56%

want to see a grocery store in Pullman

NORTH PULLMAN GOALS Design meaningful mixed-use development targeted toward youth to engage the next generation.

Ensure equitable access to green space for all to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Install impactful cultural and artistic streetscapes honoring current and past community stories to bring unity.

Create financially-accessible new and adaptive reused housing stock and other built amenities that contribute to a healthy community.

The revitalization of North Pullman is centered on creating a dynamic area where work, culture, and community converge. We plan to develop mixed-use spaces and establish a vibrant Artistic Cultural Trail, transforming North Pullman into a destination that reflects the neighborhood’s historic creativity. Our strategy is built on key resident priorities, balancing immediate needs with long-term housing solutions. The plan involves developing mixed-use spaces and establishing an Artistic Cultural Trail, while simultaneously introducing a new and adaptively reused housing stock that is financially accessible.

We also aim to support an informal economy of

44%

of respondents want more singlefamily homes

activated alleyways for residents to sell local goods for small businesses. Through eTOD we also plan to provide live/work lofts to offer ground floor gallery space for local artisans to have thriving businesses near where they live.

These interventions directly address the needs voiced by residents. While our long-term vision includes creating more single-family housing (a desire cited by 44% of residents), immediate, short-term actions are also critical. This approach ensures North Pullman grows in a way that is sustainable and responsive to every voice.

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Chapter 5: Framework Plan

With these refined principles established, each focus area developed specific goals designed to anchor interventions directly to the unique microcontext and needs of the work required in Pullman.

PULLMAN UNITED

SOUTH PULLMAN GOALS Promote connection through transitoriented development to serve residents with diverse and abundant resources.

Build energy-efficient and ecologicallysound spaces to improve the health of ecosystems, the economy, and residents.

Create vibrant community spaces to generate economic vitality and opportunities for connection.

Leverage historical uses to strengthen unique community identity and local pride.

42% want a pedestrian bridge connection to Big Marsh at 115th Street

40%

want green industry opportunities for Pulllman

The vision for South Pullman is to lead by example, proving that modern industry and community well-being can thrive together. We are committed to transforming the area into a pioneer for other historically industrial communities by applying regenerative environmental interventions. This strategy moves beyond simple preservation, creating a model where industry is neither extractive nor at odds with its neighbors.

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This transformation is rooted in resident desires for a more active, connected, and sustainable neighborhood. By focusing on regenerative practices and integrating accessible green infrastructure and commercial amenities, South Pullman will become a resilient, thriving hub.

CENTRAL PULLMAN GOALS

Elevate Pullman as a central corridor that unites and connects the neighborhood to the Far South Side.

Chapter 5: Framework Plan

Leverage Pullman’s historic assets into a cultural destination.

50% want retail jobs close to home

Activate Pullman’s gateway into a vibrant main street corridor that supports small local business.

Central Pullman is positioned to become a major economic development magnet by fully leveraging its unique and most powerful asset: the Pullman National Historical Park. The strategy here is to complete the transformation of Pullman from an industrial blueprint into a true National Treasure by solidifying its identity as a premier tourist destination.

This new tourism district is built on a foundation of strong community support. The majority of residents surveyed embrace tourism and welcome its role in boosting the local economy. To ensure success directly benefits residents and creates a world-class visitor experience, development will center on an authentic new retail center. This center will call back to historic Pullman by improving walkability, connectivity, and accessibility, while simultaneously spurring vital local employment.

By centering the National Park while developing retail opportunities, Central Pullman will achieve its potential as the Far South Side’s most significant cultural and economic driver.

The majority of survey respondence embrace Pullman’s tourism potential.

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PULLMAN UNITED

FOCUS AREA

Chatham

Burnside

Calumet Heights

S Martin Luther King Dr

Cottage Grove Heights

Roseland

London Town

5 Min

103rd Station E 103RD ST

AGE GR

OVE AV

E

NORTH PULLMAN

S COTT

South Deering

S CHAMPLAIN AVE

107th Station

OVE AV

E

Railroad Marsh

AGE GR

Harborside International Golf Center

SOUTH PULLMAN

S COTT

5 Min

111th Station

E 111TH ST

S CHAMPLAIN AVE

AGE GR

OVE AV

115th/ Kensington Station

S COTT

5 Min

Harborside Marsh Pond

E

Palmer Park

CENTRAL PULLMAN E 115TH ST

West Pullman

Sherwin Williams

Riverdale Lake Calumet

W 119th St

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Chapter 5: Framework Plan

THE FRAMEWORK PLAN Our Focus Areas are comprised of North, Central, and South Pullman. North Pullman is bounded by 103rd street to the north, 107th street to the south, the highway to the East and Michigan Avenue to the west; Central Pullman is bounded by 107th Street to the north and 111th to the south and Michigan Avenue to the west and the Highway to the east; and Michigan and South Pullman is bounded. By 111th just south of 115th Street and Michigan the west and the Highway to the east.

The Street Typology Framework is comprised of three eTODs located at 103rd Street, 111th Street and 115th Street where vacant land is currently located to promote walkable, mixeduse development at key intersections where Metra stations are located. Additionally, these eTODs are strategically located to complement

the upcoming red line extension. In addition to these eTODs, we also propose to strengthen the primary east-west corridors by creating ecological corridors along 103rd Street and 115th Street to mitigate flooding and prevent heat island effect through increased tree canopy, bioswales, and rain gardens. We aim to transform 111th Street into a much-needed Main Street corridor to complement the proposed Town Center in an effort to provide Pullman with much needed retail and entertainment after the loss of businesses after the global covid 19 pandemic.

Anchoring these corridors are the cultural and ecological trails that serve to connect North and South Pullman through a series of loops along the once historic pathway along Champlain.

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PULLMAN UNITED North Pullman

North Pullman

Central Pullman

Central Pullman

South Pullman

Chatham

Burnside

South Pullman

Calumet Heights

Chatham

Burnside

Rose land

Cottage Grove Heights

S Martin Luther King Dr

S Martin Luther King Dr

Cottage Grove Heights

Rose land

London Towne

Calumet Heights

5 Min

London Towne

5 Min

103rd Station

103rd Station

e Grove

e Grove

Ave

E 103rd St

Ave

E 103rd St

South Deering

S Cottag

S Cottag

South Deering

107th Station

107th Station S Champlain Ave

Ave

Legend Water

e Grove

Harborside International Golf Center

S Cottag

5 Min

5 Min

Park Existing buildings Pullman boundary

111th Station

Metra line Red line extension Proposed Nodes

E 111th St

Railrod Marsh

Harborside International Golf Center

S Cottag

e Grove

Ave

S Champlain Ave

Railrod Marsh

Pullman boundary

ETOD development

Ecological street corridor 5 Min

Buffer/ Ecological corridor Cultural corridor

115th/ Kensington Station

Eco-residential streets

S Champlain Ave

Ave

Proposed Corridor Main street corridor

Pedestrian bridge to Big Marsh Harborside Marsh Pond 0.25 Miles radius

Palmer Park

e Grove

S Champlain Ave

Ave e Grove S Cottag

5 Min

Proposed Corridor Ecological street corridor Main street corridor Buffer/ Ecological corridor Cultural corridor

115th/ Kensington Station

Eco-residential streets

Opportunities sites

E 115th St

Opportunities sites

E 115th St

Mixed-use Commercial

West Pullman

Open spaces

Mixed-use Commercial

West Pullman

Open spaces

Green roof

Green roof

Housing renovation

Sherwin Williams

Housing renovation

Sherwin Williams

Focus area North Pullman Central Pullman

Riverdale

Focus area North Pullman Central Pullman

Riverdale

South Pullman

Lake Calumet

0

300

600 ft

Short-Term Plan (5 Years plan)

Our Framework Plan consists of three components – Short-term, Intermediate-term, and Longterm planning proposals for Pullman United.

Our Short-term plan proposals focus on develop that occurs within a five-year time frame and only identifies development opportunities on vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and city owned lots. These proposals are more conservative and are proposals that can happen immediately and are low cost. The projects may act as temporary tactical urbanism projects or catalytic projects to spur initial investment.

Our Intermediate-term plan proposals are 10–15-year plans that focus on adding mixeduse land alternatives adjacent to vacant lots,

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Park

Metra line Red line extension Proposed Nodes

E 111th St

S Cottag

Pedestrian bridge to Big Marsh Harborside Marsh Pond 0.25 Miles radius

Water Existing buildings

111th Station

ETOD development

Palmer Park

Legend

South Pullman

Lake Calumet

0

300

600 ft

Intermediate-Term Plan (10 Years plan)

abandoned buildings, city owned lots, with the addition of additional open spaces. These proposals also include future privately owned projects nearby by development teams that have project proposals underway. Many of these proposals act as opportunities to build on the momentum of initial investments of catalytic projects to spur new investment in Pullman.

Lastly, our Long-term plan proposals are 20+ year plans that are more aspirational and aim to blend mixed-use land uses throughout Pullman around eTODs along Main east-west corridors with the aim to plan for integration and coexistence of residential and industrial uses; addition of the Town Center and Lake; and ecological and sustainable design throughout Pullman.

North Pullman

Chapter 5: Framework Plan

Central Pullman

South Pullman

Chatham

Burnside

Calumet Heights

S Martin Luther King Dr

Cottage Grove Heights

Rose land

London Towne

5 Min

103rd Station

South Deering

107th Station

Railrod Marsh

Harborside International Golf Center

5 Min

Legend Water Park Existing buildings Pullman boundary

111th Station

Metra line Red line extension Proposed Nodes ETOD development Pedestrian bridge to Big Marsh Harborside Marsh Pond 0.25 Miles radius

Palmer Park

Proposed Corridor Ecological street corridor 5 Min

Main street corridor Buffer/ Ecological corridor Cultural corridor

115th/ Kensington Station

Eco-residential streets Opportunities sites Mixed-use Commercial

West Pullman

Open spaces Green roof Housing renovation

Sherwin Williams

Focus area North Pullman Central Pullman

Riverdale

South Pullman

Lake Calumet

Long-Term Plan (20 Years plan)

0

300

600 ft

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n Luther King Dr

PULLMAN UNITED

Roseland

London Town

5 Min

103rd Station

South Deering

107th Station

Railroad Marsh

Harborside International Golf Center

5 Min

111th Station

Palmer Park

Legend

Harborside Marsh Pond

Pullman boundary Metra Electric - 111th St. Pullman

5 Min

Red Line Extension Proposed Nodes

115th/ Kensington Station

ETOD development Pedestrian bridge to Big Marsh

West Pullman

Proposed Corridor Ecological street corridor Main street corridor

Sherwin Williams

Cultural corridor Eco-residential streets

Riverdale

Ecological buffer

Lake Calumet

0

300

600 miles

W 119th St

STREET TYPOLOGY PLAN OVERVIEW Pullman exists in contradictions, a model town built for pedestrians, yet, dominated by the automobile. This shift away from walkability has left the streets of Pullman wide, loud, and polluted.

Pullman serves as an important East-West connection, as it is abutted by the I-94 expressway to the East. Thus, connective roads such as 103rd, 111th, and 115th are expected to serve high volumes of automotive traffic. While these roads

122

connect drivers to major arterials and highways, they act as fracture points in a community that was developed from South to North, making it necessary to disincentive travel through traffic on these streets. These East-West thoroughfares are ideal sites for road dieting and pedestrianization.

North-South connections within Pullman are conducted almost exclusively along Cottage Grove Avenue, which is plagued by loud, fast moving traffic in a distinctly suburban context.

Ecological Corridors: Comfortable streets, lined with trees, foliage, and bioswales, which creates a pleasant environment for pedestrians while better disseminating surface water, better diminishing heat island effects, and encouraging pedestrian activity. Cleaning water and offering public spaces for residents.

A key typological benefit from Pullman’s initial constructions remains through its residential streets. Slow moving traffic and tree lined streets lend to a comfortable pedestrian and residential Green Residential Streets: designed to increase milieu. These streets were designed as gridded water permeability, help mediate urban flooding gardens, towering trees with wide canopies through rain gardens, bioswales, and native cooled residents in an era before air conditioning, pollinators. By taking away some space for cars, while wide walkways made walking comfortable and some of the imperviable surfaces needed to and efficient. Yet, these spaces have been isolated accommodate them, we are able to create more within the neighborhoods they occupy, lacking green space for residents. the connectivity that they once possessed. These interior streets feel like oases when compared Green Alleys: Service ways with the potential to the major connective to remediate rain streets which isolate water, improve air these more comfortable, quality, and reduce The remediation of these residential streets. the presence of pests. alienating environments is essential if we wish to see a more While creating a more This bifurcation of street pleasant environment active, better connected, and typologies between for pedestrians, native cleaner Pullman. residential promenades species, and pollinators. and efficient, automotive roads harms connectivity and encourages isolation. Ecological Trail & Buffer: connecting residents to We have situated our street design interventions as greenery while improving pedestrian connectivity connective tissues within Pullman, aiming to revisit throughout the neighborhood, with the added and reinterpret the historical design of Pullman to benefit of absorbing the smells and racket of address this current typological dissonance. industrial & commercial activity.

The current street typologies can be classified as: • Divisive Minor Arterials • Quaint, yet wide, residential streets • Truck-laden, Industrial service roads

The remediation of these alienating environments is essential if we wish to see a more active, better connected, and cleaner Pullman. We aim to accomplish this through the five primary street classifications, each with a distinct role and functions:

Main Street: offering an inviting public space for pedestrians through street furniture, improved tree canopies, and by quieting and slowing automotive traffic.

Heritage Trail: transforming Pullman’s historic past into a connective, informative, and ecologically integrated space through the use of clear wayfinding, AR integrated placards, and permeable walking paths, dense with foliage.

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Chapter 5: Framework Plan

Additionally, poor quality sidewalks add to the already alienating condition of these spaces, turning Pullman’s most valuable North-South connection into a dreaded and desolate space.

PULLMAN UNITED

CULTURAL TRAIL OVERVIEW

2025 MCD UR

Cottage Grove Avenue 2

3

4

11

gton Statio Kensin n

Affordable Housing & Parklet

14

13

6

Firehouse Wellness Center

S olar

Fa

Rear Shops Activation 7

8

Clock Tower

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et Int Stre th

th Street 115 In

Youth Popup

5

Partnerships with the Historic Pullman Foundation or the Historic Pullman Empowerment foundation can help steward this project, with additional support from the Historic Preservation Fund or the National Trust for Historic Preservation. More than just a tour, the Cultural Trail is an invitation to walk, to learn, and to see Pullman as a place where history is cared for, shared, and actively lived.

A. Phillip Randolph Museum & Plaza

ction rse te

At each stop, an optional Augmented Reality (AR) feature would bring the past into the present, revealing how these buildings once operated, who lived and worked here, and how their legacies shape the community today. This approach creates an accessible, self-guided educational experience that enriches daily life for residents while providing touristic value for newcomers.

PUL

1

11 1

The proposed Cultural Trail builds on the strength of Pullman’s existing monument assets, offering residents and visitors a more connected way to experience the neighborhood’s history. Designed as an interactive walking route, the Trail links key sites in South Pullman, like the Greenstone Church, Market Hall, the Stables, and worker cottages, into a cohesive discovery.

9

111th Street Gateway

Hotel Florence

CULTURAL TOUR MAP

IMAGINE entering Pullman: a place where history,

et Inters Stre ec rd

culture, and modern life blend together as naturally as breathing. On this tour, you will see old industrial vestiges standing next to new creative spaces; heritage buildings become gathering places where residents meet, exchange, and nurture community spirit. The Cultural Tour not only introduces places, but outlines how Pullman is evolving: preserving its roots, opening its doors to art and young energy, and creating shared activities that help residents care, connect for one another, and together push the neighborhood into the future.

This is Pullman: a community that lives on memories, grows on connections, and continues to change because of its people.

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Stables, Arts Cultural Hub

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Solar Strand (Solar Farm, U Buffalo)

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STREET TYPOLOGY CASE STUDIES CULTURAL TRAIL

ECOLOGICAL TRAIL

FREEDOM TRAIL

FLINT RIVER GATEWAY TRAILS

Boston, MA

Atlanta, GA

DESIGNER: Freedom Trail Foundation DEVELOPERS: Freedom Trail Preservation Fund

DEVELOPER: Atlanta Regiuonal Commission

A collection of trails, museums, and historical sites dedicated in 1951, the Freedom Trail is a major part of Boston’s proud historical identity.

The trail spans much of the central city area and allows participants to learn about the history of the city in the context of the American Revolution. Metal plaques mark each stop on the trail and encourage visitors to explore. The project complements the rich history of the city. The project would translate well to Pullman, which is a neighborhood with rich history as well. Similar to Boston and the American Revolution, Pullman is a critical part of the American labor movement and the trail could showcase this legacy. The trail would connect the A Philip Randolph Museum in North Pullman with the National Park campus in Central Pullman with the Market Hall in South Pullman, and every key point in between.

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In partnership with local governments in the Atlanta metro area, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has proposed a 31-mile multiuse trail to connect seven communities that have been divided by the airport, highways, and railways that cut through the city. This route will run alongside the Flint River where possible and incorporates bioswales and retention ponds to achieve stormwater management goals outlined in a community-led river restoration effort called Finding the Flint. In 2026, a federally and locally funded master planning process will additionally be developed in tandem with a micro-mobility feasibility study. Through the right partnerships between local and regional entities, Pullman’s ecological trail can similarly connect the Far South and eventually Chicago’s larger trail network to Lake Calumet.

ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR

Chicago, IL

Sunnyvale, CA

DESIGNER: Chicago Department of Planning and Development DEVELOPERS: MAC Properties, University of Chicago, et al. Park Foundation

DESIGNER: SERA Architects, West 8

HYDE PARK - 53RD STREET

A collection of retail, dining, nightlife, residential, health developments oriented around a Metra commuter rail station. The development contains a mix of ages and backgrounds due to a university and hospital center nearby. The amenities are designed to be located within a brief walk from the station. Pullman has a Metra station within its boundaries that could turn 111th Street into a key commercial amenity the same way the 53rd Street Metra station helped Hyde Park. The commercial corridor could allow residents to stay in Pullman to shop and dine.

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MAIN STREET

GREEN “LINK”

SERA Architect and West 8’s Green Link is a Google commissioned project that creates a network of open spaces from downtown Sunnyvale, California, to the waterfront Moffett Park. Described by the project team as the backbone of an eco-innovation district, the trail network reduces impervious surfaces, creates designated areas for bike mobility, and increases tree canopy coverage and stormwater management systems. Notable design elements include native plant landscaping and a uniform color scheme throughout the trail network to generate legibility and highlight California’s identity. Pullman’s ecological corridors on 103rd and 115th Streets, which would eventually connect with trails in Roseland, West Pullman, and other surrounding neighborhoods, would employ these design elements to ensure continuity and maximized safety.

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ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR

ECOLOGICAL BUFFER/TRAIL

Singapore

Paris

BUKIT BATOK EAST PARK CONNECTOR

DESIGNER: National Parks Board DEVELOPER: National Parks Board A 1.5km portion of the larger Singapore Park Connector system with interconnected green trails linking park locations all over the city. The trail passes various points of interest along the way, and there is a park app to help patrons navigate. The trail can be used to access other parks in the system and change modes of transportation if desired. Each portion of the park connector system has unique characteristics and is targeted toward a particular audience. For example, beginner, intermediate, or advanced joggers, hikers, and nature goers can find a trail that meets their needs. The Bukit Batok East Park is a part of a larger, extensive Singapore park system, and Pullman could have the same relationship with the Far South and City of Chicago as a whole.

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PROMENADE PLANTÉE RENÉ-DUMONT

DESIGNERS: Philippe Mathieux, Jacques Vergely The Promenade Plantee is an almost 3-mile long trail along an abandoned viaduct in Paris, France.

The first-of-its-kind partially elevated, partially underground trail was created in 1988 by French designers Philippe Mathieux and Jacques Vergely to repurpose and revegetate the space. Along the trail, walkers, cyclists, and skateboarders alike will find natural shaded walking space, natural and landscaped vegetation, and local artist shops among 45 brick archways. The promenade culminates at a park. A local environmental agency provides guided tours of the trail, much like Pullman could do with the Cultural and Ecological trails to uplift the community’s ecological and historic assets.

GREEN ALLEYS

Seattle, WA

Chicago, IL

HIGH POINT REDEVELOPMENT

DESIGNERS: Mithun, SvR Design Company, Nakano Associates DEVELOPERS: Seattle Housing Authority Seattle, WA’s High Point Redevelopment project brings equitable community development to a socially and environmentally vulnerable area of the city. The public housing project includes over 20 acres of open space including rain gardens, pocket parks, community gardens, and green common space, as well as 15,000 linear feet of bioswales throughout the development.

These bioswales, in addition to the other lowimpact development features including rain gardens, filter and direct runoff into a pond that eventually releases into the watershed. One of the top priorities of the project, which was shaped by feedback from community members, was to reduce stormwater impacts on the local salmon species in Longfellow Creek. The project was executed in partnership with the Seattle Public Utilities Commission, who provided partial funding to construct the natural drainage system.

Pullman’s ecological corridors, green buffer trail, and green alleys will incorporate bioswales and other low impact development techniques to similarly filter stormwater before it feeds into local water bodies like Lake Calumet.

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BIOSWALE

GREEN ALLEYS PROGRAM

DESIGNER: Chicago Department of Transportation The Green Alleys Program is a Chicago Department of Transportation initiative to make the alleys in Chicago pleasant places for walking, or exercise, while also providing a space for local residents to hold Garage Galleries, businesses, and events. The Program began in 2006 with five green infrastructure projects and by 2009 had expanded to over 100 green alleys throughout the city. In addition to these projects, the city has additionally published a Green Alley Handbook outlining green alley techniques including proper alley pitching and grading, and permeable, high albedo, and recycled pavement options. The Handbook additionally provides recommendations for actions that adjacent property owners can take to contribute to Chicago’s clean alleyways. Pullman can leverage these design standards when greening alleys throughout the three focus areas.

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PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS 103RD STREET 100 ft.

planting strip

greenway sidewalk

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6’

travel lane travel lane

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Currently, this road acts as both a key service route for the adjacent waste management facility as well as the site for the neighborhoods Elementary, Middle, and High School. Thus, a dichotomy of uses presents itself, a street that benefits one of these parties is harmful to the other. Additionally, this road acts as one of the most significant East-West connections in the neighborhood, leading to intense traffic during rush hours, school hours, and on traffic days. This series of competing uses does not lend itself to a harmonious space for the majority of users. Often school children are bombarded with diesel fumes from truck traffic and the blaring of horns from impatient commuters. The revitalization of these spaces must begin with treating pedestrians and residents as the priority.

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travel lane travel lane

11’

sidewalk

building

greenway

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25’

Our design interventions for this street are centered around: 1. Narrowing lanes to slow traffic, reducing noise and imporving safety for pedestrians.

2. Improving pedestrian connectivity moving North-South through the use of raised crosswalks.

3. Integrating Bioswales, Rain Gardens, and Native trees and foliage to remediate rainwater, shield pedestrians from the elements, and act as an ecological asset that can grow along with the community 4. Adding benches to encourage treating these public spaces as sites for relaxation and conviviality, while also being an often ignored essential for those suffering from impaired mobility.

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planting strip

greenway sidewalk

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8’

median

travel lane

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5. Creating a bidirectional bicycle highway, on the Southern side of the street, to connect cyclists with Big Marsh, offering a safe, shaded, and comfortable route along the way.

6. Dense, native foliage planting to shield pedestrians and residents from particulate and noise pollution.

7. Pergolas and hanging foliage to add to the visual interest of the public realm while also aiding in dissipating sound and airborne pollution 8. Permeable pavement to add to the historical character of Pullman, while also improving water permeability, decreasing long term costs associated with maintenance, and softening visual edges.

travel lane

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2-way sidewalk bikeway greenway

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9. Improving public lighting to make the public realm more inviting into the evening.

Improving perceived safety and enouraging greater activity.

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COTTAGE GROVE AVENUE

115 ft.

setback

20’

greenway bike lane sidewalk parking lane

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8’

travel lanes

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bike lane

10’ 11’

This road acts as the greatest opportunity for a North-South Connection within Pullman, thus, our design interventions aim to transform this alienating space into one that can serve a variety of needs for its community. These improvements can be accomplished by providing residents with quiet, verdant spaces that invite rather than deter.

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planting strip

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railroad ROW

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115 ft.

setback

2-way greenway bikeway sidewalk trail

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20’ 20’ 20’ 20’20’ 20’ 20’

travel lanes parking

planting strip bike lane

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Our design interventions are: 1. Unifying the bike lanes to one side of the road, allowing for integration into the bike highway (Eastern side of the street) and increasing safety by elevating cyclists to be at grade with pedestrian 2. Integrating a tree covered walking path, utilizing permeable pavers for greater visual interest and improved water permeability 3. Adding more lighting, in the form of both ground level lighting to help guide users at night, as well as overhead string lighting to create a charming atmosphere.

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railroad ROW

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4. Integrating benches to allow prolonged and additional uses to the trail and sidewalk, creating a more convivial environment for users.

5. Adding sidewalks, raised crosswalks, and bus shelters on the Western side of the street to improve accessibility to public transit stations.

6. Repaving the parking lane to feature permeable pavement.

7. Lowering and flattening the curb to allow water flow into bioswales and planting strips, reducing flooding effects, while enriching biodiversity through the presence of native grasses, flowers, and foliage.

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100 ft.

111TH STREET

planting strip

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sidewalk

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greenway

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median

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travel lane

greenway

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This road exists in a duality, abutted by the national park, and lined with historic mansions on the one hand, while serving as the neighborhood’s primary connection to the interstate on the other. This dichotomous condition compels us to orient our design interventions toward one of these poles. We decided to position 111th as a pedestrian-oriented main street, aiming to both beckon tourists to explore Pullman on foot and offer a place for even long established residents to enjoy the excitement of a main street.

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building

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Our design interventions are: 1. Significant road dieting for the purpose of diminishing noise pollution and facilitating safer crossing between the national park and the communities that accompany it.

2. Frequent, raised crosswalk to act as a bridge for pedestrians traveling through central Pullman.

3. A verdant median that sits slightly below grade, which allows for rain water to collect and be remediated, and offers additional room for emergency services to pass as well as native trees.

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planting strip

sidewalk

green way

2-way bikelane

green way

travel lane

25’

8’

10’

10’

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11’

median

green

travel lane way

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4. Lower and less steep curbs to allow for bioswales and rain gardens.

5. Planting strips adjacent to the street to allow for the growth of trees, foliage, and prairie grasses.

6. A bidirectional bike highway on the Northern side of the street, allowing cyclists to access the national park, or continue on to Big Marsh, while enjoying the shade from large native trees.

7. The introduction of a narrow, bench lined trail on the southern portion of the street to allow for differing pedestrian uses, such as sightseeing.

trail green sidewalk way

11’ 5’ 5’ 6’ 8’

building

70’

8. Permeable pavement utilized on the sidewalk, as well as widening to facilitate a greater volume of people, more comfortably.

9. The integration of more public seating, both to allow for convivial lingering, sightseeing, or just to rest.

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CHAMPLAIN AVENUE 65 ft.

setback

15’

sidewalk parking greenway

travel lanes

parking sidewalk greenway setback

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While Champlain is now a quiet residential street, it used to act as the primary North-South street for residents of Pullman. However, this historic, pedestrian connection was demolished with the original factory. Yet, an opportunity presents itself to revisit the original typology, allowing for a pedestrian trail to run from 103rd street to 115th street. Additionally, this reintegration of the historic fabric allows tourists and travellers to visit the historic sites the way they were originally visited over a hundred years ago, adding a layer of historic charm to the trail.

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sidewalk green trail parking shared parking way travel lane

trail

green sidewalk way

7’ 5’ 7.5’ 8’ 11’ 8’ 7.5’ 5’ 7’

Our design interventions are: 1. Removing ten feet from the exceptionally wide driving lane, while also adding markings for cyclists to use the street, as well.

2. Repaving the parking strip with permeable pavers, offering a permeable surface to ameliorate water flow.

3. Lower the height and slope of the curb to allow for water to access the adjacent bioswales and rain gardens.

setback

15’

4. The addition of a narrow, paved walking trail on both sides of the street, encouraging slow and deliberate movement from travelers as they interact with AR integrated placards.

5. The addition of benches along the heritage trail to allow for travelers and pedestrians to rest and take in the sites.

6. Introduce native grasses, foliage, and flowers in planting strips and greenways to improve biodiversity, and add to the charm of these quaint streets.

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115TH STREET 70 ft.

green way

sidewalk

parking

travel lane

travel lane

sidewalk parking planters

7’ 5’ 10.5’ 10.5’ 10.5’ 10.5’ 5’ 10’

The southern border of Pullman, an important East-West connection, and a site of street parking for those residents who utilize the 115th/Kensington Metra Electric commuter rail station. In spite of its peripheral siting, 115th acts as an important connective route for Pullman residents. However, this road is often plagued with traffic and its sidewalks lie mostly inactive since the closing of many of nearby shops during the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, this road offers the most direct connection to Big Marsh, as the crow flies. Thus, this road acts as a key aspect of our proposed bike highway and regional positioning of Pullman.

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sidewalk

green way

7’ 7’

2-way bike lane

7’

parking

7’ 7’

Our design interventions are: 1. Removing one parking lane from the Southern side of the street.

2. The addition of a bidirectional bike highway in the Northern side of the street, thus allowing a cyclist to safely, and quickly, traverse all of Pullman’s connective roads.

3. Repaving the parking lanes with brick pavers to allow for greater water permeability.

4. Lower height and slope of the curb to allow for water to access the adjacent bioswales and rain gardens.

travel lane

planters

travel lane

sidewalk

7’

7’ 7’ 7’

5. Planting native vegetation to ameliorate biodiversity and allow for healthy plants that will age along with the neighborhood.

6. A vertical planter/fence adjacent to the proposed Sherman-Williams solar farm site.

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BUFFER TRAIL 60 ft.

railroad ROW

grass

green way

travel lane

travel lane

green way sidewalk

30’

15’

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15’

15’

6’ 4’

An infrequently utilized Norfolk Southern rail line runs centrally through Pullman, offering us the opportunity to convert the adjacent planting strip into a trail, while greenery to dissipate sound and particulate pollution from nearby factories and increasingly frequent truck traffic.

This trail offers another possibility to connect pedestrians between the North and South of Pullman, while integrating much needed green space into the area. As the rail line is used less and less the possibility for expansion of this trail into other neighborhoods becomes an ever-growing possibility. But, for this excerpt I will be focusing on the section that sits next to S. Ellis Avenue.

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60 ft.

railroad ROW

green trail & buffer

green way

travel lane

travel lane

green way sidewalk

30’

21’

5’

12’

12’

6’ 4’

Our design interventions are: 1. Narrowing of S. Ellis Ave. to twelve feet, encouraging truck traffic to move more slowly, helping to lower the associated noise pollution.

2. Pave the grassy section between the Railroad right-of-way and the planting strip with permeable pavers, 3. Placing a pergola over the top of the trail, while also lining the pergola with vertical planters.

4. adding ambient string lighting to the trail, while utilizing lower, ground-level lighting for greater visibility.

5. Allowing for vendors to utilize the trail with carts.

6. Raised crosswalks to allow pedestrians to cross the street safely.

7. Placing benches frequently along the trail.

8. Planting native vegetation in the areas surrounding the pergola.

9. Adding large pergola-style buffers adjacent to the industrial zones to help reduce sound and smell pollution.

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PULLMAN’S FRAMEWORK

The Pullman United outlines an urban design framework that redefines Pullman as a cultural and ecotourism destination for Chicago and the nation through five guiding strategies: 2-MILE CULTURAL TRAIL, which is a defining element that aims to connect North and South Pullman.

A RICH ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK of green streets, ecological corridors, activated alleyways, greenways, waterways, parks, and tree canopies that fosters a unified and connected Pullman.

An ECONOMIC ENGINE & CULTURAL DESTINATION comprised of the Pullman Town Center and Main Street along 111th Street, which complements the National Park in Central Pullman that provides a vibrant District for cultural heritage, shopping, and entertainment.

An INFORMAL ECONOMY of live/work artisan lofts, activated alleyways, cottage industry, and adaptive re-use of energy efficient affordable housing in North Pullman.

A HEALTHY PULLMAN with an Eco-district of sustainable workforce housing, green roofs, vertical gardens, community gardens, and a solar farm to promote ecotourism in South Pullman and an ecological corridor connecting Pullman to Big Marsh.

These strategies help organize the projects, programming, and policy initiatives across the three focus areas, playing into Pullman’s strengths and addressing its challenges in creative ways.

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The plan involves developing mixed-use spaces and establishing an Artistic Cultural Trail, while simultaneously introducing a new and adaptively reused housing stock that is financially accessible.

The plan also includes an Informal economy of live/work artisan lofts, activated alleyways, cottage industry, and adaptive re-use of energy efficient affordable housing. These interventions directly address the needs voiced by residents.

While our long-term vision includes creating more single-family housing, immediate, shortterm actions are also critical. This approach ensures North Pullman grows in a way that is sustainable and responsive to every voice.

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NORTH PULLMAN The revitalization of North Pullman is centered on creating a dynamic area where work, culture, and community converge. We plan to develop mixed-use spaces and establish a vibrant Artistic Cultural Trail, transforming North Pullman into a destination that reflects the neighborhood’s historic creativity. Our strategy is built on key resident priorities, balancing immediate needs with long-term housing solutions.

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CENTRAL PULLMAN The heart of the revitalized community will be established as the Pullman Town Center and Main Street along 111th Street. This central hub will serve as the commercial, civic, and cultural meeting ground for residents and visitors.

The Pullman National Park is Central Pullman’s most powerful and unique asset, positioning the area to become a major economic development magnet and premier tourist destination.

This new tourism district is built on a foundation of strong community support. To ensure success directly benefits residents and creates a worldclass visitor experience, development will center on an authentic new retail center. This center will call back to historic Pullman by improving walkability, connectivity, and accessibility, while simultaneously spurring vital local employment.

By centering the National Park while developing retail opportunities, Central Pullman will achieve its potential as the Far South Side’s most significant cultural and economic driver.

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SOUTH PULLMAN South Pullman will lead by example, proving that modern industry and community wellbeing can thrive together. We are committed to transforming the area into a pioneer for other historically industrial communities by applying regenerative environmental interventions. This strategy moves beyond simple preservation, creating a model where industry is neither extractive nor at odds with its neighbors.

South Pullman will be defined as a vigorous Pullman through the development of an eco-district featuring sustainable workforce housing, green roofs and vertical gardens, community gardens and a solar farm.

This transformation is rooted in resident desires for a more active, connected, and sustainable neighborhood. By focusing on regenerative practices and integrating accessible green infrastructure and commercial amenities, South Pullman will become a resilient, thriving hub.

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KEY SPATIAL PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMING A MULTI-NODE STRATEGY - FROM STOPS TO GATEWAYS The proposed interventions create a strong and unified arrival experience for Pullman by strategically deploying ETOD throughout all of Pullman. Our approach transforms transit access points from simple stops into vibrant gateways, setting the stage for economic and community growth.

New eTOD development for the 111th St Metra Station

The eTOD around the 103rd Street Metra station at Cottage Grove Avenue acts as the primary northern anchor and gateway to Pullman.

Currently vacant and underutilized lots will be developed into mixed-use buildings, featuring local businesses and shops, including essential services, while upper floors will provide residential living, introducing density that supports the new commercial activity and generates a built-in customer base for local businesses right at the transit stop.

The strategy is expanded further south by generating a complementary eTOD at the Kensington Metra station on 115th Street. This ensures that the northern entrance to Pullman is not reliant on a single node, creating a larger, integrated transit corridor capable of drawing more traffic and supporting greater investment.

At the heart of the community in central Pullman our strategy is to redevelop the area surrounding the 111th Street Metra station. The key goal here is to elevate both the density and diversity of housing immediately near this critical transit access point. By ensuring a spectrum of housing options the development fosters an integrated, intergenerational, and accessible neighborhood.

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Collectively, these projects transform the commuter rail stations into three distinct, yet interconnected, eTOD nodes. This multi-point strategy ensures that whether someone arrives at 103rd, 111th, or 115th Street, they are met with active, mixed-use, and pedestrian-friendly environments. This concentration of commerce and dense, diverse housing strengthens arrival by making the entire corridor more walkable, economically self-sustaining, and immediately welcoming to residents, workers, and visitors alike.

Strategic infill for the 103rd/Rosemoor Metra Station

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CULTIVATING IDENTITY - FROM HISTORIC ASSETS TO CULTURAL HUBS Our strategy to strengthen culture across all of Pullman is centered on the adaptive re-use of historic buildings and the creative activation of underutilized public spaces. By leveraging existing assets for arts, entrepreneurship, and well-being, we aim to build neighborhood pride, enhance safety, and establish a distinct cultural identity.

activities. This conversion preserves history while directly fostering new artistic and vocational skills. As part of the proposed Cultural Trail, the Firehouse will be reimagined to house a wellness center and/or flexible community center. This facility will offer diverse programming for Pullman residents across all demographics. Reimagining the Firehouse will not only unlock an incredible asset but also serve as a source of unique cultural charm and activation along the trail, promoting health and social cohesion.

The transformation of two key historic structures will serve as the cultural and educational anchors for the community. The Historic Stables will be converted into a multidisciplinary arts and education hub, emphasizing the trades historically associated with Pullman. The Stables will host educational classes, artist residencies, art sale pop-ups, and flexible spaces to support educational, workforce training, and recreational

Beyond the major anchors, we will utilize smaller, existing spaces to embed culture and commerce directly into the fabric of the neighborhood.

Underutilized alleys in North Pullman will be transformed into vibrant, productive spaces through strategic activation. These areas can serve as a small business incubator and event space, attracting patrons seeking retail and culture. Requiring minimal square footage,

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New trail connections traversing the Firehouse

these activations support local entrepreneurs and demonstrate effective placemaking. Public art and mural activity will be implemented throughout the neighborhood. By incorporating art into walls and previously blank spaces, we harness the power of visual culture to instantly elevate the aesthetic appeal, instill neighborhood pride, and significantly enhance the pedestrian experience and safety.

By linking historic preservation with modern cultural and economic activity, this comprehensive approach ensures that culture is not centralized but permeates all of Pullman, making the entire community a more engaging, safe, and culturally rich place to live and visit.

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TACTICAL URBANISM - FROM URDERUTILIZED TO ACTIVATED Our strategy employs Tactical Urbanism—lowcost, temporary interventions—as a powerful, flexible tool to activate underutilized spaces to foster economic and cultural vibrancy throughout Pullman. This approach focuses on creating temporary destinations that quickly inject life, entrepreneurship, and artistic expression into key areas.

youth pop-ups. These will organically engage and cultivate local youth, providing creative outlets and connecting them with the local community.

Other pop-ups will enliven core areas, including the National Park’s rear shops in Central Pullman and various activations in South Pullman’s market hall and stables. Additionally, alley activations will transform these small spaces into intimate venues for local artists to share their work, support micro-entrepreneurs, and contribute to unique placemaking.

Tactical Urbanism will be implemented across all of Pullman, establishing recurring hubs for community and commerce. On 103rd Street in North Pullman, the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs will be inspired through the

By using pop-ups we quickly establish active, compelling spaces, allowing the community to experience the benefits of dense, walkable, and programmed environments while laying the groundwork for future permanent investments.

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Activations on the Rear Shop grounds

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Champlain Ave’s cultural trail transformation

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Our strategy to strengthen Pullman’s identity focuses on establishing cohesive visual markers through targeted wayfinding and gateway installations, primarily in Central Pullman, while ensuring these markers flow into the north and south areas. This integrated approach elevates the streetscape beyond infrastructure to create a unified, attractive, and engaging destination.

Key interventions will ensure that all major entry and transition points clearly communicate Pullman’s unique character. We will install highly visible, modern-industrial-style signage and landscaping at key locations, starting at the heart of Pullman (111th Street) and extending throughout the north and south areas. This distinct style will clearly define the commercial district and establish a shared visual identity that honors Pullman’s heritage while signaling its modern vitality. In the residential sectors, wayfinding will be integrated with improvements that preserve the historic character and improve

the quality of life. This ensures the visual identity is unified without sacrificing the historic charm of the neighborhood.

This strategy is not merely about navigation; it is designed to foster continuous activity and engagement by utilizing dynamic, publicfacing design elements. Streetscape upgrades will incorporate versatile design elements that encourage spontaneous community gathering and social interaction to support our proposed pop-up interventions. The wayfinding strategy is inherently linked to other cultural interventions (murals, alley activations). Installations will feature dynamic rotating art and interactive displays to draw visitors and elevate the pedestrian experience.

By establishing a clear, attractive, and historically resonant wayfinding, this elevates the entire streetscape, making Pullman a more navigable, safe, and highly attractive commercial and cultural destination for both residents and visitors.

111th St streetscape interventions

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SENSE OF PLACE - FROM STREETSCAPE TO UNIFYING IDENTITY

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WEALTH BUILDING - FROM ECONOMIC ACTORS TO ECONOMIC DRIVERS Our approach to strengthening commerce and wealth building spans the entire community, focusing on localizing retail, fostering entrepreneurship, and leveraging sustainable assets. Employment and educational opportunities are key to the formation of a prosperous community. Over 2,000 new jobs have been created along the eastern edge of Pullman, relatively clean jobs in food production, retail, food services, warehousing, distribution, education, and government services. Companies like Method Soap and Gotham Greens, home to the largest green rooftop growing facility in the world, represent the new face of Pullman’s industrial economy. With 80,000 historic visitors recorded in 2024, many of these businesses are well positioned to serve the growing tourism economy anchored by the National Park.

We are creating dedicated spaces for business development primarily in North Pullman, by establishing an incubator space where the next generation of artists, makers, and entrepreneurs can be inspired, reside, and work without having

A restored Market Hall and Square

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to leave the community. The Stables present a particular opportunity as a makerspace for more intensive arts programming in sculpture, woodworking, and upholstery, crafts directly connected to the original artistry of the Pullman rail cars. The Firehouse offers a complementary opportunity as a youth and educational space, connecting the next generation to the community’s legacy and assets.

In South Pullman the planned rebuilding of Market Square will preserve Pullman’s historic character while expanding the present-day farmers market into a vibrant, Italian piazza-style commercial hub fueled by tourism and neighborhood life alike.

Focused support for establishing a cooperative deli will further localize commerce, making daily necessities and dining options readily available and keeping spending within Pullman.

We are capitalizing on large, underutilized sites to deliver major economic and environmental benefits. The Sherwin Williams solar farm will transform a formerly industrial site into a community asset, bringing clean energy to residents at low-to-no cost through a community solar program that directly addresses energy burden. This sustainable infrastructure creates

strengthening food access and essential retail, and delivering major sustainable infrastructure, the strategy ensures Pullman’s economic engine is robust, diverse, and directly beneficial to the community

Gotham Greens

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potential for green workforce training and job creation and opens pathways to connect the scientific and technological practices of Pullman’s industrial businesses directly to local schools.

By integrating dedicated maker spaces,

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Solar energy opportunities on underutilized land

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SOCIAL DIVERSITY THROUGH ADAPIVE RE-USE - FROM INDUSTRIAL LEGACY TO MODERN LIVING Our strategy to strengthen social diversity is built on balancing historic preservation with the critical need to offer a full spectrum of housing options across North and South Pullman. The goal is to create an integrated, intergenerational, and accessible neighborhood that supports diverse income levels and lifestyles.

A core component of the strategy is the adaptive re-use of Pullman’s large inventory of former industrial warehouses and other underutilized buildings, particularly in the North and South sectors. The soft sites identified are primed for converting them into residential lofts and live/work spaces. This intervention fosters a community where budding artists and creatives can thrive, providing flexible housing options and enriching the neighborhood’s cultural fabric.

While leveraging historic industrial sites, the plan simultaneously addresses the needs of existing residents and the broader housing market. Stabilizing homeownership respects the historic homes in North Pullman and focuses on maintaining the homeownership of families already residing in the neighborhood, ensuring current residents can stay. Our affordable workforce housing actively expands the supply of diverse housing options. This ensures that residents of various income levels can find quality housing, fostering true social integration.

By taking a nuanced approach, using adaptive re-use for creative housing and necessary affordability, ensures that the community’s growth is inclusive, sustainable, and respectful of Pullman’s unique architectural and social heritage.

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Revitalized housing opportunities in North Pullman

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We envision a culturally rich North Pullman with creative design and programming to match its rich history. Adding affordable housing to house these creatives and allow them to locate within the community will be achieved through a mixeduse corridor where residents can live, work, and express themselves adjacent to a world class transit system. Transit oriented development at 103rd and 111th Street will ensure strong connections between amenities and multimodal transportation. North Pullman will contain an informal economy centered on artisan live/ work lofts, adaptively reused from the existing Pullman structures full of character. The informal economy and cottage industry of North Pullman will be balanced well with the more formal tourism industry of neighboring Central Pullman.

Alley activations and pop ups will be a space for local artists to share their work and connect with the local community in an organic way. Artists need not go more than a few blocks to use the activations as a proving ground for their work.

The next generation of youth can be engaged and cultivated by these activities, especially the pop up next to multiple schools on 103rd Street.

North Pullman will be an incubator space where the next great artist can be inspired, reside, and work without leaving the community.

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING & PARKLET Short-Term

These restored homes, along the Pullman Cultural Trail, give residents and tourists the opportunity to experience historic Chicago architecture. The tranquil parklet features sculptures from local artists and benches to invite neighbors to take a seat, read a book and marvel at the intersection of history and nature. Sidewalk murals, trail markers, and protected bike lanes pull visitors through the space.

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YOUTH POP-UP Short-Term

Youth are a vital part of communities and need places to express themselves, ideas, and talent.

The Youth Pop-Up features informal seating, booths for youth to sell their crafts, and local food options to support local businesses. With the addition of intentional third spaces, we can bring together groups of many ages to empower youth with tangible, innovative, educational and creative opportunities.

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YOUTH POP-UP Long-Term

The Youth Pop-Up over time can be further developed to include long-term interventions, like benches, sculptural spaces, streetlamps, permeable surfaces, and planting. What was before an occasional space to hold pop-up events is now a community plaza where all members of Pullman feel welcome and share in the amazing opportunities created by and for them.

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NATIONAL A. PHILIP RANDOLPH PULLMAN PORTER MUSEUM & PLAZA Long-Term

The Cultural Trail intersects at a vital asset in the community, the A Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum. Residents and tourists can enjoy a beautiful plaza featuring installations from local artists, as well as history about the Pullman Porters. Trail markers prompt visitors to explore more of the community, uncovering past, present, and future community legacies.

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103RD ST/COTTAGE GROVE AVE E-TOD Long-Term

The transit-oriented development around the 103rd Street Metra station at Cottage Grove Avenue will feature mixed use developments on currently vacant and underutilized lots on the northwest, southwest, and southeast corners of the intersection. The development will have retail on the ground level and residential living on the upper floors. The retail will contain local

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businesses and shops like a grocery store, coffee shop, craft shop, and content creation space. This development is designed to be the anchor and gateway to North Pullman.

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With these interventions, North Pullman changes in meaningful, tangible ways.

1.00 MI. OF BIKE PATHS 1.25 MI. OF BIKE LANES 200 NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS 61,000 SQ. FT. OF RETAIL SPACE 100+ NEW TREES PLANTED

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South Pullman has the potential to become an urban example for other historically industrial communities to be progressive about their planning and policy goals. Here, we employ the EcoDistrict framework to link buildings, infrastructure, and community assets to improve the quality of life for residents in the short term and set the community up for a future of success that repairs environmental justice burdens they have faced for the past 100 years. Measures and interventions can be made to transform the legacy of industry into a symbiotic relationship between industry and community. As Pullman transitions into a hub of green industry with businesses like Gotham Greens and Method, South Pullman can continue this work by connecting residents to healthy spaces; generating restorative spaces to improve the health of ecosystems and residents and drive green economy; create vibrant community spaces that generate economic vitality; and honor the work that has already done to revitalize historic Pullman’s cultural spaces.

The interventions in this area include a community solar farm, a community gathering and educational space, a restaurant, and an indoor-outdoor market. A network of green roofs, a publicly accessible green schoolyard, activated alleyways and greened streets, and high performance workforce housing are also proposed.

We learned from the Spring 2025 Studio cohort that residents responded well to the idea of an ecological corridor and pedestrian bridge from 115th Street to Big Marsh Park. Our proposed interventions expand on this idea by generating an eTOD at the Kensington Metra station on 115th Street and connecting this ecological corridor to a larger proposed green trail network with a shuttle service from the National Historic Park to Big Marsh.

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THE STABLES: ARTS CULTURAL HUB Short-Term

The historical Stables building serves as a multidisciplinary arts and education hub, with emphasis on the arts historically associated with Pullman: metalsmithing, glass works, and textile art, to name a few. The Stables will hold classes, artist residencies, art sale pop ups, and spaces that can be rented out to the community for educational, workforce training, and recreational activities like community dances.

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GREEN SCHOOLYARD Short-Term

Pullman Elementary’s outdoor space for students is currently a small playground and large concrete lot. In partnership with Open Lands’ Space to Grow Program, we will replace this concrete lot with colorful, softer, permeable turf; introduce a rain garden at the edge of the lot; and bring in raised beds for vegetable and herb gardening. An outdoor classroom adjacent to the rain garden provides a biophilic space for teachers to teach students about the natural environment and conduct regular class sessions outdoors. Trees and benches will bring additional shaded spots for students to sit, read, and talk with one another.

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MARKET HALL

Intermediate-Term

A key destination on the Pullman Cultural Trail, Market Hall serves as a community gathering space for farmers markets, food truck pop ups, and special events, with a plan to adaptively reuse the Market Hall for more permanent small hospitality ice cream, souvenir & gift shops for tourists. To unite the community, Market Hall can hold monthly and special occasion events at night with live music, markets, community night runs, and seasonal events for Halloween, Christmas, Juneteenth, and the myriad of holidays for yearround active programming.

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KENSINGTON STATION Intermediate-Term

The Kensington Metra station at 115th Street has ample opportunity to become an equitable transit-oriented development (eTOD) hub.

To the east of the station, the proposed high performance multi-family project on land owned by Salem Baptist Church will bring energy efficient, healthy affordable housing to residents who work in Pullman or in nearby

communities. Improved sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and existing parking will accommodate a variety of transportation modes to and from the Metra station. Along 115th Street, a new restaurant/ deli accommodates both passersby and residents and visitors looking for a place to sit down for a slower meal. Additionally, the Stables Community Hub showcase space adjacent to the station will provide local artists and students from the Hub with a space to sell small goods to residents and visitors.

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ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR Intermediate-Term

The ecological corridor along 115th Street from the Kensington Metra station to Doty Avenue will feature increased tree canopy, bioswales, rain gardens in pocket spaces, and added benches to boost biodiversity, reduce urban heat island effect, and provide enjoyable informal seating to promote congregation around local businesses.

Additionally, a new protected bicycle lane and sidewalk space will foster a safe multi-modal route from Roseland to Big Marsh Park.

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PULLMAN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE Long-Term

The pedestrian bridge from 115th Street to Big Marsh Park will create a clear, safe, and welcoming pedestrian and cyclist connection to Big Marsh. The bridge features wide sidewalks, bicycle lanes, green infrastructure, wayfinding, public art, and enhanced comfort and safety elements - all reflecting community priorities for nature access and healthier streets.

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COMMUNITY SOLAR FARM Long-Term

The Sherwin Williams Solar Park will transform a massive, largely vacant site into an asset that brings clean energy to Pullman residents at a low to no cost through community solar programming.

Raised panels mounted above naturally vegetated, air-purifying ground space will incur minimal disturbance to remediated, clay-capped soil once remediation has been completed. Between rows of a 10- to 20-Megawatt solar array, walkways and signage bring a second purpose to the solar farm: a living laboratory for residents, students, and visitors to learn about the science behind bioremediation efforts and renewable power generation, and the possibilities for a more sustainable future.

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Direct action will result in a strengthened South Pullman, though cumulative results.

30 UNITS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING 0.59 MI. OF BIKE PATHS 1.00 MI. OF BIKE LANES ~10,000 SQ. FT. OF RETAIL SPACE 100+ NEW TREES PLANTED A 10 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~2,000 HOMES

A 15 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~3,000 HOMES

A 20 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~4,000 HOMES

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Central Pullman is the vital core that anchors and elevates Pullman as the Crowned Jewel of Chicago’s Far South Side. It serves as the focus area that unifies and elevates the proud, prosperous parts of the neighborhood. This central section is where we transform the industrial blueprint of Pullman into a living national treasure, by leveraging its unique historical assets for economic growth and executing deliberate, equitable physical planning, we will finally bridge the industrial division that bisects the community.

Our strategy is to transform Pullman’s industrial heritage from a relic of the past into the Crowned Jewel of Chicago’s Far South Side by creating a buzzing town center that serves as the crucial connective tissue uniting a proud and prosperous community.

This town center is the foundation of our plan to establish Pullman as a premier tourist destination—leveraging its status as the site of Chicago’s only National Park Tourism District.

Here, Pullman’s extraordinary culture, history, and heritage will be celebrated, turning the district itself into a powerful economic development anchor for the Far South Side.

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Taste of Chicago pops up in Pullman

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INTERVENTIONS

52nd Annual Historic Pullman House Tour Chicago

The cornerstone of this transformation is the activation of 111th Street as a premier Arts and Cultural Boulevard. This critical intervention moves beyond standard infrastructure upgrades to establish a unified, safe, and highly attractive commercial destination. It integrates key improvements—enhanced pedestrian safety, contemporary streetscaping, and placemaking strategies—to foster continuous activity.

Additional design elements concentrated around the Clock Tower and along the Cultural Trail.

Undertaking a comprehensive renovation and restoration of the iconic Florence Hotel. The objective is to return the hotel to its original architectural splendor and status as a premium hospitality destination on 111th Street. The restored Florence Hotel will serve as a high-end, boutique amenity, providing modern lodging, dining, and event space. This activation is critical for accommodating visitors and heritage tourists drawn to the National Historical Park, directly driving economic activity, and serving as a beacon of revitalization for the surrounding commercial district.

The collective application of these design interventions will establish a buzzing, yearround town center. This vibrant hub will not only encourage local events and support commerce but will also serve as the crucial connective tissue—physically and socially—uniting a proud community and cementing Pullman’s status as a regional tourism draw and cultural destination.

Pullman Railroad Days celebrates rail car factory’s heritage

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The overarching vision for Central Pullman is to transform its profound industrial heritage from a mere relic of the past into the Crowned Jewel of Chicago’s Far South Side—a vibrant, prosperous, and globally recognized community that honors its history while building a dynamic future.

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FIREHOUSE WELLNESS CENTER Short-Term

Undertake the sensitive renovation and adaptive reuse of the historic Pullman Firehouse. This landmark structure, strategically positioned along the new Cultural Trail, represents a prime opportunity to transform a piece of idle infrastructure into an economic and cultural asset. The activation of the Firehouse will serve as a historic anchor point on the Cultural Trail, attracting foot traffic, diversifying local amenities, and solidifying the area’s identity as a dynamic, walkable cultural destination that directly supports local business growth.

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111TH STREET GATEWAY Intermediate-Term

Following the successful completion of the foundational 111th Street improvements (infrastructure, safety, and streetscaping), the next critical phase will focus on the Activation of 111th Street as a premier Arts and Cultural Boulevard.

This intervention elevates the street beyond standard infrastructure upgrades to establish a 204

unified, safe, and highly attractive commercial destination. This strategy is specifically designed to foster continuous activity and engagement, utilizing versatile, public-facing design elements to encourage spontaneous community gathering, and featuring dynamic rotating art installations and interactive displays to draw visitors and elevate the pedestrian experience. These focused design elements will be concentrated around the Clock Tower Plaza and along the Cultural Trail, transforming the corridor into a dynamic, yearround cultural hub.

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REAR SHOPS ACTIVATION Long-Term

The renovation of the monumental Rear Shops structure into a state-of-the-art Dynamic Living History Museum will maximize the building’s expansive industrial space to deliver an unparalleled, immersive visitor experience. The museum’s core will feature a rotating, curated collection of historic Pullman train cars, displayed alongside meticulously restored original machinery and interactive exhibits that vividly illustrate the site’s historical manufacturing functions and its impact on American industry.

This vision is gaining significant momentum.

Governor JB Pritzker recently announced a major public-private partnership committing $21 million in public capital funds and $83.6 million in private investment to transform the 1881-built Hotel Florence and portions of the Pullman Car Works building into a boutique hotel, dining destination, and cultural and performing arts hub. This investment signals growing confidence in Pullman as a world-class heritage destination and directly supports the broader activation of the Rear Shops and surrounding historic sites.

By utilizing the scale of the Rear Shops alongside this new wave of public and private investment, we are not just preserving a building. We are creating a world-class destination that offers an engaging, tactile, and unforgettable experience, transforming passive viewing into active, handson historical learning, and positioning Pullman as one of Chicago’s premier cultural and tourism anchors for generations to come.

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MIXED-USE TOWN CENTER Long-Term

This Town Center is the cornerstone of our plan to firmly establish Pullman as a premier heritage and tourist destination—leveraging its status as the site of Chicago’s only National Historical Park Tourism District. By integrating commerce and culture, the district itself is positioned to become a powerful economic development anchor for the Far South Side. Additionally, we will capitalize on the area’s growing momentum by designing and developing a dense, highly walkable town center. It will be a pedestrian friendly, vibrant, and exciting place for residents and visitors to shop, eat, relax, and play. It will include mixeduse development with ground floor retail for local business with residential above for a range of residents from singles to families.

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The Town Center is organized to reflect the traditional historic character of the Pullman street grid. We developed two Town Center program options with slightly different development patterns.

Site Plan option 1 comprises 197 residential units, ~125,000 sq ft of retail space, and .65 acres of new green space.

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Site Plan option 2 consists of 206 residential units, ~126,000 sq ft of retail space, and .56 acres of green space. Each Site Plan option has a range of unit options including one, two, and three bedroom units to foster a mixture of social diversity reflective of the Pullman community.

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Town Center Site Plan - Option 1

Town Center Site Plan - Option 2

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The Town Center will also include a series of public courtyards with sprawling green spaces, trails and walking paths for relaxations, as well as a detention pond for stormwater management.

This pivotal project will serve as the commercial and social nexus for the community, strategically integrating a diverse mix of local, national, and essential service-oriented retail to efficiently serve the daily needs of residents while attracting and accommodating regional visitors. The result will be a vibrant, cohesive center where Pullman’s extraordinary culture, history, and 212

heritage are actively celebrated and transformed into sustainable economic vitality. Lastly, the buildings would all be built under the Phius building standard, a passive net-zero carbon building standard.

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This new vision for Central Pullman will diversify the community benefits in several ways.

1.00 MI. OF BIKE PATHS 0.76 MI. OF BIKE LANES 372 NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS 12,1300 SQ. FT OF RETAIL SPACE 100+ NEW TREES PLANTED

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2.6 MI. OF BIKE PATHS 3.00 MI. OF BIKE LANES 2.18 MI. OF A CULTURAL TRAIL 600 NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS 193,354 SQ. FT OF RETAIL SPACE 300+ NEW TREES PLANTED A 10 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~2,000 HOMES

A 15 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~3,000 HOMES

A 20 MW SOLAR FARM SERVING ~4,000 HOMES

5.58 ACRES OF GREEN ROOFS

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LOOKING AHEAD

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IMPLEMENTATION Implementing these transformative projects will require funding and support.

To support this, the project team has developed an implementation table for fifty-three potential projects, ranging from short to long-term, outlining key sites, partners and funding sources.

This table will help partner organizations organize efforts to achieve the goals presented in Pullman United.

The projects are divided into three phases: short-term (1-5 years), mid-term (5-10 years), and long-term (10+ years).

The projects are categorized as either design interventions or programming interventions.

This step-by-step approach helps focus resources and balance impact over time.

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Policy Recommendations

and greenery alongside 103rd Street roadway

Placemaking/Design

connecting Pullman and Big Marsh Park. These projects are similar in how they would get

North

implemented so we have grouped them in this

The Youth Space will be a former bus stop

description. We envision both projects to be a

converted to a children play area. The project will

phased short term and mid-term approach. The

be implemented in the short-term. We envision

original construction and planting will occur in

partnering with Chicago Public Schools and the

the short term, and the medium term is where

non-profit Open Lands. Chicago Public Schools

we will see the foliage grow and blossom and

would have experience with youth centered

increase its impact over time. Phase 2 of the

events and spaces. Open Lands specializes in

project would also involve the Cottage Grove

turning underutilized school parking lots into

Avenue Ecological Corridor, where planting and

environmentally lush play and learning spaces

construction would extend. Our partners would

for children and the surrounding neighborhood.

be Blacks in Green, Rosemoor Community

The funding source would be the Neighborhood

Association, and the 9th Ward Alderman

Opportunity Fund, which provides capital

Office. Blacks in Green is a non-profit that

development funds to West, Southwest, and

offers technical assistance and awards grant

South Side small businesses and cultural

funding for environmentally friendly projects

projects along commercial corridors. The fund

in black communities. Rosemoor Community

also offers technical assistance which can help

Association would make a great community

bridge the gap and help the community obtain

ally to partner with on the effort and any grant

funding. Chicago Public Schools and Open

funding application. The 9th Ward office would

Lands’ expertise would translate well to a strong

make a strong local partner as well. Both projects

partnership here, and the next intervention, the

can be funded via the Federal Recreational Trails

Youth Pop Up. This project is a street converted

Program, which offers funds for developing,

to a pedestrian only space with regular activities

maintaining, and acquiring non-motorized trails

centered around youth. This is a short-term

and trailside facilities, with a focus on promoting

implementation as well. The funding source

healthy outdoor activity. Both the Buffer trail

would be the Open Space Lands Acquisition

and Ecological Corridor would benefit from this

and Development Grant, which provides state

funding.

funding to local governments for acquisition Alley

Activations

and/or development of land for public parks

The

and open space. Thus, Pullman partnering with

converting underutilized alleys to a more

the City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools

desirable and pleasant destination containing

would make for a very competitive application.

greenery, art, and leisure spaces. This is a short-

project

involves

term process. City of Chicago will make a great The Green Buffer is a green buffer wall

partner because of their programs and initiatives

separating residential and industrial uses. The

that support events and artist spaces. The

103rd Street Ecological Trail is a multi-use path

Foundation for Arts Initiatives provides funding

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are under threat of deterioration. This would

institutions for general activities and projects,

align well with the adaptive reuse aspect of the

which would promote artist activity in the area.

intervention.

The eTOD Village in North Pullman is a development

The Live/work Lofts project is a residential

complex. The project is a mid-term intervention

and office/commercial leasing development

with a completion goal of 5-10 years. Partners

near the Metra station that focuses on space

for this project could be Metra and the Far South

for artists to operate and industries to support

Community Development Corporation. As the

them. The mid-term timeline will be used here.

transit station operator at 103rd Street, Metra

The 9th Ward Alderman Office would be the

would make a great partner because the success

lead partner due to their experience overseeing

of the area surrounding the station would

mixed use development. Fannie Mae’s Low

generate more ridership on their system. Far

Income Housing Tax Credit provides access to

South Community Development Corporation

affordable housing by offering capital for the

would make a great partner because of

creation of affordable rental housing. This could

their experience creating equitable Transit-

be a vital method of achieving the live/work loft

Orient Development plans in other Far South

goal of implementation in 10 years.

residential

transit-oriented

neighborhoods, such as Roseland and the Far South Extension project. Funding would come

The 103rd Pedestrian Bridge is a bridge on

from the Illinois Department of Commerce and

103rd Street spanning the Bishop Ford Interstate

Economic Opportunity, who offer a community

and adjacent wetland to connect Pullman and

development

for

Big Marsh Park. This project is in the long-

community-based projects, projects that create

term phase due to the need to negotiate with

jobs, or improvements to public infrastructure

the Illinois Department of Transportation and

that support local communities.

the Federal Highway Administration since

block

grant

program

the bridge spans a federal interstate. The lead The Affordable Housing intervention is an

partner would be the Illinois Department

adaptive reuse apartment complex with a

of Transportation to address this need for

microfarm on site. The project would be in

coordination. Funding for the bridge could

the short-term phase. Chicago Neighborhood

come from the state’s Safe Routes to School

Initiatives would make a great lead partner

program, which provides funds to municipalities

because of their prior work in Pullman and the

to construct pedestrian infrastructure within a

Far South developing multifamily housing. The

certain radius of a school. The multiple schools

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic

in North Pullman should position the project for

Opportunity

this grant. The Transportation Alternatives

offers

funding

for

housing

rehabilitation for lower income census tracts, and their funding would align well with this intervention. Landmarks Illinois offers grants for preserving significant structures or sites that

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for individuals to travel and research and to

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Program provides federal funding for non-

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The

motorized transportation projects. The project’s

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Chicago

pedestrian and bicycle focus make it ideal for

Community

the program’s funding.

Historic Pullman Foundation, and the Lamar

Trust,

Alphawood

Foundation,

Johnson Collaborative. All offer funding and

Central

support for preservation and conservation of

The Firehouse Conversion Project will renovate

culturally relevant sites.

and restore the firehouse building for retail, museum, or hospitality use along the cultural trail.

The 111th Street eTOD Village will elevate

A new landscape with pavers, benches, street

the 111th Street Metra station by prioritizing

furniture, and art installations, the Firehouse

dynamic and diverse housing options near major

has the potential to be a hub for community

transit access, including, senior, affordable, and

led activities or events, or National Park

workforce housing. Chicago Neighborhood

programing. The Historic Pullman Foundation

Initiatives will again make a great partner for

has a vested interest in this historical building

their experience with housing development. The

and would lead efforts to fund clearing and

City of Chicago Department of Planning and

cleaning efforts. A host of funding sources, from

Development has an equitable transit-oriented

The National Parks Conservation Association,

development grant for projects exactly like what

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The

is proposed for 111th Street.

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, and

The 111th Street Improvements seeks to

the Lamar Johnson Collaborative could all be

elevate 111th Street as a vibrant, pedestrian

approached for funding opportunities.

focused arts and cultural district. This project is in the long-term implementation timeline. The

The Clock Tower Activation will introduce

City of Chicago could be a partner, and funding

versatile placemaking strategies to encourage

could come from the Chicago Department of

local events and interactive displays and art

Transportation to amplify the streetscape and

around the clock tower and cultural trail. These

from the National Parks Service for planning

projects are similar in how they would get

and development around the National Park.

implemented so we have grouped them in this

The Florence Hotel Renovation is a planned

description. Both interventions are scheduled

renovation already underway that will make the

for short term implementation. The lead

Hotel a premium hospitality space and secure

partner is the Historic Pullman Foundation who,

it as an enduring historic amenity. This unique

with their extensive experience advocating

building will play a key role in making Pullman a

for recognition and preservation of historic

tourist destination, utilizing its historic asset as

buildings in Pullman, will make a valuable ally.

a magnet for visitors across the region and the

Potential funders for this project can come from

nation. The Historic Pullman Foundation leads

the National Parks Conservation Association,

this project, and a host of funding sources, from

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could come from a private developer or the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The

Department of Planning and Development’s

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Chicago

Equitable Transit Oriented Development grant.

Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, and

The Deck Park Project will transform the 111th

the Lamar Johnson Collaborative could all be

Street interchange on the Bishop Ford Freeway

approached for funding opportunities.

into a gateway to Pullman. This deck park will be constructed over the exit ramp, strategically

The Rear Shops Pop-Up will renovate and

reconnecting the Pullman neighborhood to Big

transform the rear shops into a dynamic

Marsh Park and extending vital green space.

living museum, utilizing the expansive space

The cap will dramatically reduce noise and air

to display a rotating collection of Pullman

pollution for residents while providing diverse

train cars, alongside machinery and exhibits

recreational and casual dining opportunities,

that highlight the site’s historical functions,

establishing a vibrant, community-centered

creating an engaging and interactive experience

arrival experience. A partnership with the Illinois

for museum visitors, including rotating train

Department of Transportation would address

car exhibits and other historical exhibits.

the permission requirements when building

The Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative and

over a federal interstate and bringing on the

the

would

Chicago Parks District as a partner would help

be essential partners for this intervention,

with designing the deck park itself. A source of

plans are already being formed and put into

funding could be the Chicago Parks Foundation,

motion by the Pullman Historical Foundation.

an organization that raises funds for parks

Potential funding sources include The Coleman

projects and supports community ideas for

Foundation and Allies for Community Business,

parks.

Pullman

Historical

Foundation

a community business lender. Private owners will be leveraged as project partners to make

The Rear Shops Activation will renovate and

this pop up successful.

transform the Rear Shops into a dynamic living museum, utilizing the expansive space

The Mixed-Use Town Center will build on the

to display a rotating collection of Pullman train

area’s growing community assets by developing a

cars, alongside machinery and exhibits that

dense, walkable retail destination that integrates

highlight the site’s historical functions, creating

local, national, and service-oriented businesses

an engaging and interactive experience. The

to serve both residents and visitors. The project

intervention is on the long-term timeline for

would be in the mid-term time frame for

implementation. A partnership with the Chicago

implementation. Allies for Community Business

Neighborhood Initiatives is anticipated for their

support businesses via capital and coaching to

experience with development in Pullman. The

create jobs and wealth in their communities and

Coleman Foundation is a relevant funder who

would make a valuable partner and funder for

provides grants for programs that promote

the tenants of the town center. Other funding

entrepreneurship success.

223

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

The National Parks Conservation Association,

PULLMAN UNITED

The Green Schoolyard will reinvent the concrete The 111th Street eTOD Village will elevate

lot in front of Pullman Elementary School - a

the 111th Street Metra station by prioritizing

permeable paver lot would replace the concrete

dynamic and diverse housing options near major

slabs, an outdoor classroom would sit in the

transit access, including, senior, affordable, and

corner for nature and outdoor related school

workforce housing. Chicago Neighborhood

classes, and a rain garden and sensory/ edible

Initiatives will again make a great partner for

garden in raised beds would each give young

their experience with housing development. The

students a place to interact with nature in a

City of Chicago Department of Planning and

controlled environment - with clean soil, plants,

Development has an equitable transit-oriented

and trees ina

development grant for projects exactly like what

partner would be Openlands and the Healthy

is proposed for 111th Street.

Schools campaign in Chicago for design and

controlled environment. A key

funding, and funding partners could be Chicago

South

Public Schools, Chicago Department of Water

The Cultural Trail is an Interactive walking

Management, Metropolitan Water Reclamation

experience

District of Greater Chicago, and/or the Chicago

guiding

visitors

through

the

historic sites in South Pullman, including the

Department of Environment.

Greenstone Church, Marketplace, Stables and historic homes. An Augmented Reality (AR) app

The Stables Community Arts Hub will be a

at each stop could bring historic sites to life. The

rehabilitation and interior redesign of The

Historic Pullman Foundation or Historic Pullman

Stables that transforms the existing interior

Empowerment Foundation could be major

into a creative marketplace, with a meeting

partners with funding coming from the Historic

area and rental space, acting as a community

Preservation Fund or National Trust for Historic

space

Preservation.

classes, green industry work training, general

for

educational

creative

arts

workshops,

presentations and

or

recreational

The Vertical Garden, located along the concrete

activity. In partnership with this creative space,

train embankment along Cottage Grove Avenue,

a showcase room located at 442 E 115th Street,

from 115th to 111th, would serve to break

would display local exhibitions and art pieces

the monotonous concrete wall and create a

on rotation. Partners to approach for this

more pleasant place to walk or wait for a bus

project would include DCASE, DPD, Together

or train. The lead partner for this project would

We Heal Creative Place Program (TWHCP),

be Chicago Gateway Green, whose mission is

Greater Good Studio, and Rebuild Foundation

to create corridors and parks that are green,

for programming and funding, with the Historic

sustainable, and beautiful. The Bezos Earth Fund

Pullman Foundation leading the project.

and/or City of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund could provide funds to support this project.

The Market Hall Activation will overhaul the existing structure into an enclosed space,

224

and reinvent underutilized public space for a

food and retail market in a farmer’s market

community centered purpose. The lead partner

style. Programming for the surrounding area

for the programming would be the Department

could create new events which completely

of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

pedestrianize the surrounding street, creating a

and funding could come from the Artists Run

plaza space for weekend farmers markets and

Chicago Fund, Ignite Fund, or Joyce Fund.

events. Partnering with the Historic Pullman Foundation and Allies for Community Business,

The Solar Farm will be installed and maintained

we can ensure local businesses are given the

on the 80-acre paved Sherwin-Williams site,

opportunity to use this new high-potential

which was previously an emulsion plant. This is

space, creating a new local scene at the heart of

a Superfund site that will need heavy and vast

South Pullman.

remediation to make it safe for people to use.

The solar farm will consist of doing remediation

The 115th Deli & Co-op Rehab will be a

and abatement that will cover the site as well as

component of the 115th eTOD initiative. It will

utilize low- penetration structures to minimize

introduce a deli and grocery co-op at the corner

ground disturbance for a solar farm, which

of 115th and Cottage Grove Avenue at 504 E

would produce cheap and sustainable energy

115th Street. This rehab will give this building

for Pullman residents. The major partner for

a face lift, beautifying the first view commuters

this project would be the Sherwin Williams

or visitors see when they leave the Kensington

Foundation, who focuses on children’s health.

Metra station. The fast and casual restaurant/

Another potential partner and funder would be

deli and fitness/ health studio would be a first

the National Laboratories of the Rockys, along

step in drawing eTOD around the Kensington

with funding sources such as the City of Chicago

Station

Climate Infrastructure fund or the Climate and

and

increasing

the

livability

and

usability of this station. CNI would be the key

Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).

partner here to get improvements started, and funding/ service sources could include the DPD

The 115th Pedestrian Bridge will be a crucial

Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, Coleman

pedestrian connection to the immediate park

Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, or

area that is currently land-locked by the Bishop-

the Woman’s Business Development Center

Ford highway. IDOT will be a crucial partner to

(WBDC).

work with for this bridge to ever be considered, with CDOT being a secondary partner to include

The Garage Galleries Wayfinding and Alley

in discussion. IDOT, or CDOT if given control

Improvements

create

of this project, would fund it. The Chicago

wayfinding, alleyscaping, and improved lighting

Community Trust (CCT) may be another funding

to attract and improve alley-oriented activities

source to beautify the bridge connections.

and events, supporting the existing garage

The 115th Ecological Corridor will turn 115th

galley initiatives. This would beautify the alleys

into a lush, leafy corridor with overreaching

intervention

will

225

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

a building which can serve a year-round

PULLMAN UNITED

trees, larger parkways, bushes, and planters to

development

create a more livable public-realm. Key partners

importance. As the owner of the proposed

are IDOT and CDOT for designs and funding, and

Town Center site, CNI brings a highly successful

the Chicago Department of Water Management

history

could be an additional funding source.

effectively integrating community benefits, and

of

project

managing

of

this

caliber

large-scale

and

projects,

establishing sustainable operational frameworks Town Center

for major commercial and cultural hubs.

The Town Center is the cornerstone of our plan leveraging its status as the site of Chicago’s only

The funding strategy must align with long-

National Historical Park Tourism District. We

term capital campaigns, historic preservation,

will transform the 111th Street parcel into the

and economic development. The Coleman

much-needed Pullman Town Center, creating

Foundation and Allies for Community Business,

a vibrant, walkable Main Street to fill the

aligning with their focus on entrepreneurship,

community’s gap in retail and entertainment.

local job creation, and sustainable economic

This

ecosystems. Choose Chicago is an additional

mixed-use

development

will

anchor

Pullman as a premier National Historical Park

funding

sources

heritage and tourist destination, generating

in

essential economic vitality for the Far South

and historical destinations to regional and

Side. It will feature Phius net-zero carbon

international tourists.

promoting

for

unique,

their

commitment

high-value

cultural

buildings, ground-floor retail, diverse residential units, and public green spaces/courtyards. The

Vertical Wall Garden Initiative

Town Center is the commercial and social nexus

This project focuses on the installation of

that will unite the community and celebrate its

Vertical Gardens or Green Walls throughout

extraordinary culture and history. The result will

Pullman. These bio-receptive facades will

be a vibrant, cohesive center where Pullman’s

transform monolithic concrete structures into

extraordinary culture, history, and heritage

living ecological assets. The initial target site

are actively celebrated and transformed into

is the buffer wall along Cottage Grove Avenue

sustainable economic vitality.

adjacent to the Kensington Metra station in South Pullman. This intervention will effectively

Both the proposed Rear Shops Activation

cloak the existing concrete barrier, providing

and the Town Center are long-term initiatives

immediate benefits to area residents.

(Phase 3), requiring 20 years and beyond for their full realization, restoration, and activation

The project is structured for phased execution to

due to the scale and complexity of the historic

maximize sustainability and manage resources.

structures.

In Phase 1 of this project (an initial 5-year period) will focus on the Cottage Grove Avenue

Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI) is

buffer wall installation and establishment in

uniquely positioned to lead an economic

South Pullman. This phase includes design,

226

core strategy is to forge stronger Industry-

a sustainable maintenance plan. Subsequently

Community Relations by creating a structured

in Phase 2 (a 10-Year Period), will focus on

mechanism for local industrial facilities and

expansion of the vertical garden concept to

area businesses to invest directly in the trail’s

an assortment of suitable surfaces across the

beautification, maintenance, and programming.

community.

The success of the Buffer Trail hinges on a novel Securing diverse partners is essential for

industry-community investment model. Local

project

maintenance,

industrial facilities and businesses are invited

and community engagement. The 9th Ward

to directly invest in specific segments of the

Alderman

and

trail. In return for financial support, businesses

Rosemoor Community Association can lead

receive prominent, structured public recognition

local government endorsement, community

along their sponsored segment, highlighting

outreach, and long-term stewardship. While

their commitment to the community and

industry partners like Gotham Greens, Method,

environmental stewardship. Given the project’s

SC Johnson can provide in-kind donation of

scale, the trail will be divided into North, South,

expertise in horticulture and sustainability,

and Central sections. Partners and funders

technical assistance, or material contribution.

can select specific segments aligned with their

success, Office,

long-term Blacks

in

Green,

service area, funding mandates, or interests, Funding can come from public and private

creating targeted investment opportunities.

funders with creative goals for climate resilience and green infrastructure. Funding sources that

The design of Buffer Trail is a direct response

can be to be tapped into can come from the

to the historic bisection of the Pullman

Chicago Department of Water Management

community by industrial infrastructure. This

(for stormwater management benefits), Chicago

project is conceived as a vital, living stitch

Department of Environment, City of Chicago

intended to heal, connect, and re-integrate all

Climate Infrastructure Fund, Rails to Trails

fragmented sections of the neighborhood. Due

Conservancy: Recreational Trails Program (RTP)

to its strategic importance and complexity—the

through FHWA, and/or Illinois Trails Grant

Buffer Trail holds the largest and most diverse

Programs.

partnership structure among our industrial focused interventions—its realization requires a measured, phased approach. In Phase 1 (an initial

Buffer Trail transformative

5-year period) will establish the foundational

infrastructure project designed to physically

segments of the trail, securing key easements,

and socially connect the Pullman community

launching the industry-community investment

while establishing a vital environmental buffer

model, and achieving initial activation and

between residential and industrial areas. The

community engagement. Phase 2 (a10-Year

The

Buffer

Trail

is

a

227

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

construction, initial planting, and establishing

PULLMAN UNITED

Period) will see the full build-out of the Buffer

a robust, multi-tiered funding strategy will

Trail, completing the trail, expanding partner

be pursued, leveraging public, private and,

involvement, and establishing a sustainable,

philanthropic

long-term

programming

from individual local businesses will secure

endowment. This phased strategy ensures

predictable, recurring revenue for maintenance

that the project’s ambitious vision is executed

and

responsibly, maximizing community benefit

relations. The Buffer Trail aligns with the City

and maintaining the integrity of this critical

of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund goals

connection point.

for city-wide climate resilience goals, securing

Because the Buffer Trail is an enormous and

capital for green infrastructure and stormwater

vital undertaking, it requires the most expansive

management components. Additional funding

network of partners and funding sources—you

can come from the Bezos Earth Fund which

can see the full list on the implementation table.

targets

The Calumet Area Industrial Council would be

for nature-based

an ideal lead partner for coordinating industrial

ecological restoration, and equitable community

business sponsorship and investment. While

development.

maintenance

and

investments.

fosters

strong

large-scale

Target

funding

community-industry

philanthropic

climate

solutions,

support urban

the 9th Ward Alderman Office will be essential for political support, zoning, public land access,

This diversified approach maximizes grant

and overall project championing. Community

opportunities and minimizes dependence on any

organizations like Blacks in Green, Rosemoor

single source, demonstrating financial prudence

Community Association will be a great asset

for a project of this scale. For the complete,

for local input, community buy-in, and trail

non-exhaustive list of all identified partners and

activation. The 9th Ward Alderman Office will

funding streams, please refer to the detailed

serve as the indispensable political champion.

Implementation Table.

Their involvement is essential for securing public land access, navigating zoning requirements,

Cultural Trail Map

and providing overall project support and

The cornerstone of our unifying strategy is the

legitimacy. Grassroots organizations, including

2-mile Cultural Trail, a defining element that aims

Blacks in Green and the Rosemoor Community

to connect North and South Pullman physically

Association, are integral. They provide the

and symbolically. This trail will be woven into

necessary local input, ensure deep community

a rich ecological network, consisting of green

buy-in, and spearhead ongoing trail activation

streets, ecological corridors, and activated

and programming. This collaborative structure

alleyways.

is not merely a preference but a prerequisite for

fosters a unified, beautiful, and ecologically

a project of this scale and strategic significance.

sound environment across all of Pullman. The

This

comprehensive

framework

trail will start in South Pullman at Market Hall, To

and

then pass by The Stables and Florence Hotel,

comprehensive realization of the Buffer Trail,

wind North towards the National Historical

228

ensure

the

long-term

viability

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Park, and stop at the Clock Tower and Rear Shops in Central Pullman. The trail continues on to the A Philip Randolph Museum in North Pullman, and stops by the Old Firehouse on the way back, continuing on to complete the loop back in South Pullman. This project will be in the short-term phase of interventions targeting completion within one to five years. The project will contain both spatial and programming elements. Physical construction of the trail will occur, including paint, signage, and art during the first two years with infrastructure and wayfinding improvements.

The

Cultural

Trail

will

entail

extensive

programming through all three focus areas.

Throughout the neighborhood, experiential design will cultivate an engaging, interactive experience that guides Pullman visitors through intuitive wayfinding, curated National Historical Park tours, and self-directed historic and architectural tour options.

Successful execution of these programs will require close collaboration with the Historic Pullman

Foundation,

Empowerment

Historic

Foundation,

and

Pullman the

City

of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

Potential funding sources include the Illinois Humanities Project Grants Multiplier, Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side, Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Community Trust, Priztker Traubert Foundation, McArthur Foundation, Mahogany Tours, and Foundation for Arts Initiatives.

229

PULLMAN UNITED

Placemaking North Pullman Cultivate Create Clean Connect Coexist

Action

Area

Program

Youth Space

Bus stop

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

Neighborhood

Short

1.0

converted to

Chicago Public

Opportunity

children’s play

Schools, Open Lands

Fund, Open Space

area

Lands Acquisition and Development Grant

1.1 Youth Pop Up

Pedestrian only

Chicago Public

Open Space

space with activ-

Schools, Open Lands

Lands Acquisition

ities

Short

and Development Grant,

1.2 Green Buffer

Green Buffer

Blacks in Green,

Federal

Wall separating

Rosemoor Commu-

Recreational Trails

residential & in-

nity Association,

Program

dustrial land uses

9th Ward Alderman

Short

Office

1.3 103rd Street

Multi use path

Blacks

Ecological Trail

and greenery

Rosemoor Commu-

Recreational Trails

alongside road-

nity Association

Program

way connecting Pullman and Big Marsh

230

in

Green,

Federal

Short

Principles

Placemaking Cultivate Create Clean Connect Coexist

Action

Area

Program

Lead Partner

1.4

Alley

Convert

Activations

underutilized

Funding

Phase

Foundation for

Short

City of Chicago

Arts Initiatives

Green Buffer

9th Ward Alderman

Blacks in Green

Mid

Wall separating

Office

Federal

Mid

Principles

alleys to a more desirable and pleasant destination containing greenery, art, and leisure spaces.

1.5

Green Buffer

residential & industrial land uses

1.6

Cottage Grove Avenue Ecolog-

Multi use path and

9th Ward Alderman

ical Trail

greenery

Office,

along-

Rosemoor Recreational Trails

side roadway con-

Community Associ-

necting

ation

Pullman

Program

and Big Marsh

1.7

eTOD Village Residential transit

Metra,

Far

South

Department

oriented develop-

Community

Devel-

Commerce & Eco-

ment complex

opment Corporation Lead Partners

of Mid

nomic Opportunity,

231

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

North Pullman

PULLMAN UNITED

Central Pullman

Placemaking

Action

Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

2.0

Firehouse

Restore the firehouse

Historic Pullman

National Parks Conservation

Conversion

building for retail, museum

Foundation

Association, Illinois Depart-

(Cultural Trail)

or hospitality use along the

ment of Natural Resources,

cultural trail

The Richard H. Driehaus

Principles Short

Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, Historic Pullman Foundation, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

2.1

Clock Tower

Introduce versatile placemak-

Historic Pullman

National Parks Conservation

Activation

ing strategies to encourage

Foundation and/

Association, Illinois Depart-

local events and interactive

or Chamber of

ment of Natural Resources,

displays and art around the

Commerce

The Richard H. Driehaus

clock tower and cultural trail

Short

Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation

2.2

ETOD Village

Elevate the 111th street

Chicago Neighbor-

Chicago Department of

metra by prioritizing dynamic

hood Initiative

Planning and Development

and diverse housing options

Equitable Transit Oriented

near major transit access,

Development Grant, The

including senior,affordable

Priztker Traubert Foundation,

and workforce housing.

Chicago

Short

Neighborhood Initiative

2.3

111th Street

Infrastructure, pedestrian

Improvements

safety, and placemaking

tional Parks

improvements with the goal

Conservation Association

of creating safe, walkable, and attractive destinations.

232

City of Chicago

National Parks Service, Na-

Short

Placemaking

Action

Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

2.4

Florence Hotel

Renovate and restore the

Historic Pullman

National Parks Con-

Florence Hotel as a premium

Foundation

servation Association,

hospitality space and historic

Illinois Department

amenity on 111th St.

of Natural Resources,

Principles

Short

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Alphawood Foundation, Historic Pullman Foundation

2.5

Pop Up (behind

The Pullman Pop-Up is a series

Historic Pullman

Far South Com-

rear shops)

of themed, multi-site events

Foundation and/or

munity Develop-

that rotate between key neigh-

Chamber of Com-

ment Corpora-

borhood locations. It aims to

merce

tion, Roseland

foster community engagement,

Chamber of

support local economic devel-

Commerce

Short

opment, and provide resources and entertainment for all ages.

Pullman National Historical Park serving as the primary and largest site, offering a historic and central backdrop. Centering and prioritizing local Pullman and Far South small businesses, artisans, and craftspeople.

2.6

Big Marsh Park

Implement a shuttle bus from

Chicago Neighbor-

Federal Transit

Shuttle

the National Historical Park to

hood Initiative

Administration

Big Marsh

Short

Bus and Bus Facilities Program

233

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Central Pullman

PULLMAN UNITED

Central Pullman

Action Area

Program

Lead

Part- Funding

Placemaking

Phase Principles

ners 2.7

Mixed- use

Build on the area’s growing community

Chicago

Private Retail

Town Center

assets by developing a dense, walkable

Neighborhood

Developer, Chicago

retail destination that integrates

Initiative, Allies

Equitable Transit

local, national, and service-oriented

For Community

Oriented Develop-

businesses to serve both residents and

Business

ment Grant

Transform the 111th Street inter-

Illinois De-

Illinois Department

change on the Bishop Ford Freeway

partment of

of Transportation,

into a gateway to Pullman. This deck

Transportation,

Chicago Community

park will be constructed over the exit

Chicago Parks

Trust, The Priztker

ramp, strategically reconnecting the

District

Traubert Founda-

Mid

visitors.

2.8

Deck Park

Pullman neighborhood to Big Marsh

tion, The MacArthur

Park and extending vital green space.

Foundation, Polk

The cap will dramatically reduce noise

Bros. Foundation,

and air pollution for residents while

Chicago Parks

providing diverse recreational and ca-

District

Long

sual dining opportunities, establishing a vibrant, community-centered arrival experience.

2.9

Rear Shops

Elevate the 111th street metra by

Chicago

Chicago Department of

Activation

prioritizing dynamic and diverse

Neighborhood

Planning and Develop-

housing options near major transit

Initiative

ment Equitable Transit

access, including senior,affordable and

Oriented Development

workforce housing.

Grant, The Priztker Trau-

Short

bert Foundation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiative

111th Street

Infrastructure, pedestrian safety, and

Improve-

placemaking improvements with the

National Parks

ments

goal of creating safe, walkable, and

Conservation Association

attractive destinations.

234

City of Chicago

National Parks Service,

Short

Area

Program

Lead Part- Funding

Placemaking

Phase

Principles

ners 2.10

111th

Elevate 111th as a vibrant, pedestri-

City of Chi-

Chicago Depart-

Activation

an focused arts and cultural district

cago

ment of Transporta-

Long

tion, National Parks Service, 9th Ward Alderman, The Priztker Traubert Foundation

2.11

eTOD

Utilize underdeveloped areas around

Chicago

Chicago Depart-

the 111th Metra stop to create

Neighborhood

ment of Planning

equitable and vibrant amenities near

Initiative

and Development

Short

Equitable Transit

major transit nodes.

Oriented Development Grant, The Priztker Traubert Foundation, Chicago Neighborhood Initiative Big Marsh

Implement a shuttle bus from the

Chicago

Federal Transit

Park Shut-

National Historical Park to Big Marsh

Neighborhood

Administration Bus

Initiative

and Bus Facilities

tle

Short

Program

111th

Infrastructure, pedestrian safety,

Street

and placemaking improvements

National Parks

Improve-

with the goal of creating safe, walk-

Conservation Association

ments

able, and attractive destinations.

City of Chicago

National Parks Service,

Short

235

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Central Pullman

Ac tion

PULLMAN UNITED

South Pullman

Placemaking

Action Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

Cultural

Interactive walking experience

Historic Preservation

Short

Trail

guiding visitors through the

Historic Pullman

Fund, National

historic sites in South Pullman,

Foundation, Historic

Trust for Historic

including the Greenstone

Pullman Empowerment

Preservation

Church, Marketplace, Stables

Foundation, DCASE

Principles

3.0

and historic homes. Use of experiential design, AR + app to bring historic sites to life

3.1 Green

Continuous Green Buffer

9th Ward Alderman

Chicago Department

Buffer /

trail throughout Pullman will

Office, Method,

of Water Man-

Ellis Trail

connect the community while

Amazon, SC Johnson,

agement, Chicago

Loop

serving as a buffer between

Whole Foods, Walmart,

Department of Envi-

the residential and industrial

Gotham Greens, Blacks

ronment, Bezos Earth

areas. Buffer trail will develop

in Green, Rosemoor

Fund, City of Chicago

in phase, create programming +

Community Association

Climate Infrastruc-

pop ups along the trail and seek

ture Fund, Rails to

sponsorship from the industrial

Trails Conservan-

businesses along the way.

cy:Recreational Trails

Short

Program through Federal Highway Administration, Illinois Trails Grant Programs 3.2

Chicago Gateway Green

Bezos Earth Fund,

Ve r t i c a l

Install a vertical green wall on

City of Chicago

Garden

the west concrete wall along

Climate

Cottage Grove Ave under the

Infrastructure Fund

Short

Metra trainline.

3.3

Clean 103rd

Multi use path and greenery

Blacks in Green, Rose-

Federal Recreational

Street

alongside roadway connecting

moor Community Asso-

Trails Program

Ecological

Pullman and Big Marsh

ciation

Trail 236

Short

Connect

Placemaking

Action Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

Green

Reinvent the concrete lot in

Chicago Public

Short

Schoolyard

front of Pullman Elementary

Openlands, Healthy

Schools, Chicago

School as a permeable lot

Schools Campaign

Department of

Principles

3.3

with an outdoor classroom,

Water Management,

interactive rain garden, and

Metropolitan Water

sensory/edible garden.

Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Chicago Department of Environment

3.4 Green Roof

Install a green roof on Salem

Salem Baptist Church,

Chicago Department

Baptist Church’s roof

Chicago Green Tech-

of Water Man-

nology, Center, Green

agement, Chicago

Roofs for Healthy Cities

Department of

Short

Environment, City of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund 3.5 Green Roofs

City of Chicago, Chicago

Chicago Department

Install a network of green/

Green Technology

of Water Man-

blue roofs on the civic build-

Center, Green Roofs for

agement, Chicago

ings in South Pullman

Healthy Cities

Department of

Short

Environment, City of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund 3.6

Stables

Rehabilitate and update

Chicago Department

Historic Pullman

Community

design of The Stables historic

of Cultural Affairs &

Foundation

Arts Hub

building into a creative

Special Events, Chicago

marketplace, meeting area and

Department of Planning

rental space that serves as a

& Development,

community hub of learning,

Together We Heal

work training, education and

Creative Place Program,

recreation.

Greater Good Studio,

Short

Rebuild Foundation

237

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

South Pullman

PULLMAN UNITED

South Pullman

Placemaking

Action

Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

3.7 Mid Passive House

Achieve Phius CORE or

Salem Baptist Church,

Chicago Department

Salem Baptist

ZERO certification on

Chicago Green Tech-

of Water Man-

Church Work-

Salem Baptist Church’s

nology, Center, Green

agement, Chicago

force Housing

planned workforce

Roofs for Healthy Cities

Department of

housing project

Environment, City of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund

3.8 Market Hall

Renovate the Market

City of Chicago, Chicago

Chicago Department

Hall into a food and

Green Technology

of Water Man-

retail market with out-

Center, Green Roofs for

agement, Chicago

door farmer’s market

Healthy Cities

Department of

on the weekends

Mid

Environment, City of Chicago Climate Infrastructure Fund

3.9 Restaurant/Deli

Chicago Department

Coleman

Introduce a fast casual

of Planning & Develop-

Foundation, Chicago

or sit down restaurant

ment Neighborhood Op-

Community Trust,

with improved corner

portunity Fund, Chicago

Women’s Business

facade. Convert adja-

Neighborhood Initiative

Development Center,

cent storefront into a

Neighborhood

fitness/health studio

Opportunity Trust

Mid

3.10 Garage

Amplify the garage art

Chicago Department of Artists Run Chicago

Galleries

pop ups that already

Cultural Affairs & Special

Fund, Ignite Fund,

occur in South Pullman,

Events

Joyce Fund

by adding increased wayfinding, lighting and alleyscaping

238

Mid

Principles

Placemaking

Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

The Stables

Provide artists based out of

Chicago

21st Century

Mid

Incubator &

The Stables with a space in the

Department of

Community Learning

Visitor Center

Kensington Station ETOD to

Cultural Affairs &

Centers, Fruit Guys

sell locally produced goods and

Special Events

Community Fund

Install a solar farm on the ~80-

Sherwin Williams

Climate And Equi-

acre paved Sherwin-Williams

Foundation (their

table Jobs Act, City

Emulsion Plant site.

focus is on chil-

of Chicago Climate

dren’s health)

Infrastructure Fund

Illinois Department

llinois Department

Principles

3.11

advertise upcoming community events. This could be a sort of “visitor center” not specific to the national park.

3.12 Solar Farm

3.13 Pedestrian

Construct a pedestrian bridge

of Transportation,

of Transportation,

Bridge

over the Bishop Ford interstate

Chicago Depart-

Chicago Community

(I-94) to Big Marsh; start with

ment of Transpor-

Trust

concepts from the prior cohort

tation

Ecological

Construct an ecological corridor

Illinois Department

Chicago Department

Corridor

on 115th Street.

of Transportation,

of Water

Chicago Depart-

Management

Long

Long

3.14 Long

ment of Transportation

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Chapter 6: Looking Forward

South Pullman Action

PULLMAN UNITED

Programming

the purposes of this program is to bridge the

Partnership Programs

perceived gap between these two areas and produce a more cohesive landscape. This will

Beyond the proposed design interventions,

include involvement from the Calumet Area

we

program

Industrial Commission, Illinois Department of

immediate,

Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Chicago

intermediate, and long-term implementation.

Department of Planning and Development-Local

These

high-impact

Industrial Retention Initiative, and philanthropic

opportunities designed to lean further into

organizations such as the Coleman Foundation.

have

developed

recommendations initiatives

Pullman’s

various

spanning represent

inextricable

relationship

with

industry. It is imperative that these programs

The Community Wealth Building program will

foster deep industry-community collaboration

enhance workforce training and foster small

for a truly united Pullman. By establishing this

business incubation and development. Through

reciprocal economic and social model, we will

partnerships

fundamentally demonstrate that industry and

Initiative and Revolution Workshop, this short-

community can, and must, operate as a mutually

term program will strengthen the local business

beneficial

community and expand local employment

partnership,

driving

sustainable

prosperity for all.

opportunities.

with

Chicago

Additionally,

Neighborhoods

organizations

who may be engaged for funding include the North Pullman

Chicago Community Trust, Illinois Department

The Home Weatherization & Energy Efficiency

of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and

program consists of implementing a home

Pullman Chamber of Commerce.

repair and weatherization program to improve debilitated homes in North Pullman. The

The Green & Industrial Youth Tours program

program can begin in the next 5 years and will

is a strategic workforce development and

encourage homes to pursue Phius CORE or

community engagement initiative designed

ZERO certification for maximum energy benefits.

to connect students with high-growth local

Partners and potential funding sources include

industries. This program will inspire the next

ComEd, Revolution Workshop, the Department

generation of local talent by providing hands-on

of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and the

exposure to modern green and industrial career

Weatherization Assistance Program.

pathways, thereby strengthening the connection between the community and local economy.

Central Pullman

To provide students with best-in-class, real-

Through an Industrial Integration program,

world experience, the program will leverage key

Pullman will restore industrial and residential

industry leaders. Partnering with Gotham Greens

land uses to promote green industry, repair

to showcase Urban Agriculture by providing

past damage, and reintroduce stormwater

access to their facilities, including the world’s

retention beginning in the next 5 years. One of

largest green/growing roof. This offers direct

240

will be implemented within 5 to 10 years of

and sustainable business models. An additional

this plan to forge stronger Industry-Community

partnership with Method to highlight Sustainable

Relations. The program will entail inviting local

Manufacturing best practices, as their facility, is

industrial facilities and other area businesses

the first in its industry to achieve LEED Platinum

to directly invest in the beautification and

Certification, serving as a powerful case study

maintenance of the proposed Buffer Trail. In

in

economics,

return for their financial support, businesses

and clean production. Revolution Workshop

will receive structured, public recognition that

would be in charge of the primary logistics and

highlights their commitment to the community.

programmatic lead. Their role will be critical in

One organization to seek partnership on this

managing all operational logistics, coordinating

with is the Calumet Area Industrial Commission.

sustainable

design,

circular

partner site visits, curriculum development, and ensuring comprehensive program success and

South Pullman

student retention. This program is positioned for

Our Green Industry Apprenticeship Program

immediate execution, requiring minimal capital

proposes to establish a high-quality, credentialed

for build-out and focusing instead on curriculum

pathway for local residents into high-demand

and partnership stewardship. Funding support

“green collar” careers. This initiative will generate

can be sought from the Polk Bros. Foundation

local, family-sustaining green jobs and ensure a

and

with

skilled workforce capable of delivering cutting-

environmental and workforce development

edge sustainable infrastructure. Targeting the

goals.

development of certified professionals in critical

corporate

sponsorships

aligned

green building and energy credentials like Phius, The Big Marsh Park Shuttle is a new route which

green building, and/or solar PV installation.

would create a new bus connection to the Lake Calumet area, circulating through the entire

This initiative is primed for immediate execution

park system as proposed by the Calumet Off

within the first five years of the overall strategy.

the Grid plan. This Shuttle could be positioned

The industry needs for a more robust workforce

as an ecological tourism booster, creating an

puts this program in high priority ensures

essential connection between the vast Lake

that significant, measurable impact can be

Calumet park system and the South-side region.

achieved rapidly. The scouting and designation

The Chicago Transit Authority or Pace would be

of the correct lead partner is the single most

essential partners to move this project along,

critical near-term action. This partner will be

beginning with a transit study to determine

responsible for program governance, quality

routing options, frequencies, and key transit

assurance, and operational success. Powering

connections to maximize the park’s potential as

Chicago is ideal for leveraging their established

a regionally renowned park system.

union apprenticeship infrastructure and industry connections. Clean Jobs Workforce Network

A Buffer Trail Business Stewardship program

Program is another partnership option with their

241

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

exposure to controlled-environment agriculture

PULLMAN UNITED

proven history for maximizing local workforce

days, where seeds, soil, and planting tools are

inclusion, candidate recruitment, and supportive

provided, and participants are taught how to

services

Connectworx

take care of and harvest the plants grown.

(U.S. DOE Solar TA Program) is best suited for

Containers can be provided by a neighborhood

providing specialized technical assistance and

organization or sponsor, or residents can recycle

national standard alignment, particularly for

large containers that would have otherwise

solar PV training.

been disposed of. This event can be held each

A multi-tiered approach will be used to secure

year, beginning in the first year of this plan’s

comprehensive financial backing, leveraging both

implementation, and can be hosted at any of the

public and philanthropic capital. The Climate

proposed community gathering spaces in this

and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) can provide core

plan.

integration.

While

operational funding, subsidized training costs, and alignment with state-mandated job creation

To increase the number of energy efficient

goals. While the MacArthur Foundation can help

buildings in Pullman, the Salem Baptist Church

provide funding for program design, evaluation,

Workforce Housing project will be pushed to

scaling, and equitable workforce development

achieve Passive House Institute of US (Phius)

initiatives.

CORE, ZERO, or total certification. Phius CORE is a foundational certification standard

In the early stages of the Green Schoolyard’s

for energy efficiency and comfort, while ZERO

development, we will include students and

requires net-zero energy consumption. Phius

volunteers in the design process to promote

ZERO could be pursued either through installing

Green Education to residents of all levels. This

a solar PV system on the roof of the House of

involvement will include a program that delivers

Hope Church or on the roof of the Workforce

lessons about environmental stewardship, urban

Housing building. This initiative will follow the

farming, community food systems, nutrition,

same phasing as the Workforce Housing project

and business development, and participating

and will need coordination between Salem

residents will have the opportunity to help

Baptist Church, Illinois Housing Development

plant and upkeep the landscaping of the garden.

Authority, and the Chicago Housing Authority.

Pullman Elementary School, Openlands, and Roots of Success will be engaged in this program,

A Farm to Table program will be initiated

and the US Department of Agriculture’s Urban

with Gotham Greens and local vendors from

Agriculture and Innovative Production grant is

Pullman’s farmer’s market in the next 5 to 10

a potential additional funding source outside of

years to bring locally grown food to residents

Openlands’ Space to Grow program.

and promote local green jobs. The Deli & Co-

A

Container

Garden

initiative

be

op will be considered as one of the recipients of

implemented to ensure that all residents have

these local goods, as will other small businesses

access to healthy food grown out of their own

in the area. The US Department of Agriculture’s

home. The program will consist of planting

Farmers

242

will

Market

Promotion

Program

and

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program may be able to subsidize this program.

A Health Focused Education program will create an after-school program based out of the Stables Community Arts Hub for young residents to cook with greens grown at Pullman Elementary School’s proposed green schoolyard, develop

green

building

skills,

and

learn

about career paths. Additional nature-based programming can be incorporated with Pullman Elementary School’s After School Matters program. With funding from the Child Care & Development Block grant and 21st Century Community Learning Center, this program can be implemented in the next 5 to 10 years once the Green Schoolyard and Community Arts Hub have finished construction.

The Sherwin-Williams solar farm will launch a Community Solar program to ensure that Far South residents benefit from energy production on the site. Multiple models can be explored, including programs that have sliding scale subscription-based

pricing,

and

additional

benefits to subscribers including profit sharing of revenue and inclusion in any decisions made about the future of the site. Connectworx is a solar workforce technical assistance program that we can include in this initiative, as well as the Blacks in Green Green Energy Justice Collaborative. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act’s programs, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Solar for All” program ,are potential funding sources.

243

PULLMAN UNITED

North Pullman

Programming

Action Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

1.0

Home

Implement a

ComEd, Revolution

Illinois Department

Short

Weatherization

home repair and

Workshop

of Commerce &

& Energy

weatherization

Economic Opportunity,

Efficiency

program to improve

Weatherization

debilitated homes

Assistance Program

in North Pullman

244

Principles

2.0

Programming

Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

Industrial

Restore and integrate industri-

Calumet Area

Illinois Department of

Short

Integration

al and residential land uses to

Industrial Com-

Commerce and Econom-

promote green industry, repair

mission

ic Opportunity, Chicago

past damage, and reintroduce

Department of Planning and

stormwater retention

Development-Local Industrial

Principles

Retention Initiative, The Coleman Foundation

2.1

Community

Enhance workforce training and

Chicago Neigh-

Chicago Neighborhood

Wealth Building

foster small business incubation

borhood Initia-

Initiatives, Chicago

and development to strengthen

tives, Revolution

Community Trust,

the local business community

Workshop

Illinois Department

and expand local employment

of Commerce and

opportunities

Economic Opportunity,

Short

Pullman Chamber of Commerce

2.2

Industrial Youth

Foster a connection between the

Revolution

Polk Bros. Foundation,

Tours

community and local industry by

Workshop

Private Businesses

Short

offering a program that introduces students to green industries through tours and educational opportunities with organizations like Gotham Greens and Method

2.3

Big Marsh Park

Implement a shuttle bus from the

Chicago Transit

Federal Transit

Shuttle

National Historical Park to Big

Authority

Administration Bus and Bus Facilities Program

Marsh

2.4

Short

Buffer Trail

Forge strong relations between in-

Calumet Area

Business

dustry and community by inviting

Industrial

Stewardship

local industrial facilities and other

Commission

Program

area businesses to directly invest

Individual businesses

Mid

in the beautification and maintenance of the Buffer Trail

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Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Central Pullman

PULLMAN UNITED

South Pullman

Programming

Action Area

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

Phase

3.0

Green Industry

Introduce a

Powering

Climate and Equitable Jobs

Short

Apprenticeship

Registered

Chicago, Clean

Act programs, MacArthur

Program

Apprenticeship

Jobs Workforce

Foundation

Program (RAP)

Network Program,

to generate local

Connectworx

green jobs 3.1

Green

Incorporate

Pullman Elementary

US Department of

Education

students and

School, Openlands,

Agriculture Urban

volunteers in

Roots of Success

Agriculture and Innovative

the design and

Short

Production Grants

implementation of Pullman Elementary School’s garden 3.2

Container

Implement

Ditto Foods, By the

US Department of

Gardens

a container

Hand Club for Kids

Agriculture Urban

gardening initiative

Agriculture and Innovative

for residents to

Production Grants,

grow and produce

Specialty Crop Block Grant

fresh food out of

Program

Short

their homes 3.3

Passive

Achieve Phius

Salem Baptist

Salem Baptist Church,

House Salem

CORE or ZERO

Church

Illinois Housing

Baptist Church

certification on

Development Authority,

Workforce

Salem Baptist

Chicago Housing Authority

Housing

Church’s planned workforce housing project

246

Mid

Principles

Program

Lead Partners

Funding

3.4

Farm to Table

Partner with

Gotham Greens

US Department of

Program

Gotham Greens and

Agriculture Farmers Market

local vendors from

Promotion Program, US

Pullman’s farmers

Department of Agriculture

market to bring

Specialty Crop Block Grant

locally grown food

Program

Programming Phase

Principles

Mid

to residents and promote local green jobs 3.5

Health Focused

Create a program

After School Matters

Child Care & Development

Education

based out of

at Gately Park,

Block Grant, 21st Century

the Stables

Pullman Elementary

Community Learning

Community

School

Centers

Connectworx

Climate and Equitable

Mid

Hub for young residents to learn about healthy cooking, green building skills, and career paths 3.6

Community

Implement a

Solar

community solar

Jobs Act programs,

program with the

Environmental Protection

solar farm on the

Agency “Solar for All”

Sherwin Williams

program

Long

site

247

Chapter 6: Looking Forward

South Pullman

Action Area

PULLMAN UNITED

Policy Existing Land Use Plan The land use of Pullman can be characterized as bifurcated, industrially dominated, and automobile-oriented. This leads to disparate pockets of uses that mix poorly, and often come into conflict with one another, such as industrial noise and smell pollution affecting a quiet, suburban subdivision. Additionally, in recent years development has moved away from West to East, with distribution centers and highway-facing restaurants have opened in recent years. This trend puts the pollution and stress of frequent truck and commuter traffic onto local residents.

Proposed Land Use Plan We are proposing to reorient development in Pullman back to the West, particularly along their Metra Electric line. We are proposing the equitable development of three sites adjacent to this significant transit line. Prioritizing mixed used, and multiuse projects, especially those with an affordable housing or local business component. Especially since vacant sites are quite limited within Pullman, they need to be able to contribute a variety of functions for their residents. Additionally, we endeavor to revitalize the historic, pedestrian mobility patterns of Pullman through a vast expanse of shaded and verdant green spaces, allowing for greater connectivity, more present green space, as well as, making all needs of residents locally available. Thus, we must make use of the few sites we have at our disposal to positively impact as many residents as possible.

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Chapter 6: Looking Forward

Existing Zoning Plan Zoning in Pullman is heavily oriented toward manufacturing, which takes up 86% of Pullmans land area, with Planned developments in second, at 6.2%. These recent planned developments have pivoted toward distribution centers and large box office stores, such as Walmart. Residential zoning is bifurcated by industry, leaving residents isolated in distant communities that lack cohesion. In addition to the disparate nature of these subareas, they also lack access to shops and stores within walking distance. Residents also face a distinct lack of green space, which only constitutes 0.6% of zoned land.

This residential isolation, poor access to green space, and lack of connectivity to services has informed our rezoning proposal.

Proposed Rezoning Plan Our primary zoning recommendations are centered around the proliferation of green space on underutilized land, while increasing access to necessary services, such as grocers, to the community level, and furthering the presence of mixed-use zoning throughout the neighborhood, but particularly around the commuter rail line. Most of our interventions are situated in areas often not engaged with, namely North Pullman and the industrial area adjacent to Interstate 94. By introducing well connected green space, we believe we are planning for the future, especially when industrial vacancies begin to present themselves, setting Pullman up to be a self-sustaining community able to provide for local and regional needs.

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PULLMAN UNITED

07 AFTERWORD

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AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT THE WRONGS OF THE PAST Chapter 7: Afterword

HISTORY OF THE SHERMAN WILLIAMS SITE Over the years, the people of southeast Chicago have been surrounded by industrial activity.

They have suffered from the results of industrial pollution. Today’s action against Sherwin-Williams isn’t going to solve all the problems, but it’s a step in the right direction.

- Carol Browner, EPA Administrator (1993)

Like many other historically industrial Black communities, Pullman has been the victim of redlining and environmental injustice for over 100 years. Perhaps one of the most apparent results of this atrocity is the extensive pollution dispersed by Sherwin-Williams at their manufacturing facilities situated in Roseland on the southern border of Pullman. Beginning in the late 1800s and up until 1997, Sherwin-Williams incrementally acquired the parcels shown in the study area at the right. Bounded by 115th Street, 119th Street, Cottage Grove Avenue, and Doty Avenue, much of the 80-acre site has been vacant for almost 30 years. One active business exists on the site today - the Sherwin-Williams Chicago Emulsions Plant (CEP) - which currently manufactures latex paints. The remaining land is primarily used as parking.

Doty Ave

Champlain Ave

e e Av Grov age Cott

Bishop Ford Fwy

The Sherwin-Williams plants no longer active on the site primarily manufactured paints, specialized coatings, and resins. These plants were deactivated in 1992 and 1997, severing a huge economic driver for the area and leaving behind a legacy of environmental degradation including contaminated groundwater and toxic waste remnants. After the second plant’s shut down in 1997, a federal lawsuit against 24 companies led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) convicted the Sherwin-Williams of storing chemicals improperly, skipping hazardous

115th St.

251

PULLMAN UNITED

containment barriers for the seven areas of the site shown in the figure to the left. The total cost of the remediation plan at the time of proposal was over $16 Million. As of 2012, the following engineered barriers have been constructed as planned: •

• • •

The larger site is partitioned into various smaller areas where different remediation approaches have been used.

waste testing, and discharging volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air and water systems at the site, among 39 other allegations.

The EPA reported that the actions of SherwinWilliams were the most serious out of these 24 companies charged. Contaminants found at the Sherwin-Williams site include, but are not limited to, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, ammonia, nitrate, ortho-phosphate, arsenic, chromium, and lead. This contamination has rendered much of this site both useless as an economic generator, and harmful to the health and well-being of Far South residents.

In 1998, after facing over $6 Million in charges from the EPA, Sherwin-Williams hired environmental consultant Weston Solutions to conduct a site assessment and form a remediation plan. The remediation plan, proposed in 2006, included groundwater extraction and various

252

A multi-layer soil cap consisting of a vegertative layer, protective layer, drainage layer, low-permeability layer, grading layer, and passive gas vents at a 25-acre area at the southeastern portion of the site; Soil cover at a 5-acre area at the southwestern portion of the site; Asphalt, concrete, and soil cover at Areas 1, 2a, 3, and 4; Impermeable asphalt at Area 2b.

Area 3, referred to as the Boilerhouse Complex, was granted a No Further Remediation (NFR) letter from the EPA in 2013 indicating that all required remediation measures have been completed. The engineered barriers in the remaining areas of the site are under a 20-year period of monitoring, maintenance, and inspection, and will be cleared for industrial and commercial activity once granted an NFR letter. The anticipated timeframe for completed remediation of these areas is unknown to the students of this studio.

Similarly, future plans for this land once remediation has been completed are unclear. This much is clear, though: this site has caused too much harm to - and has too much opportunity for – the residents of Pullman and the Far South side of Chicago to sit idle any longer.

Chapter 7: Afterword Illinois Department of Natural Resources

OUR VISION FOR THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS SITE The students of this cohort intend to honor the tireless efforts made by Hazel Johnson and modern-day environmental activists alike by specifically targeting the Sherwin-Williams site.

Industrial activity is at the core of Pullman’s vitality, but strides to introduce environmentally conscious corporations have fortunately been made. Now, it is time for Pullman and the Far South to reap the benefits of heavy urban development that they have been egregiously deprived of in the past. At the 80-acre SherwinWilliams site, we envision a solar farm – or, ambitiously, a solar park – to provide residents with a system that promotes energy sovereignty.

At the 10- to 20-Megawatt solar park, groundmounted solar panels will be raised over native vegetation to promote biodiversity and purify air, mitigating the damage done by Sherwin-Williams and surrounding industrial sites Walkways and signage throughout the park bring a second purpose to the solar farm: a living laboratory for residents, students, and visitors to learn about the bioremediation efforts that took place, science behind renewable power generation, and

the possibilities for a more sustainable future.

Community solar programming will ensure that residents, especially those who are most highly energy burdened, are the recipients of the clean energy produced, and furthermore that subscribing residents are involved in any profit sharing related to the system.

The life of this project will likely span at least 20 to 30 years, granting the site ample time to recuperate as a natural resource. Based on case studies explored, funding options may include local clean energy incentives; conventional solar financing with Sherwin-Williams or a separate developer and Exelon Corporation; and donations from philanthropists. Future applications for the site after this timeframe, as well as potential alternative long-term sites for the solar farm, will need to be explored in the next iteration of this project.

The Calumet region’s dual identity as an industrial powerhouse and ecological haven makes it the prime candidate for piloting a project of this nature.

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PULLMAN UNITED

OUR INSPIRATION: LESSONS FROM THE FIELD NEW LIFE FOR A SUPERFUND SITE

MAYWOOD SOLAR FARM Indianapolis, IN

Hood Design Studio

The Maywood Solar Farm transforms the remediated site once used by the Reilly Tar & Chemical Superfund Site.

DESIGNER/DEVELOPER: Hanwha Q Cells In partnership with local governments in the Atlanta metro area, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has proposed a 31-mile multiuse trail to connect seven communities that have been divided by the airport, highways, and railways that cut through the city. This route will run alongside the Flint River where possible and incorporates bioswales and retention ponds to achieve stormwater management goals outlined in a community-led river restoration effort called Finding the Flint. In 2026, a federally and locally funded master planning process will additionally be developed in tandem with a micro-mobility feasibility study. Through the right partnerships

254

between local and regional entities, Pullman’s ecological trail can similarly connect the Far South and eventually Chicago’s larger trail network to Lake Calumet.

Chapter 7: Afterword

Hood Design Studio

Scott Olson for Getty

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

COMMUNITY SOLAR

Buffalo, NY

Aurora, Naperville, Romeoville, IL

THE SOLAR STRAND DEVELOPER: New York Power Authority DESIGNER: Hood Design Studio In 2012, the University at Buffalo, in collaboration with Hood Design Studio and the New York Power Authority, constructed the Solar Strand: a 750-kilowatt solar PV system that would both power hundreds of student apartments and serve as a living laboratory for students, faculty, and the public. The 5,000-panel array spans 3 acres and additionally features benches, outdoor classrooms, walking paths between rows of panels, and surrounding meadows and wetland areas to create an immersive experience.

Funded by the New York Power Authority, this $14 million project proves that infrastructure improvements can better resident wellbeing not only by curbing carbon emissions, but also by generating learning opportunities regarding environmental stewardship. In Pullman, we can incorporate interactive elements that the Solar Strand has pioneered into the solar park at the Sherwin Williams site.

GREEN ENERGY JUSTICE COOPERATIVE DEVELOPER: Blacks in Green In 2022, Blacks in Green (BIG) and similarly aligned Chicago organizations launched a clean energy cooperative called the Green Energy Justice Cooperative (GEJC). Aimed at boosting the local green economy and cultivating clean energy sovereignty in areas suffering from environmental justice issues, GEJC received funding from the Illinois Power Agency (IPA) to build 3, 3 Megawatt solar farms in Illinois communities in 2023. As of July 2025, the Aurora and Naperville installations are installed and running.

By employing community solar programming, these projects lower energy bills for subscribers across Aurora, Naperville, Romeoville, and surrounding areas. Many of these subscribers include low- and moderate- income homeowners, who qualify for a lower opt-in rate, as well as Black and Brown residents. Additional benefits to subscribers include profit sharing, involvement in the solar cooperative, and related workforce training. Building off BIG’s past decade of advocacy engagement through the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), Pullman can seek partnership with GEJC to ensure energy from the solar park reaches local households.

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