Architecture critic Blair Kamin has an interesting take on the planned $115 revamp of Chicago's top tourist attraction. He wonders if James Corner's "high design" can meld with Navy Pier's "seductive riot of carnival midway tackiness."
"As my mind drifted from the pier's seductive riot of carnival midway tackiness to the upcoming revamp of its public spaces, I had what is (for an architecture critic, at least) a terrible thought: Will the sort of high design that gave us Millennium Park be incompatible with the populist playground that is the pier?"
"Navy Pier officials obviously don't think so, and there is reason to believe they may be right," he observes.
"The reconstruction, expected to start in late September, seems likely to strike a balance between accepting the pier's eclectic activity mix and transforming the 3,000-foot icon into a distinguished destination that dials down commercialism in favor of pleasures only a waterfront promenade can deliver."
FULL STORY: Navy Pier redesign walks the line between populist and classy
Navy Pier Design Team Picked
From amongst an international field of distinguished competitors, a 17-memeber team led by James Corner Field Operations has been selected to revamp the Chicago landmark's public spaces, reports Blair Kamin.
Big Ideas Proposed for Chicago's Navy Pier
Blair Kamin reports on proposals from five teams of celebrated designers vying to re-imagine Navy Pier. They reflect big ideas, and big budgets.
Money for Blighted Neighborhoods Pushed to Chicago Tourist Attraction
The administration of Rahm Emanuel okayed a financial scheme to move money for poor neighborhoods into a fund for Navy Pier, a downtown mall and theater.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service