Chicagoist Weekend Theater: The Plan Of Chicago

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 14, 2013 7:00PM

Mayor Emanuel uses the phrase "world-class city" to describe Chicago and rationalize his initiatives so much one wonders if he actually believes it. The Windy City has always had its complexes, whether in comparison to New York City or about its place on the international stage, we react to any criticism about the city like the descendents of a trading post we are. Chicago is the biggest little city we know.

To this day, Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago remains one of the great urban planning achievements in American history and the benchmark today's politicians use to measure their own legacies. (How else, besides hubris, to explain why so many local buildings and monuments are tagged with the name "Daley?") This 10-minute video will give you some entertaining Cliff's Notes on how the Plan came to be.