Morton Arboretum wins Chicago urban design competition

The winning concept reimagines Chicago’s urban environment as a connected network of green spaces, drawing on the city’s historical identity as a City in a Garden. The Arboretum developed the proposal alongside partners Blacks in Green and Urban Growers Collective, focusing on community-led design to address climate resilience, health, and local job creation. Pilot projects include a Community Resilience Garden in West Woodlawn and an urban tree nursery in Auburn Gresham, capable of producing 10,000 trees annually.

Landscape architecture firm MKSK shared the top honor for its Wonderways! proposal, which focuses on transforming boulevards into climate commons. These concepts were selected from nearly 200 submissions, underscoring a shift toward viewing green space as critical civic infrastructure that appreciates in value. According to Jill Koski, president and CEO of The Morton Arboretum, the plan builds on existing efforts like the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, which has worked with over 500 organizations to expand canopy cover since 2014. The six finalist proposals remain on public display at the Chicago Cultural Center through October 11.