Improved pedestrian crossing at the Milwaukee/Damen/North intersection, an adjacent dog park and more public art are just a few of the recommendations included in a new five-year strategic plan for the Wicker Park and Bucktown neighborhoods. The Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area No. 33 unveiled its 2016 master plan this week, laying out a number of proposals and outlining a vision for the community that stresses “walkability, local character, diversity and cultural richness.”
The new plan is an update to the WPB SSA No. 33’s 2009 master plan and was designed to serve as a resource for developers, community groups and elected officials. “The plan builds upon the 2009 master plan, outlining strategies, actions, and specific projects that were supported and refined by the community process,” the WPB SSA said in the plan. “It includes fundamentals as well as big picture ideas and urban space activation concepts.”
Some of the major objectives in the 2016 plan include: safety improvements at pedestrian crossings, reclaiming space for walkers and cyclists, additional access points to the neighborhood, and expanding transportation options. “Talk is already underway to implement major improvements to our three six-corner intersections to make them more approachable to everyone, with the understanding that the adjacent CTA stops serve as the front door to our neighborhoods," WPB SSA No. 33 Commission chairman Brent Norsman said in a statement.
In 2016, the group hired a team of consultants led by Teska Associates Inc. to update the previous plan. In addition to various recommendations, the team also created some cool renderings of what some of the proposals, if realized, could look like.
Courtesy Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area No. 33
See the full 2016 master plan here.
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.