The Burnham Plan Centennial - Bold Plans, Big Dreams

Calendar & Projects

Public Programs

Previous Events

October, 2008

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 7:00pm

Community Conversation: Downers Grove

Downers Grove Public Library

We strive to find ways to make our communities stronger and our residents more involved. This community conversation, co-hosted by Downers Grove Public Library and CMAP, will help the GOTO 2040 initiative identify issues, concerns and new ideas about the future of our region. [MORE]

November, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008 noon to 1:30am

Thinking Big: The Plan Of Chicago: 100 Years of City-Building

Chicago Humanities Festival

Why is Chicago known as the city that gave birth to modern urban planning? What were the forces that came together in 1909 to produce Burnham and Bennett’s Plan of Chicago? Where are the imprints of this visionary plan on our regional landscape and how does it continue to inspire us 100 years later? [MORE]

Sunday, November 2, 2008 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Thinking Big: The Global City of the Future

Chicago Humanities Festival

How are cities around the world facing the challenges of the 21st century? Are the lessons of Burnham and Chicago relevant to shaping a more liveable and more fulfilling metropolis? This second program about the Burnham Plan and its legacy will tackle challenges facing Chicago and other global cities in the coming century. [MORE]

Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:00am to 11:30am

The GO TO 2040 Plan: Bold Innovations for a Better Chicago

Chicago Humanities Festival

How will metropolitan Chicago look by the year 2040— and how should it look? This Community Conversation, organized for  the 2008 Chicago Humanities Festival by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), will focus on the role of commuter rail and potential regional high-speed rail service. [MORE]

Sunday, November 9, 2008 noon to 1:00pm

Bruce Mau and Elva Rubio: Designing Chicago's Next Century

Chicago Humanities Festival

Visionary urban designers Mau and Rubio of Bruce Mau Design, Inc. present their joint venture with students at the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago to radically re-envision the future of Chicago's built environment: a Burnham plan for the next century.

Sunday, November 9, 2008 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Burnham 2.0: Judges Panel

Chicago Humanities Festival

A distinguished panel of architects and designers from around the world will discuss and critique the various works on display in the Chicago Architectural Club’s Burnham 2.0 exhibition at the Chicago History Museum which opens as part of the 2008 Chicago Humanities Festival.

Monday, November 17, 2008 1:30pm
Monday, November 17, 2008 7:00pm

Community Conversation: GO TO 2040

Elmhurst Public Library

We strive to find ways to make our communities stronger and our residents more involved. These "Community Conversations," co-hosted by the Elmhurst Public Library and CMAP, will help the GOTO 2040 initiative identify issues, concerns and new ideas about the future of our region. [MORE]

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 6:30pm to 8:00pm

H2Oil: Mixing Oil and Water

Chicago History Museum

The opening event of the Illinois Humanities Council's year-long "All Consuming" series features Richard Heinberg—author of Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines and Senior Fellow at the Post Carbon Institute—in conversation with Steve Edwards of Chicago Public Radio. [MORE]

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Daniel Burnham's and Edward Bennett's Plan of Chicago and Grant Park: 100 years later

Grant Park Conservancy

What would Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett think? How far have we come and where are we going? A distinguished panel of experts will examine these questions in a discussion about the history, present and future of Grant Park along with Monroe Harbor, the Plan's formal "front door.” This program is part of a series of discussions over the next year that will focus on Grant Park and the Plan of Chicago.

  [MORE]

Thursday, November 20, 2008 1:30pm to 3:30pm

On The Eve of the Centennial: Daniel Burnham, Big Thinkers, and the Future of the Metropolis

American Planning Association - Chicago Metro Section

2009 will be a big year for the Chicago region.

December, 2008

Wednesday, December 3, 2008 5:30pm to 8:00pm

Trials and Tribulations: Daniel Burnham & Chicago City Planning in the 21st Century

Friends of Downtown

 

Join the Friends of Downtown at their annual meeting for an evening of light appetizers, drinks and discussion.

One hundred years after the Plan of Chicago was published, downtown Chicago is a much different place than Burnham imagined -- though benefits and visions from his plan endure. Join the Friends of Downtown during its annual meeting to discuss if and how urban planning can work in the 21st Century. [MORE]

January, 2009

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Beyond Burnham Lunchtime Lecture Series

AIA Chicago

In January 2009, the Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago starts a year-long lunchtime lecture series of programs around the major themes of the Plan of Chicago.  The series is open to AIA Chicago members and others. Bring your lunch; beverages are  provided. [MORE]

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:00pm

Yours, Mine, Ours, or Theirs? Accessing and Controlling Oil and Water

Are oil and water resources to be stewarded and shared or commodities to be bought and sold? Does any person, country, or community own oil and water resources? How do the concepts of ownership and stewardship affect access to oil and water? What questions are raised by the privatization of resources?
  [MORE]

February, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Beyond Burnham Lunchtime Lecture Series

AIA Chicago

In January 2009, the Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago starts a year-long lunchtime lecture series of programs around the major themes of the Plan of Chicago.  The series is open to AIA Chicago members and others. Bring your lunch; beverages are  provided. [MORE]

Thursday, February 12, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Distinguished Speakers Series

Women in Planning and Development

Women in Planning and Development 2009 Distinguished Speaker Series will focus on the Burnham Centennial. Working with Jan Metzer, author of “What would Jane say?” we are developing a series that reflects the female perspective of the Burnham Plan. The series will include the following presentations: [MORE]

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 7:00pm

Crosscurrents: Ethanol, Oil, and Water in Southern Illinois

Illinois Humanities Council

Ethanol shows promise as a replacement for fossil fuels, yet requires significant water and land resources to produce. What is the promise of ethanol and what are its limitations?  How does producing ethanol influence the supply and demand for water?
 
This program of the Illinois Humanities Council's year-long "All Consuming" series examines the environmental and ethical questions involved in increased ethanol production.
Panelists: [MORE]

March, 2009

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 6:30pm

People, Places and Planning

Elmhurst Art Museum

This lecture discusses the urban planning and ideas used in the Burnham Plan. John Said from the City of Elmhurst’s Department of Planning, Zoning and Economic Development explores Burnham’s influence on the development of Elmhurst and how it continues to impact the planning efforts of the city.
People, Places and Planning is part of the Burnham in Elmhurst celebration. [MORE]

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Beyond Burnham Lunchtime Lecture Series

AIA Chicago

In January 2009, the Regional & Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago starts a year-long lunchtime lecture series of programs around the major themes of the Plan of Chicago.  The series is open to AIA Chicago members and others. Bring your lunch; beverages are  provided. [MORE]

Thursday, March 12, 2009 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Finding Burnham in the Archives: Swedenborgian Revelations and the Plan of Chicago

Swedenborg Library

Daniel H. Burnham's views on architecture and his ideas for the city are more fully revealed in his notes, letters and drafts than in the published Plan of Chicago. These materials enrich our understanding not only of the public architect and planner, but also disclose the Swedenborgian religious beliefs and moral values of the private man. Co hosted by the Art Institute of Chicago and The Swedenborg Library, The program will be presented by Kristen Schaffer, PhD. Professor, North Carolina State University and author of Daniel H. Burnham, Visionary, Architect and Planner. [MORE]

Thursday, March 12, 2009 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Dinner and Discussion with Dr. Kristen Schaffer

Cliff Dwellers

The Cliff Dwellers is hosting a dinner with discussion with Dr. Kristen Schaffer, author of "Daniel Burnham: Visionary, Architect, and Planner" and professor at North Carolina State University.  She also wrote the introduction to the1993 Princeton Architetural Press reprint of the "Plan of Chicago."

The dinner will follow Dr. Schaffer's lecture at the Art Institute of Chicago: Finding Daniel Burnham in the Archives: Swedengorgian Revelations and the Plan of Chicago. [MORE]

Sunday, March 15, 2009 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Uncle Dan's Original Plan

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

In his only Burnham Plan Centennial presentation, popular guest speaker Tim Samuelson, the City of Chicago’s Cultural Historian, will discuss Burnham’s early contributions.  Before his famous 1909 Plan of Chicago, Burnham captured national attention with an ambitious plan to beautify Chicago’s downtown and South Side lakefront.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:00pm

All's Fair in Oil and Water: Conflicts, Compromises, and Compacts

Illinois Humanities Council

Access to valuable natural resources has often generated conflict between nations, regions, communities, individuals, and corporations. What can we learn about how tensions over oil and water have been handled in the past? How are communities pitted against each other when it comes to access and control of these resources? How can we address current and prevent future disagreements?
  [MORE]

Sunday, March 29, 2009 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Passport to Kenosha's Past

Kenosha Public Library

Take a one-day trip through Kenosha’s history. Visit local historic sites and museums and learn about Kenosha’s past. Families can pick up a free “passport” at any of the participating locations. Participate in hands-on activities and get your passport stamped at each location. [MORE]

April, 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

The Environment and the City

Field Museum

Join The Field Museum, Field Museum and the University of Chicago's Civic Knowledge Project and the Neighborhood Writing Alliance for a special workshop exploring what the environment means in an urban setting, and how we can work together to create environmentally-friendly communities. This workshop will use short film clips and other interactive materials to help us think about how the "environment" plays a role in our everyday lives. [MORE]

Monday, April 6, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Glencoe Public Library

Art historian Jeff Mishur presents a slide lecture on the full scope of Daniel Burnham's 1909 plan for Chicago and its environs. [MORE]

Monday, April 13, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Oak Brook Public Library

Jeff Mishur of Art Excursions presents this slide lecture on the Burnham Plan, along with its orgin and sources. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents; follow the transition from the 1803 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement; explore details of the Plan. Registration is required. [MORE]

Sunday, April 19, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Wednesday, April 22, 2009 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Community Conversation "Go to 2040": Bringing Watersheds into our Region's Bold Plans & Big Dreams

Lake County Stormwater Management Commission

The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission hosts a CMAP “Community Conversations” workshop for the Go to 2040 Plan in Lake County with a strong focus on water resource conservation and bringing watershed action plan recommendations into the regional 2040 plan. [MORE]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Before Burnham: Private Planning and the Town of Pullman

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Decades before the publication of Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago, railroad sleeping car tycoon George M. Pullman created his own "model city" just outside the city limits. Lynn Becker, freelance writer on architecture and curator of BoomTowns! Chicago Architects Design New Worlds, explores the juncture of public interest and private enterprise in the plan and history of the town of Pullman. [MORE]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Chicago Planner Daniel Burnham

Schaumburg Township District Library

In this centennial year of the Burnham Plan, meet Daniel Burnham, portrayed by Living History’s R.J. Lindsey, as he narrates a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1871, the building of the World’s Columbian Exhibition, and the Chicago development plan of 1909.

Thursday, April 30, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

The Founders Lectures: RICHARD FLORIDA Conversations in the Arts

Columbia College Chicago

Urban studies theorist Richard Florida is one of the world’s leading public intellectuals. Florida is best known for developing the controversial concept of the “creative class” and its impact on urban regeneration. He argues that metropolitan regions with concentrations of high-tech workers, artists, musicians, lesbians and gay men correlate with a higher level of economic development.

May, 2009

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Pages from the Past

Forest Preserve District of Will County

Pages from the Past is an American history book club that covers all aspects of American history.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Planning in Chicago Before the Plan of Chicago

Chicago Architecture Foundation

As we commemorate the centennial of the Plan of Chicago - one of the most influential documents in the history of American urban planning - it is important to recognize that the Plan was the result of a broader social movement, both locally and beyond.  In this illustrated talk, Professor Carl Smith, Fraklyn Bliss Snyder Professor of English and American Studies and Professor of History at Northwestern University, discusses the pre-history of the Plan of Chicago.  [MORE]

Saturday, May 9, 2009 9:00am to 2:00pm

2nd Annual Green Summit: Steel Town to Green Town

Claretian Associates, Inc. (South Chicago NCP)

Learning to live green on the Southeast Side will be the focus of the 2nd Annual 10th Ward Green Summit. This year attendees can learn about greening efforts such as new affordable, energy-efficient homes, roof gardens, community gardens, solar-operated trash collectors, and restoration of Hegewisch Marsh, the future site of the Ford Environmnetal Education Center. [MORE]

Monday, May 11, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

No Little Plans: The Roads of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago

Clarendon Hills Public Library

David Clark, author of Exploring Route 66 in Chicagoland and Images of America: Route 66 in Chicago, turns his attention to the concepts for road building contained in the Burnham Plan in this program. Burnham and Bennett's vision included grand boulevards as well as a system of radiating and encircling highways throughout Chicago and the suburbs.  The presentation looks at the four encircling and many radiating highways proposed by the Plan, and how that plan differed markedly from our current dependence on tollways and expressways. [MORE]

Saturday, May 16, 2009 9:00am to noon

Chicago Lakefront Bus Tour

Illinois State Geological Survey

Coastal Geologist Dr. Michael Chrzastowski leads a tour of the Chicago lakeshore to discuss the history of lakefront park development. The bus tour makes several stops to highlight significant park features and landscapes. You will learn how Chicago’s lakefront park system, consisting now of 26 miles of public parks, was totally engineered over the last 140 years. Also discussed is the Last 4 Miles: A Plan to Complete Chicago’s Lakefront. [MORE]

Saturday, May 16, 2009 1:30pm to 3:30pm

Salt, Chicago, and Trees: Joy Morton's Life

Morton Arboretum

Jim Ballowe, author and distinguished professor emeritus of Bradley University, will be discussion material from his new book, A Man of Salt and Trees: The Life of Joy Morton. Join Ballowe to hear about Morton's life, his contributions to the Plan of Chicago, and to look at the process of writing his biography. [MORE]

Sunday, May 17, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Monday, May 18, 2009 7:00pm

No Silver Bullets: Unintended Consequences of Oil and Water Solutions

Illinois Humanities Council

How have we developed technology and policy to manage oil and water resources through history? Historically, have we found what we thought was the "silver bullet" that would solve the problem, only to discover often unanticipated social, economical, and ecological costs? What "slick solutions" will we come up with next?
  [MORE]

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

The Burnham Plan

Schaumburg Township District Library

Daniel Burnham’s visionary plan for Chicago shaped the city and suburbs. Art Historian Jeff Mishur presents this slide lecture. [MORE]

Saturday, May 23, 2009 7:00am to 4:00pm

Spring on the Lakeshore

Morton Arboretum

Celebrate the Burnham Plan's open space vision with a visit to  two of the region's most significant natural areas -- Illinois Beach State Park (Zion, IL) and Chiwaukee Prairie Natural Area (Pleasant Prairie, WI) -- at a time when they are at their most beautiful and active with spring bird migration! At Illinois Beach State Park marsh, sedge meadow, three kinds of prairie, sand savanna, health and foredunes combine to create an incomparable landscape.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Burnham’s Recruiting Bennett for the Plan of Chicago

DePaul University

DePaul University's Chaddick Institute Presents: Burnham's Recruiting Bennett for the Plan of Chicago, 1906-09: They and Their Backgrounds Compete, Converge and Then Collaborate on the Plan. Presented by Edward H. (Ted) Bennett, III and Arthur H. Miller, Archivist and Librarian for Special Collections, Lake Forest College Based on newly discovered Bennett family materials: personal handwritten correspondence with Burnham, Plan editor Charles Moore, and other key figures and also photographs by Bennett of the Plan process.Free Admission. RSVP to Elizabeth Wilp at ewilp@depaul.edu [MORE]

Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Riverside Public Library

The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham's visionary plan for Chicago and its environs.  Burnham's Plan shaped the city and suburbs for generations of residents and visitors to enjoy.

This slide lecture explores the Burnham plan along with its origins and sources.  Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents.  Follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan for Chicago. [MORE]

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 to Saturday, August 8, 2009

Make Big Reading Plans: Summer Reading Club for Adults and High School Students

Glen Ellyn Public Library

In honor of the 100th anniversary of Burnham's Plan of Chicago, plan to join the Adult Summer Reading Club. There will be prize drawings to anyone who registers.
Adults: Receive a map of Chicago and two Ravinia lawn tickets when you sign up at the Adult Services information desk. There will be weekly prize drawings and a Grand Prize basket filled with Chicago memorabilia. [MORE]

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

One and the Same: Burnham the Architect and Burnham the Planner

Chicago Architecture Foundation

In many discussions of Burnham's career, his work as an architect is treated separately, and often less favorably, then his work as a planner.  Yet he himself viewed the world and his role in it, holistically.  This lecture by Kristen Schaffer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Architecture, North Carolina State University, examines Burnham's emphasis on the creation of public space as a connection between his architectural and planning work. [MORE]

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:30pm to 7:45pm

New Visions for Global Cities

Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Many argue that globalization widely increases disparities within societies by lavishly rewarding the successful while leaving others behind. Others argue that a truly global city is judged on how it chooses to spend its wealth and whether it ensures equal opportunity for all of its citizens. [MORE]

Thursday, May 28, 2009 5:30am to 8:00pm

Meet the Authors -- The Plan of Chicago @ 100

Cliff Dwellers

Meet the authors of the new book The Plan of Chicago @ 100: 15 Views of Burnham's Legacy for the New Century.  The Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International invite you to attend a celebratory book signing with the authors from 5:30 followed by Q & A with the authors at 6:15. Optional dinner at 7 pm for $35 including tax and tip. [MORE]

June, 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009 7:00pm

The Burnham Plan and Chicago's Southeast Side

Southeast Chicago Historical Society

Join author Rod Sellers at the Vodak East Side Library for a presentation about how Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan impacted Chicago's Southeast Side. The program will also look at subsequent planning initiatives for the area.Included will be: the Van Vlissingen Plan (1920) for Lake Calumet Harbor as well as other plans for port development in the area; the Lake Calumet Airport Plan (1990); current real estate developments in the area including the South Works Development and the 134th Street Redevelopment Project; and City of Chicago planning initiatives for the Calumet area. [MORE]

Thursday, June 4, 2009 7:00pm to 9:30pm

Community Conversation: Historic Preservation and a Sustainable Future:

Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple Restoration Foundation

As part of the Burnham Plan Centennial Celebration, UTRF and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning team up with Landmarks Illinois, the Pleasant Home Foundation, the Village of Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission, and the Village of Oak Park Environment and Energy Commission to encourage active citizen participation in the development of GO TO 2040, Chicago’s first comprehensive, long-range regional plan.

Friday, June 5, 2009 noon to 1:30pm

A Reform Roadmap for Viable Infrastructure in the Chicago Region

Metropolitan Planning Council

The first panel of the "Reinventing Public Investment" series will explore how federal investment policies in energy, transportation and water have shaped decisions and development in the Chicago region. Panelist include: [MORE]

Friday, June 5, 2009 7:00pm

Meet the Artist - Joe O'Grady

Orland Park Public Library

Photographer Joe O'Grady will show and discuss his photographic study of Daniel Burnham structures. [MORE]

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 7:00pm

Making Big Plans for the Burnham Plan Centennial Lecture

Elmhurst Public Library

In this illustrated lecture, Diane Dillon will introduce The Plan of Chicago, the landmark city plan published by Daniel Burnham and Edward H. Bennett in 1909. She will survey the major ideas set forth in the Plan and discuss their continuing relevance today. She will also talk about the various special exhibitions and public programs that will take place during the summer and fall of 2009 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Plan of Chicago.
  [MORE]

Thursday, June 11, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Towards A Greener River

Friends of the Chicago River

The first of the Always Current: Conversations on the Chicago River  lecture series will focus on the changes in the river’s ecology brought on since the 18th Century by human settlement.  Mark Hauser will present the program. [MORE]

Thursday, June 11, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Duneland Escape: The South Shore Marketing Campaign of the 1920's

Lubeznik Center for the Arts

The campaign in the '20s, designed to increase South Shore Line ridership, included advertising, printed materials, a newsletter, and most notably, the posters. Artist Mitch Markovitz and historian Steve McShane with the Calumet Regional Archives at Indiana University Northwest speak about the artwork used to promote the South Shore Line in a historical context. This program is in conjunction with the Interurban Trains & Tourism exhibit.

Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:00am to 2:30pm

Make Big Plans: Burnham Centennial- Chicago Neighborhood Tours

City of Chicago

Happy 100th, 1909 Plan of Chicago! Through a formal presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center, and Harold Washington Library's special exhibit, you'll grasp the genius that shaped city planning and Chicago history. Review Burnham and Bennett's pioneering ideas for local thoroughfares and railroad traffic. A rendezvous at Burnham's graveside makes a fitting epilogue. 

Tour highlights: [MORE]

Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:30am to 12:30pm

White City Revisited

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Explore Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 of which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works. The tour includes a pictorial recreation of the famous fair and examines how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed marshes and sand dunes into a beautifully landscaped park that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  We will also visit the restored Osaka Garden. [MORE]

Sunday, June 14, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Monday, June 15, 2009 6:30pm to 7:30pm

Burnham For Beginners

Geographic Society of Chicago

A short walking tour, “Burnham For Beginners” is an introduction to Burnham and Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago. The tour is designed for the general public as a basic introduction to the ideas of the 1909 Plan and the context of its development. Information will be provided in an accessible and informal manner. [MORE]

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 7:00pm

Meet Daniel Burnham presented by R.J. Lindsey

Orland Park Public Library

R. J. Lindsey, as Daniel Burnham, narrates a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1871, the building of the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition, and the Chicago Plan of 1909 outlining the development plan for the city. He will also speak in regards to the innovations and architecture of several Burnham designed buildings: Reliance, Monadnock, Montauck and Rookery. A display of original 1893 World's Fair souvenirs will also be on display [MORE]

Wednesday, June 17, 2009 6:30pm

Meet Daniel Burnham

Lansing Public Library

History comes alive as Terry Lynch portrays Daniel Burnham, architect of the 1909 Chicago Plan, leads you through the history of the city he loved so well. From the Fort Dearborn Massacre to the Columbian Exposition of 1893; from the Union Stockyards to the city’s fabulous architecture. Burnham will introduce you to the people and events that shaped the “Windy City,” and helped transform it from the “Wild Onion” to the “City of the Big Shoulders." [MORE]

Thursday, June 18, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Preservation Snapshots Lecture: Bennett in the Shadow of Burnham

Landmarks Illinois

Edward H. Bennett is often an overlooked aspect of the 1909 Plan of Chicago.  Fresh from his diploma at the Ecole de Paris, he brought a French classic perspective to the preparation of the Plan. He also adopted to changing cultural situations in ways Daniel Burnham would not have foreseen.

Thursday, June 18, 2009 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Explore the White City: World's Fair Simulation

Museum of Science and Industry

Unless you’re a Chicago history buff, you may not know that the Columbian Exposition—also referred to as “The White City” or the World’s Fair of 1893—was a source of inspiration for Daniel Burnham’s audacious 1909 Plan of Chicago, which provided a vision of what a well-ordered and attractive city of the future could be. The Plan of Chicago has inspired generations of Chicagoans and city lovers worldwide. [MORE]

Thursday, June 18, 2009 6:30pm to 9:00pm

The Calumet Celebrates the Burnham Plan

Calumet Ecological Park Association

The Calumet Ecological Park Association will host a special evening of presentations to celebrate the Burnham Plan Centennial. Presentations will focus on different aspects of planning for Calumet from the past through the present and into the future.

Presenters and their topics include: [MORE]

Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

HWS Cleveland and Hinsdale’s Natural Landscape—the design of the Robbins Addition

Hinsdale Public Library

As part of the Burnham Plan Centennial the Hinsdale Public Library presents a program exploring Hinsdale’s early growth and how two inspired men blended art and commerce.

Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Burnham’s Chicago for Kids

Gail Borden Public Library District

Daniel Burnham, architect of the 1909 Chicago Plan, leads you through the history of the city he loved so well, from the Fort Dearborn Massacre to the Columbian Exposition of 1893, from stockyards to architecture. Presented by actor Terry Lynch from History for Kids, Burnham introduces the people and events that shaped the “Windy City” and helped transform it from the “City of the Wild Onion” to the “City of the Big Shoulders." [MORE]

Thursday, June 18, 2009 7:00pm

Meet Daniel Burnham presented by R.J. Lindsey

Elmhurst Public Library

R. J. Lindsey, as Daniel Burnham, narrates a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1871, the building of the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition and the Chicago Plan of 1909 outlining the development plan for the city. He will also speak in regard to the innovations and architecture of several Burnham designed buildings: Reliance, Monadnock, Montauck and Rookery. A display of original 1893 World's Fair souvenirs will also be on display [MORE]

Friday, June 19, 2009 noon to Sunday, June 21, 2009 noon

Burnham Pavilions Grand Opening Weekend

Burnham Pavilions

The official opening of the Burnham Pavilions in Millennium Park takes place Friday, June 19 at noon on the South Chase Promenade. [MORE]

Friday, June 19, 2009 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Explore the White City: World's Fair Simulation

Museum of Science and Industry

Unless you’re a Chicago history buff, you may not know that the Columbian Exposition—also referred to as “The White City” or the World’s Fair of 1893—was a source of inspiration for Daniel Burnham’s audacious 1909 Plan of Chicago, which provided a vision of what a well-ordered and attractive city of the future could be. The Plan of Chicago has inspired generations of Chicagoans and city lovers worldwide. [MORE]

Friday, June 19, 2009 2:00pm to 3:30pm

The Burnham Pavilions Symposium

Art Institute of Chicago

The public is invited to join Burnham Pavilion architects and other key players for a panel discussion about these two iconic centerpieces of the Burnham Plan Centennial. Daniel Burnham looked to leading European cities such as Paris and Vienna for inspiration when creating his 1909 plan. [MORE]

Friday, June 19, 2009 5:00pm to 8:00pm

A Night at the Symphony

DePaul University

Century in Motion Festival:  Join the DePaul community for a reception at the DePaul Center to mark the beginning of our festival, followed by a stroll to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park to enjoy the world premiere of Plans, a work for symphony and chorus specially commissioned by the Grant Park Music Festival to celebrate the 1909 Plan of Chicago Centennial. [MORE]

Friday, June 19, 2009 6:30pm to 8:15pm

Plans

Grant Park Music Festival

The Grant Park Music Festival, the free classical music festival in Millennium Park, has commissioned composer Michael Torke to create a new work for orchestra and chorus inspired by the Plan of Chicago and premiered as part of the Festival's 75th Anniversary Season at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. [MORE]

Saturday, June 20, 2009 9:00am to noon

Chicago Lakefront Bus Tour

Illinois State Geological Survey

Coastal Geologist Dr. Michael Chrzastowski leads a tour of the Chicago lakeshore to discuss the history of lakefront park development. The bus tour makes several stops to highlight significant park features and landscapes. You will learn how Chicago’s lakefront park system, consisting now of 26 miles of public parks, was totally engineered over the last 140 years. Also discussed is the Last 4 Miles: A Plan to Complete Chicago’s Lakefront. [MORE]

Saturday, June 20, 2009 10:00am to 2:00pm

Family Field Day

Field Museum

Little explorers can save water in big ways! Join us for this program and explore practical, money-saving ways for recycling and saving water. Discover the importance of wetlands and how our lifestyle choices impact the environment.

This special program is part of the Field Museum's Water exhibit, open from June 17 through September 20. [MORE]

Saturday, June 20, 2009 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Explore the White City: World's Fair Simulation

Museum of Science and Industry

Unless you’re a Chicago history buff, you may not know that the Columbian Exposition—also referred to as “The White City” or the World’s Fair of 1893—was a source of inspiration for Daniel Burnham’s audacious 1909 Plan of Chicago, which provided a vision of what a well-ordered and attractive city of the future could be. The Plan of Chicago has inspired generations of Chicagoans and city lovers worldwide. [MORE]

Saturday, June 20, 2009 7:30pm to 9:15pm

Plans

Grant Park Music Festival

The Grant Park Music Festival, the free classical music festival in Millennium Park, has commissioned composer Michael Torke to create a new work for orchestra and chorus inspired by the Plan of Chicago and premiered as part of the Festival's 75th Anniversary Season at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. [MORE]

Monday, June 22, 2009 10:00am to Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:00pm

Burnham Week: Building the City

City of Chicago

As part of the Summer 2009 Family Fun Festival, join the Chicago Architecture Foundation in the Millennium Park Family Tent for Burnham Week: Building the City. This is an opportunity to celebrate Chicago's past, present and future with hands-on building and architectural activities in honor of the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's great Plan of Chicago. Activities will take place daily from 10 a.m.until 3:00 pm. [MORE]

Monday, June 22, 2009 7:00pm

Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City

Wheaton Public Library

Join Carl Smith, Professor, Northwestern University for an illustrated talk, based on his prize-winning book on the Plan.  Part of the Make BIg Plans exhibit region-wide program series, Smith will describe this document's fascinating history and explain its central role in shaping Chicago and American city life.
  [MORE]

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

No Little Plans: The Roads of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago

Forest Park Public Library

Burnham's plans encompassed more than just the city of Chicago!  We look at Burnham and Bennett’s concepts for road building that included grand boulevards as well as a system of radiating and encircling highways throughout Chicago and the suburbs. [MORE]

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Evergreen Park Public Library

The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham's visionary plan for Chicago and its environs.  Burnham's Plan shaped the city and suburbs for generations of residents and visitors to enjoy.
This slide lecture explores the Burnham plan along with its origins and sources.  Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents.  Follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan for Chicago. [MORE]

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 5:30pm

Film Screening: "Expo: Magic of the White City"

Elmhurst Public Library

Expo – Magic of the White City brings the Chicago World’s Fair to life. Experience the world of 1893 through a cinematic visit to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. Narrated by Gene Wilder, the film immerses viewers in one of the world’s biggest extravaganzas and one of the most unforgettable events in American history of which Daniel H. Burnham served as Director of Works. [MORE]

Thursday, June 25, 2009 10:30am to 11:30am

Build it With Burnham Children's Programming

Kenosha Public Library

Calling all Girls and Boys!  Have you thought about being an architect? Well, here is your chance! We are participating in the Burnham Centennial Event by hosting the Be Creative Building Event. The chief architect of Simmons Library was Daniel Burnham. He was a genius, and so are you!

  [MORE]

Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:00pm

Public Art in the Digital Era: Public Art Panel

Hyde Park Art Center

In the past few decades there has been increased intersection between public art and digital technology.The Hyde Park Art Center’s own digital catwalk façade acts as both public art display and an interactive use of digital technology. But where is this all headed? Where did it begin? Join us as our panel discusses the growing relationship between technology and public art.
  [MORE]

Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Cafe Science: Water

Field Museum

Join Field Museum scientist Dr. Scott Demel and Eleanor Kane from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to chat about local and global water issues. Share your thoughts on water usage, water conservation, and water shortages around the world. [MORE]

Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City

Orland Park Public Library

Join Carl Smith, Professor, Northwestern University for an illustrated talk, based on his prize-winning book on the Plan.  Part of the Make BIg Plans exhibit region-wide program series, Smith will describe this document's fascinating history and explain its central role in shaping Chicago and American city life. [MORE]

Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:30am to noon

Morning Tea with the family of Daniel Burnham, Jr.

DePaul University

Century in Motion Festival:  Join us for a lively group discussion with descendants of Daniel Burnham Jr., son of Daniel Hudson Burnham, who spent his life working to implement ideas in the Plan of Chicago. This free-flowing conversation, moderated by Professor Joe Schwieterman, begins at 10:30am and will conclude by noon.

Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:00am to noon

Make Big Plans: Curators' Talk and Gallery Walk for Daniel Burnham in the Philippines

Newberry Library

The co-curators of Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham's Vision of an American Metropolis, James R. Akerman and Diane Dillon, discuss the pleasures and challenges of placing Burnham and Bennett's Plan of Chicago in historical perspective, and of capturing both the document's textual and visual meanings. Following the talk, join Newberry Library staff in the Donnelley Gallery for a gallery walk of the Library's Spotlight Exhibition, Daniel Burnham in the Philippines. [MORE]

Monday, June 29, 2009 5:30pm to 8:00pm

1933 Century of Progress: Discussion and Site Visit

DePaul University

Century in Motion Festival:  Lisa Schrenk, a noted scholar, will share fascinating details about the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition, held on the near south side in the vicinity of today’s Museum Campus. We’ll see striking images of the fairground design created by Edward Bennett and exposition buildings designed by the sons of Daniel Hudson Burnham. [MORE]

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Checking the Gauge: The Legacy of Water and Oil Policy

Illinois Humanities Council

We face a series of critical decisions about managing oil and water resources that have the potential to change our communities for better or for worse.

What critical choices will we have to make about managing oil and water resources? Join us as we examine how our perceptions and values have shaped environmental policies and planning, the choices made in Chicago's early efforts to control its water needs, and the legacy that we want to leave for future generations. [MORE]

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Addison Public Library

Art historian Jeff Mishur presents a slide lecture that explores the Burnham plan along with its origins and sources. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents. Follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan for Chicago. [MORE]

July, 2009

Saturday, July 4, 2009 10:00am to noon

100th Anniversary of the Presentation of the Plan of Chicago

Chicago History Museum

Join the Chicago History Museum for an extraordinary Fourth of July celebration. This Independence Day marks the Museum’s 49th annual festivities and commemorates the 100th anniversary of the official presentation of the Plan of Chicago to the City.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 7:00pm

Shaping the Waterways: Environmental Imagination and the Making of Chicago

Palos Park Public Library

Theodore J. Karamanski, Professor of History at Loyola University in Chicago, and author of the book, "Maritime Chicago", will present a program on the manner in which  the Chicago metropolitan area has developed due the manipulating its environment.   Prof. Karamanski's illustrated lecture will explore the cause and consequences, intended and otherwise, of eight major environmental decisions, from 1836 to 1979, that continue to shape the lands and waters of the Chicagoland area. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

After One-Hundred Years: Daniel H. Burnham and the Plan of Chicago

Highland Park Public Library

Michael H. Ebner, James D. Vail III Professor of American History Emeritus at Lake Forest College presents an illustrated lecture on the lasting impact of Burnham's Plan.  Dr. Ebner will examine Burnham's influence on North Shore development. Photo: Lake Forest College. [MORE]

Thursday, July 9, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Just Add Water

Friends of the Chicago River

The first of two lectures presented by Dr. David Solzman as part of the Always Current: Conversations on the Chicago River lecture series, this presentation explores how the building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal to connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi via the Chicago River sparked the growth of a metropolis. The lecture will be followed by a book signing for Dr. Solzman's The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, available at the museum. [MORE]

Thursday, July 9, 2009 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Festival Reception and visit to “Chicago Model City” Exhibit

DePaul University

Century in Motion Festival:  Join us in “Burnham’s neighborhood” for a reception followed by a special viewing of the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s newest exhibit, Chicago Model City. Through scale models, photographs, maps, videos and digital visualizations, Chicago Model City investigates planning ideas – and the challenges of their implementation.

Saturday, July 11, 2009 10:00am to 2:30pm

Make Big Plans: Burnham Centennial- Chicago Neighborhood Tours

City of Chicago

Happy 100th, 1909 Plan of Chicago! Through a formal presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center, and Harold Washington Library's special exhibit, you'll grasp the genius that shaped city planning and Chicago history. Review Burnham and Bennett's pioneering ideas for local thoroughfares and railroad traffic. A rendezvous at Burnham's graveside makes a fitting epilogue. 

Tour highlights: [MORE]

Saturday, July 11, 2009 11:00am to 2:00pm

Behind the Scenes at The Field Museum and Jardine Water Purification Plant

Field Museum

See the inner workings of Chicago’s Jardine Water Purification Plant — the world’s largest water filtration plant. Following the tour, hop on a water taxi and go behind-the-scenes at The Field Museum to talk to scientists about all things related to water and fishes. [MORE]

Saturday, July 11, 2009 9:30pm to 1:00pm

Daniel Burnham and Chicago’s Great Railway Terminals Mini-bus Tour

DePaul University

Century in Motion Festival:  Join us for a mini-bus excursion to explore the legacy of the six great railroad stations that were once vibrant parts of downtown Chicago. We’ll look at some of the remarkable features of each terminal, discuss the efforts made to consolidate them before and after the Plan of Chicago, and the future possibilities for high-speed rail. Historians will greet our group at several historic station sites, including Daniel Burnham’s Union Station.

Sunday, July 12, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Monday, July 13, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Lookingglass Theatre Company

Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, the production draws from the archives of the Burnham and Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago to recreate the initial presentation of Burnham's Plan to the public. These will be the first public performance of Burnham’s original speech since it was first delivered a century ago. [MORE]

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 8:45am to 4:00pm

Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham’s Centennial

Schaumburg Township District Library

Happy 100th to the 1909 Plan of Chicago! Begin with a presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center and a visit to the Harold Washington Library’s special exhibit. Travel to Jackson Park, Burnham Park, Northerly Island and Lincoln Park as Chicago Cultural Center guides detail the genius of Daniel Burnham, who shaped the city and Chicago history. Fee: $51 includes lunch.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 noon to 1:30pm

Creating Livable Communities in the Chicago Region

Metropolitan Planning Council

The second panel of the "Reinventing Public Investment" series explores how federal investment policies in housing, transportation and economic development have shaped decisions and development in the Chicago region.  Panelist include: Don Chen, Ford Foundation and founder of Smart Growth America; Todd Brown, ShoreBank; Cathe

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Lookingglass Theatre Company

Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, the production draws from the archives of the Burnham and Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago to recreate the initial presentation of Burnham's Plan to the public. These will be the first public performance of Burnham’s original speech since it was first delivered a century ago. [MORE]

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 7:00pm

Planning Orland Park, Planning Chicago

Orland Park Public Library

“Make no little plans” was clearly the motto of Daniel Burnham and his partner Edward Bennett. Just what does it mean for Chicago's suburbs and specifically Orland Park? Join local architect Max Bianchini as he compares the planning of the buildings, transportation systems and green space of Orland Park and Chicago. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Road Plan

Schaumburg Township District Library

In Dave Clark’s presentation, look at Daniel Burnham's and Edward Bennett's concepts for road building that included grand boulevards as well as a system of radiating and encircling highways throughout Chicago and the suburbs. [MORE]

Thursday, July 16, 2009 7:00pm

Daniel Burnham: Master Planner

Evergreen Park Public Library

Architectural consultant and preservationist Beth Johnson conducts a program about Daniel H. Burnham.
  [MORE]

Saturday, July 18, 2009 9:00am to noon

Chicago Lakefront Bus Tour

Illinois State Geological Survey

Coastal Geologist Dr. Michael Chrzastowski leads a tour of the Chicago lakeshore to discuss the history of lakefront park development. The bus tour makes several stops to highlight significant park features and landscapes. You will learn how Chicago’s lakefront park system, consisting now of 26 miles of public parks, was totally engineered over the last 140 years. Also discussed is the Last 4 Miles: A Plan to Complete Chicago’s Lakefront. [MORE]

Saturday, July 18, 2009 10:30am to 12:30pm

White City Revisited

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Explore Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 of which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works. The tour includes a pictorial recreation of the famous fair and examines how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed marshes and sand dunes into a beautifully landscaped park that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  We will also visit the restored Osaka Garden. [MORE]

Sunday, July 19, 2009 2:00pm to 3:30pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Art Historian Jeff Mishur explores Burnham's transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement manifested in the 1909 plan and how it relates to European and American precedents. [MORE]

Monday, July 20, 2009 7:00pm

From City Beautiful to City Green: Chicago and the Evolution of Its Regional Environment

Wheaton Public Library

In 1909 in the Plan of Chicago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett responded to large problems in the city and its region—problems that included the lack of public open and green spaces, and an ill-coordinated relationship of the city to its region.  Join panelists: Diane Dillon, The Newberry Library; Ann Durkin Keating, North Central College; and Joyce O’Keefe, Openlands, for a discussion about the aesthetic id [MORE]

Monday, July 20, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Lookingglass Theatre Company

Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, the production draws from the archives of the Burnham and Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago to recreate the initial presentation of Burnham's Plan to the public. These will be the first public performance of Burnham’s original speech since it was first delivered a century ago. [MORE]

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:30pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Lansing Public Library

The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham’s visionary plan for Chicago and its environs. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 Plan and its relationship to European and American precedents. Follow the transition from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement. Art historian Jeff Mishur will present this illustrated talk. [MORE]

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 7:00pm

Forgotten Chicago

Palos Park Public Library

Members of the  web site Forgotten Chicago http://forgottenchicago.com/ will present a powerpoint lecture about the history of Chicago's forgotten architecutre, neighborhoods and cityscape.  Forgotten Chicago is a collection of photographs and information documenting little known elements of Chicago's infrastructure, architecture, neighborhoods and general cityscape.  The hope is "that by exposing many of these often overlooked elements of Chicago’s built environment to a wider audience will result in more i

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 7:30pm to 9:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Lookingglass Theatre Company

Adapted and Directed by Ensemble Member John Musial, the production draws from the archives of the Burnham and Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago to recreate the initial presentation of Burnham's Plan to the public. These will be the first public performance of Burnham’s original speech since it was first delivered a century ago. [MORE]

Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:00pm

Discussion of "Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Hammond Public Library

Participate in a discussion of Erik Larson's best-selling book, Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.  The lure of Daniel Burnham's grand 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (dubbed the White City) is juxtaposed against the sinister World's Fair Hotel, which lured unsuspecting young women to serial killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes.  [MORE]

Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:00pm

From City Beautiful to City Green: Chicago and the Evolution of Its Regional Environment

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

In 1909, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett responded to large problems in the city and its region—problems that included the lack of public open and green spaces, and an ill-coordinated relationship of the city to its region.   Join panelists: Diane Dillon, The Newberry Library; Ann Durkin Keating; Northcentral College, and Joyce O’Keefe, Openlands for a discussion with each other and the audience about the aesthetic ideas Burnham drew upon, how his ideas for a more beautiful and verdant city encompassed the metropolitan region, and how envir [MORE]

Saturday, July 25, 2009 noon to 5:00pm

Parks & Boulevards by Bus: Grant & the South Parks

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Join us as we take a leisurely drive along the boulevards and through the parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the Olmsted Brothers, Edward Bennett, William LeBaron Jenney, and Jans Jensen.  The lakefront parks are part of Daniel Burnham's legacy from the 1909 Plan of Chicago.  The south parks tour includes Grant Park, the Museum Campus, as well as Burnham, Jackson, Washington, Sherman, Douglas, and Union Parks.  [MORE]

Monday, July 27, 2009 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Experience the Plan of Chicago through Geocaching

Chicago Public Library

For teens ages fourteen-up, parents and educators. This hands-on experience allows participants to discover the history of Chicago while using 21st century tools. Join experienced Geocachers (treasure-hunters who use Global Positioning System devices) in a hunt to rediscover 1909 Chicago. Using handheld GPS units, participants will tour several historic spots that Daniel Burnham used to create the Plan of Chicago while hunting for clues to enhance this journey through time. Pre-registration required. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 noon

Art Options: You Feel Me?

Urban Gateways Center for Arts Education

This community play—written and performed by students in Urban Gateways' Art Options program—is the culmination of a four-week summer apprenticeship theater and digital music program for middle and high school students working with master teaching artists Maia Morgan, Shawn Wallace and visiting artist from Tanzania, Grace Gachocha. This international collaboration is an exploration of what it means to be in community. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Edward H. Bennett: City Planner and Urban Designer

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Edward H. Bennet, junior partner in Daniel Burnham's architectural practice and co-author of The Plan of Chicago, was a key leader in the City Beautiful movement and a successful designer of urban amenities such as Buckingham Fountain. His career is documented in his archival collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, which forms the basis of this presentation.

Mary Woolever, Art and Architecture Archivist at the Art Institute of Chicago, will lead this presentation. [MORE]

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:30pm to 2:30pm

Build it With Burnham

Kenosha Public Library

Calling all Girls and Boys!  Have you thought about being an architect? Well, here is your chance! We are participating in the Burnham Centennial Event by hosting the Be Creative Building Event. The chief architect of Simmons Library was Daniel Burnham. He was a genius, and so are you!

  [MORE]

August, 2009

Saturday, August 1, 2009 10:00am to 3:00pm

Discovering Daniel Burnham in Chicago's Parks

Chicago Park District

Discover how Chicago’s parks influenced Daniel H. Burnham, and how Burnham influenced Chicago’s parks. Park historian Julia S. Bachrach guides this tour which reveals examples of Burnham’s works spanning a period of more than 30 years. You will learn about Burnham & Root’s work in Jackson and Washington Parks, the legacy of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and subsequent redesign of Jackson Park along with Frederick Law Olmsted, the Burnham & Co.

Saturday, August 1, 2009 noon to Sunday, November 1, 2009 noon

Chicago Past, Present and Future - Multimedia Installation

Burnham Pavilions

From dusk until 11 p.m. nightly, a film installation is projected onto the Zaha Hadid Burnham Pavilion’s fabric interior. From three different points inside the pavilion, two from the front and one from the rear of the screen, the projection creates a fully immersive, intermittently 3-D effect. [MORE]

Saturday, August 1, 2009 1:30pm

Burnham in Graceland: Friends, Family and Client Tour

Graceland Cemetery

This two-hour walk through Graceland Cemetery, including Burnham Island, features Daniel Burnham and his family as well as his work associates, prominent clients and personal friends. Burnham’s success and prominence is demonstrated by the large circle of people he influenced and with whom he associated. The tour features several sites not included in previous Graceland walking tours. This tour was developed as part of the Centennial Celebration for Burnham & Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago.
  [MORE]

Sunday, August 2, 2009 2:00pm

The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City

Westchester Public Library

Westchester Public Library will host Carl Smith, author of The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City. The event will take place at the Westchester Library Service Center at 100 W. Indiana Avenue, Chesterton.
 
Smith will present an illustrated talk describing the fascinating history and central role Burnham's plan played in shaping Chicago and American city life. Copies of his book will be available for signing and for sale. Refreshments will be served.
  [MORE]

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Chicago Visionaries: From Burnham to Today and Beyond

Chicago Public Library

Chicago today is as much on the brink of progress as the Chicago of 100 years ago. Join some of our city's most innovative thinkers in a discussion of how to keep Chicago vital and vibrant in the 21st Century. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 6:30pm to 9:00pm

KPL Movie Night at the Museum "Expo: Magic of the White City"

Kenosha Public Library

Expo – Magic of the White City brings the Chicago World’s Fair to life. Experience the world of 1893 through a cinematic visit to Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. Narrated by Gene Wilder, the film immerses viewers in one of the world’s biggest extravaganzas and one of the most unforgettable events in American history of which Daniel H. Burnham served as Director of Works. [MORE]

Saturday, August 8, 2009 9:00am to 10:30am

Burnham By Boat

Wendella Boats

The Burnham Plan of 1909 launched Chicago into an era of unparalleled dreams fueled by the imagination of two great men, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett. Their vision for the city resulted in the creation of Wacker Drive, the Michigan Avenue bridge, Northerly Island, Grant Park and much more. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Burnham Plan, Wendella Boats is offering an opportunity to learn about the life and legacy of these two men, with emphasis on Daniel Burnham. [MORE]

Saturday, August 8, 2009 10:00am to 2:30pm

Make Big Plans: Burnham Centennial- Chicago Neighborhood Tours

City of Chicago

Happy 100th, 1909 Plan of Chicago! Through a formal presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center, and Harold Washington Library's special exhibit, you'll grasp the genius that shaped city planning and Chicago history. Review Burnham and Bennett's pioneering ideas for local thoroughfares and railroad traffic. A rendezvous at Burnham's graveside makes a fitting epilogue. 

Tour highlights: [MORE]

Saturday, August 8, 2009 10:30am to 12:30pm

White City Revisited

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Explore Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 of which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works. The tour includes a pictorial recreation of the famous fair and examines how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed marshes and sand dunes into a beautifully landscaped park that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  We will also visit the restored Osaka Garden. [MORE]

Sunday, August 9, 2009 2:00pm

Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Join Carl Smith, Professor, Northwestern University for an illustrated talk, based on his prize-winning book on the Plan.  Part of the Make BIg Plans exhibit region-wide program series, Smith will describe this document's fascinating history and explain its central role in shaping Chicago and American city life. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:00am

Stickney Water Reclamation Plant Tour

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Go behind the scenes of one of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the world! You’ll get to see the first pumping station built in 1930 and also take a tour of the new state-of-the-art facility built in 2007. Find out how this plant serves 2.38 million people over a 260-square mile area each and every day! [MORE]

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Movers and Shakers of Chicagoland

Vernon Area Public Library District

Who are the movers and shakers that make Chicago - Chicago? See these larger than life personalities come alive in this narrated presentation from Hy Speck, discussing Daniel Burnham, Colonel McCormick, The Everleigh Sisters, Mayor Daly and more. Registration is required. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Experience the Plan of Chicago through Geocaching

Chicago Public Library

For teens ages fourteen-up, parents and educators. This hands-on experience allows participants to discover the history of Chicago while using 21st century tools. Join experienced Geocachers (treasure-hunters who use Global Positioning System devices) in a hunt to rediscover 1909 Chicago. Using handheld GPS units, participants will tour several historic spots that Daniel Burnham used to create the Plan of Chicago while hunting for clues to enhance this journey through time. Pre-registration required. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago by Gaslight

Elmhurst Public Library

Don’t miss this entertaining and informative presentation by author and historian Richard Lindberg, who tells incredible tales of yesteryear Chicago in words and pictures. He has written 14 books., all dealing with aspects of Chicago city history, politics, sports, ethnicity and urban crime. [MORE]

Thursday, August 13, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

A New River Economy

Friends of the Chicago River

 

The third of the Always Current: Conversations on the Chicago River lecture series discusses the river’s significance to the city of Chicago today, its value as a natural and civic asset, and plans for riverside developments such as the new downtown Riverwalk. Presented by Cathy Hudzik Breitenbach, manager of riverfront development for the Chicago Park District. [MORE]

Thursday, August 13, 2009 6:00pm

Not a Drop to Spare: Oil and Water Scarcity in Popular Culture

Columbia College Chicago

Resource scarcity is a common feature in post-apocalyptic scenarios. How has scarcity of water or oil resources been depicted in films and television programs and what do these depictions tell us about our concerns about these resources? How do they reflect the times in which they were produced?
  [MORE]

Sunday, August 16, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Monday, August 17, 2009 noon to 1:30pm

Sustainable Choices for a Greener Chicago Region

Metropolitan Planning Council

Sustainable Choices for a Greener Chicago Region, the third panel of the "Reinventing Public Investment" series, will explore how federal energy,water, and land use policies have shaped decisions and development in the Chicago region and beyond. [MORE]

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 7:00pm

Preserving our Green Space

Orland Park Public Library

How does the concept of Burnham's City Beautiful manifest itself in Chicago's Suburb's and specifically for Orland Park? Daniel Burnham's vision is a platform upon which we have built the evolution of conservation science in our region and in our own hometown. From within a world class city, Chicago, to the southwest suburb of Orland Park-from within Cook County reaching out throughout Chicago wilderness, join Pat Hayes from the Orland Park Grasslands as she discusses the impact preserving our green space can have to our community. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Adult Book Discussion - The Devil in the White City

Kenosha Public Library

Adult Book Discussion The Devil in the White City: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America by Erik Larson

The spellbinding true story of two men who left their marks on Chicago in the late nineteenth century, Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works for the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who lured women to his "World’s Fair Hotel." Signup begins July 20. Registration required. Call 262-564-6150 to register. [MORE]

Friday, August 21, 2009 noon to 12:30pm
Friday, August 21, 2009 12:30pm to 1:00pm

Buckingham Fountain Underground Tours

Chicago Park District

Have you ever wondered what it looks like beneath Chicago’s Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain?  This summer, Parkways Foundation and the Chicago Park District will offer a rare opportunity for the public to learn more about the city’s iconic monument through tours that include its underground pump works.  The half hour-long tours are offered every Friday at 12:00 p.m.

Sunday, August 23, 2009 noon

Bike & Break for History

Joliet Area Historical Museum

Back in "the day" there were imaginative plans for the city of Joliet. We'll start at the Joliet Area Historical Museum and ride through Joliet while learning about the background of historic buildings and a Burnham-esque dream known as "The Bennett Plan." Bring your bikes, helmets, water and dress for the weather! The tour is recommended for ages 12 and older. [MORE]

Monday, August 24, 2009 8:45am to 4:00pm

Make Big Plans: Burnham Centennial Bus Tour

Lansing Public Library

Happy 100th, 1909 Plan of Chicago! Through a formal presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center, and Harold Washington Library’s special exhibit, you’ll grasp the genius that shaped city planning and Chicago history. Visit Northerly Island and Jackson, Burnham and Lincoln parks. Review Burnham and Bennett’s pioneering ideas for local thoroughfares and railroad traffic. A rendezvous at Burnham’s graveside at Graceland Cemetery makes a fitting epilogue. Tour Highlights • Chicago Cultural Center Presentation/Discussion

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Burnham's Plan of Chicago

Kenosha Public Library

Speaker Frank Landi will discuss Daniel Burnham’s designs for the 1893 World Columbian Exposition and how his plan of Chicago influenced the architecture of civic buildings throughout the US, including our own Simmons Library. For Adults. [MORE]

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 7:00pm

Film Screening: "H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer"

Elmhurst Public Library

Made famous in the book The Devil In The White City, this documentary tells the true story behind America's first serial killer who terrorized Chicago during the turn-of-the-century World's Fair. It chronicles his grisly life from childhood, to the cross-country man hunt to find him, and finally to his incarceration and execution. [MORE]

Thursday, August 27, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

A Century of Change

Friends of the Chicago River

Dr. David Solzman returns to the Always Current: Conversations on the Chicago River lecture series to discuss the changes that have defined the Chicago River in the 20th Century. His examination starts with the river’s reversal and concludes with its ongoing renaissance as wildlife returns and people increasingly use the river for recreation. The lecture will be followed by a book signing for Dr. Solzman's The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, available at the museum. [MORE]

Thursday, August 27, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Wilmette Public Library

Join Art Historian Jeff Mishur as he explores the Burnham plan along with its origins and sources. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents and follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan for Chicago.

Friday, August 28, 2009 noon to 12:30pm
Friday, August 28, 2009 12:30pm to 1:00pm

Buckingham Fountain Underground Tours

Chicago Park District

Have you ever wondered what it looks like beneath Chicago’s Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain?  This summer, Parkways Foundation and the Chicago Park District will offer a rare opportunity for the public to learn more about the city’s iconic monument through tours that include its underground pump works.  The half hour-long tours are offered every Friday at 12:00 p.m.

September, 2009

Wednesday, September 2, 2009 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Burnham Book Fair

DePaul University

Barnes & Noble DePaul Center and the Chaddick Institute at DePaul University are proud to sponsor a Burnham Book Fair. Join professor Joe Schwieterman and Alan Mommoser, authors of Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region (to be released on August 25 by Lake Forest College Press), various contributors to Lambda Alpha International's The Plan of Chicago @ 100: 15 Views of Burnham's Legacy for a New Century, and the authors of other newly released books.
  [MORE]

Friday, September 4, 2009 11:00am to 11:30am
Friday, September 4, 2009 noon to 12:30pm
Friday, September 4, 2009 12:30pm to 1:00pm

Buckingham Fountain Underground Tours

Chicago Park District

Have you ever wondered what it looks like beneath Chicago’s Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain?  This summer, Parkways Foundation and the Chicago Park District will offer a rare opportunity for the public to learn more about the city’s iconic monument through tours that include its underground pump works.  The half hour-long tours are offered every Friday at 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

No Little Plans:The Roads of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago

Ela Area Public Library District

Windy City Road Warrior David Clark looks at Burnham and Edward H. Bennett's concepts for road building that include grand boulevards as well as a system of radiating and encircling highways throughout Chicago and the suburbs. 7-8pm Wed. September 9 [MORE]

Thursday, September 10, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Visions of Green: Daniel H. Burnham and Jens Jensen’s Open Space Plans for Chicago

Chicago Park District

In the early 20th century, two visionary designers created plans for Chicago that incorporated ambitious ideas about parks and green spaces. Daniel H.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 1:00pm
Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:30pm

Book Discussion: "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Elmhurst Public Library

Discussion of Erik Larson's best-selling non-fiction work about the building of Chicago and the 1893 World's Fair, based on the real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes. Co-sponsored with Elmhurst Art Museum. Join us for an informal discussion. All are welcome. [MORE]

Thursday, September 10, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

First Voice: A Youth Discussion on the Next Century

Radio Arte

Radio Arte will lead a youth discussion on the El Próximo Centenario (the Next Century) of Chicago. What will the next 100 years look like? The program will include the work of  youth who participated in Radio Arte’s summer training programs that explored: What will Chicago be like for youth of color? Immigrants? The LGBTQ community? Check out our presentation and listen to creative audio thoughts from Chicago’s future civic leaders. [MORE]

Thursday, September 10, 2009 1:00pm
Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:30pm

Book Discussion: "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Elmhurst Public Library

Discussion of Erik Larson's best-selling non-fiction work about the building of Chicago and the 1893 World's Fair, based on the real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes. Co-sponsored with Elmhurst Art Museum. Join us for an informal discussion. All are welcome. [MORE]

Friday, September 11, 2009 6:30pm

Burnham Birthday Celebration

DePaul University

In honor of Daniel Burnham's 163rd bithday, DePaul University is hosting a reception and banquet dinner. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and the public are invited to join in celebrating DePaul's commitment to making "no little plans." The evening's festivities will recognize all of the great activities on campus revolving around the centennial of the Plan of Chicago as well as the exciting collaborations and civic partnerships forged over the past years. [MORE]

Saturday, September 12, 2009 9:00am to 10:30am

Burnham By Boat

Wendella Boats

The Burnham Plan of 1909 launched Chicago into an era of unparalleled dreams fueled by the imagination of two great men, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett. Their vision for the city resulted in the creation of Wacker Drive, the Michigan Avenue bridge, Northerly Island, Grant Park and much more. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Burnham Plan, Wendella Boats is offering an opportunity to learn about the life and legacy of these two men, with emphasis on Daniel Burnham. [MORE]

Saturday, September 12, 2009 10:00am to 2:30pm

Make Big Plans: Burnham Centennial- Chicago Neighborhood Tours

City of Chicago

Happy 100th, 1909 Plan of Chicago! Through a formal presentation at the Chicago Cultural Center, and Harold Washington Library's special exhibit, you'll grasp the genius that shaped city planning and Chicago history. Review Burnham and Bennett's pioneering ideas for local thoroughfares and railroad traffic. A rendezvous at Burnham's graveside makes a fitting epilogue. 

Tour highlights: [MORE]

Saturday, September 12, 2009 1:30pm

Burnham in Graceland: Friends, Family and Client Tour

Graceland Cemetery

This two-hour walk through Graceland Cemetery, including Burnham Island, features Daniel Burnham and his family as well as his work associates, prominent clients and personal friends. Burnham’s success and prominence is demonstrated by the large circle of people he influenced and with whom he associated. The tour features several sites not included in previous Graceland walking tours. This tour was developed as part of the Centennial Celebration for Burnham & Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago.
  [MORE]

Sunday, September 13, 2009 7:00am to 5:00pm

Bike Burnham's Dream: Boulevard Lakefront Tour

Active Transportation Alliance

Participants can explore the treasures of Chicago's vivid history on bike in the 21st annual Boulevard Lakefront Tour on Sunday, Sept. 13. Ride along Chicago's grand boulevards, lush parks and historic neighborhoods. Choose from 15-, 27-, 35- or 62-mile routes that immerse you in Chicago’s stories and culture. Registration includes a T-shirt, rest and water stops, and a ride-guide detailing points of interest. Post-ride festivities include a picnic lunch on Goose Island and live music.

Sunday, September 13, 2009 10:30am to 1:30pm

Bike the Lakefront

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The centennial year of the 1909 Plan of Chicago is the perfect time to celebrate Daniel Burnham's vision by bicycling from Millennium Park to a nature park on Northerly Island.  See how Burnham's ideas for protecting the lakefront as a cultural gathering point have been realized in many different ways. [MORE]

Monday, September 14, 2009 6:00pm to 7:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Chicago Public Library

Lookingglass Theatre presents this one-man performance, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial and starring Ensemble Member Raymond Fox as Daniel Burnham. The performance recreates the initial presentation of Burnham's plan to the public. Musial's staging brings out the genius in Burnham’s project while visually linking his plan with today's Chicago through both authentic original slides and modern-day photography. [MORE]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 12:30pm

The World Columbian Exposition as Watershed Event

Lewis University

Professors Mark Schultz (History), Christopher Wielgos (English) and Joseph Kozminski (Physics) will review how late 19th century intellectuals thought about the World Columbian Exposition. [MORE]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 6:00pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Chicago Public Library

The Chicago Public Library's One Book One Chicago fall programming offers multiple opportunities to view  this film which explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations.

The film, the first full-length documentary about Burnham, was directed by Judith McBrien and produced by The Archimedia Workshop in consultation with Kartemquin Films.

Upcoming showings are: [MORE]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 6:00pm to 7:30pm

South Chicago Celebrates the Burnham Plan

Chicago Public Library

Join a special South Chicago Advisory Committee meeting for a celebration of the Plan of Chicago and what Daniel Burnham’s legacy means to this evolving community. Hear from speakers on how the Plan is still being implemented today for the betterment of South Chicago and learn about the latest community plans and improvements from local advocates—including Angela Hurlock of Claretian Associates.

A part of the citywide One Book, One Chicago program [MORE]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Indian Prairie Public Library

This slide lecture by art historian Jeff Mishur will explore the full scope of the Burnham Plan from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement, including how Burnham’s Plan reflected earlier European and American designs. [MORE]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 7:00pm

Daniel Burnham - Make No Little Plans

Bloomingdale Public Library

In 2009 the City of Chicago is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's vision for the city.  Celebrate with Bloomingdale when architect Daniel Burnham comes to the Libary through the realistic portrayal performed by actor R.J. Lindsey. Mr. Burnham will narrate a slide program documenting Chicago's rise from the ashes of the Chicago Fire to the remarkable White City of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 noon

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Vernon Area Public Library District

Jeff Mishur of Art Excursions presents this slide lecture on the Burnham Plan, along with its orgin and sources. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents; follow the transition from the 1803 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement; explore details of the Plan. Registration is required. [MORE]

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:00pm

Looking Back on the White City

Ela Area Public Library District

Art Historian Jeff Mishur reveals some interesting facts on the design of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition fairgrounds and Women's Pavilion.

  [MORE]

Thursday, September 17, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Chicago: A Living Movable Bridge Museum

Friends of the Chicago River

The last lecture in the Always Current: Conversation on the Chicago River series discusses our city’s moveable bridge history in general and that of the Michigan Avenue Bridge – a centerpiece of the Burnham Plan – in particular. The lecture is presented by Patrick McBriarty, author of the upcoming book Chicago River Bridges. [MORE]

Thursday, September 17, 2009 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Plan of Chicago --The Book

Cliff Dwellers

The Plan of Chicago: Centennial Edition  released in July will be the focus of this talk and discussion with Donald Whitfield, Director of Higher Education Programs at the Great Books Foundation who served as editor of the publication.  [MORE]

Thursday, September 17, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Centennial

Orland Park Public Library

Jeff Mishur of Art Excursions explores the Burnham plan along with its origins and sources. Learn about the full scope of the 1909 plan and its relationship to European and American precedents. Follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan for Chicago. [MORE]

Saturday, September 19, 2009 10:30am to 12:30pm

White City Revisited

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Explore Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 of which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works. The tour includes a pictorial recreation of the famous fair and examines how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed marshes and sand dunes into a beautifully landscaped park that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  We will also visit the restored Osaka Garden. [MORE]

Saturday, September 19, 2009 11:00am to 12:30pm

Lego Time Youth Services Program

Orland Park Public Library

Children are invited to become a “Lego Architect” and build Lego structures in honor of Daniel Burnham. These structures will be on display at the library during the month of October. [MORE]

Saturday, September 19, 2009 noon to 5:00pm

Parks & Boulevards by Bus: Lincoln & the West Parks

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Between the 1860's and today, Chicago has continued to develop and expand its park system, which was a major feature of Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago.  Join us as we take a leisurely drive along the boulevards and through the parks designed by William LeBaron Jenney, Swain Nelson, O.C. Simonds, Jens Jensen, and Alfred Caldwell.  Learn how the visions of these landscape architects were realized.  The north and west parks tour includes Lincoln, Humboldt, Garfield, and Douglas Parks as we drive along the boulevard system, including Palmer and Logan Squares. [MORE]

Saturday, September 19, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Our Future Metropolis: Mr. D.H. Burnham Presents a Plain Talk for the Development of Chicago

Chicago Public Library

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR TEENS!   Lookingglass Theatre presents this one-man performance, adapted and directed by Ensemble Member John Musial and starring Ensemble Member Raymond Fox as Daniel Burnham.

The performance recreates the initial presentation of Burnham's plan to the public. Musial's staging brings out the genius in Burnham’s project while visually linking his plan with today's Chicago through both authentic original slides and modern-day photography.

 For teens ages fourteen-up, parents and educators. [MORE]

Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Daniel Burnham's Chicago

Niles Public Library District

The noted Chicago historical actor, Terry Lynch, appears as America's preeminent urban planner to explain his strategy for creating a well-ordered and convenient city far beyond its origins as a place of wild onions. [MORE]

Sunday, September 20, 2009 2:00pm

Chicago as the Nation's Crossroads: Our Region's Transportation History and Future through Policy and Maps

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

James R. Akerman, The Newberry Library, an historian of maps and Joseph P. Schwieterman, DePaul University, a transportation planning expert, join forces to explore Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's treatment of transportation in the Plan of Chicago and to examine the region's role as the crossroads of America. Burnham and Bennett clearly understood Chicago's strategic location as a transportaion hub for the region and the nation, and their vision has profound implications for the city and region today. [MORE]

Monday, September 21, 2009 7:00pm to Wednesday, September 23, 2009 noon

Daniel Burnham Sustainability Conference

Forest Preserve District of Cook County

The public is invited to attend this conference commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the Burnham Plan, which envisioned the creation of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County as the first system of its kind in the nation, now the largest urban conservation preserve in the country. The purpose of this conference is to share ideas and formulate strategies that enable Cook County to host the most sustainable forest preserve system in the nation. [MORE]

Tuesday, September 22, 2009 12:30pm

Burnham and Bennett: Their Imprint on Chicago and Joliet

Lewis University

Dennis Cremin, Professor of History at Lewis University, will make a presentation on the collaboration between these two architects and city planners. He will also profile the "We Built this City" exhibit at the Joliet Area Historical Museum [MORE]

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Lunchtime Lecture: Beyond Burnham

Chicago Architecture Foundation

The authors of  Beyond Burnham: An Illustrated History of Planning for the Chicago Region take you on a journey through a century of planning for metropolitan Chicago. From the Plan of Chicago to the push for superhighways and airports and battles over urban sprawl, their new book explores the personalities that helped shape Chicago and the “big plans” they espoused.

A book signing will follow in the Chicago Architecture Foundation Shop. [MORE]

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:00pm

"No Little Plans:" The Burnham Project

Deerfield Public Library

Daniel Burnham, one of the world’s most famous architects, was instrumental in developing Chicagoland as we know it today: vast lakefront parks, double decked Wacker Drive, the Michigan Avenue Bridge, and the Forest Preserves of Cook and neighboring counties. Dave Clark takes us on a historical journey of Chicago and the man who planned it.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago as the Nation's Crossroads: Our Region's Transportation History and Future through Policy and Maps

Chicago Public Library

James R. Akerman, The Newberry Library, an historian of maps and Joseph P. Schwieterman, DePaul University, a transportation planning expert join forces to explore Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's treatment of transportation in the Plan of Chicago and to examine the region's role as the crossroads of America. Burnham and Bennett clearly understood Chicago's strategic location as a transportaion hub for the region and the nation, and their vision has profound implications for the city and region today. [MORE]

Thursday, September 24, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Green Spaces, Public Places

Chicago Ridge Public Library

Join us on Thursday, September 24th at 7:00 p.m. for Green Spaces, Public Places. 

John Elliot, Education Manager for the Forest Preserve for Cook County, leads a Powerpoint presentation describing the history of how the FPDCC came to be, how Burnham's plan references the preserve, the role of the Prairie Club, and other historical contexts.  Learn how the county manages the many different functions of the district, role of volunteers and public awareness.

High School Students and Adults are welcome to this free program.

  [MORE]

Friday, September 25, 2009 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Make No Little Plans

Cliff Dwellers

Turn back the clock and listen "first-hand" as Daniel Burnham (enacted by R. J. Lindsey) narrates a slide show about the 1871 Chicago fire and the resulting opportunities for him and partner John Root, first with the 1893 Columbian Exposition and, later, his Plan of Chicago (1909).  As for relevance to 2009, Burnham's question to his audience of a hundred years ago is as valid as ever:  "How are we living?"  

Reception (Cash bar) at 5:30 pm, followed by one hour presentation beginning at 6 pm.  [MORE]

Saturday, September 26, 2009 10:00am to 3:00pm

Discovering Daniel Burnham in Chicago's Parks

Chicago Park District

Discover how Chicago’s parks influenced Daniel H. Burnham, and how Burnham influenced Chicago’s parks. Park historian Julia S. Bachrach guides this tour which reveals examples of Burnham’s works spanning a period of more than 30 years. You will learn about Burnham & Root’s work in Jackson and Washington Parks, the legacy of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition and subsequent redesign of Jackson Park along with Frederick Law Olmsted, the Burnham & Co.

Saturday, September 26, 2009 11:00am to 4:00pm

Daniel Burnham Scavenger Hunt

WBEZ Radio 91.5 FM

Join us for a city-wide scavenger hunt, celebrating the life and work of Daniel Burnham.  This day-long scavenger hunt will have a total of three separate hunts. Do one, two, or all three to compete. The three hunts will take place in the Loop, the South Loop and Hyde Park. Cars aren't necessary, though you may want to use bicycles or the CTA. You decide the order of your hunts. The overall winner must complete all three hunts. [MORE]

Sunday, September 27, 2009 2:00pm

Daniel Burnham: Make No Little Plans

Addison Public Library

Daniel Burnham comes to Addison through the realistic historical protrayal performed by talented actor R. J. Lindsey. Chicago architect Daniel Burnham narrates a slide presentation detailing the Chicago fire, the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the Chicago Plan, and several of his buildings. A display of original 1893 Fair souvenirs travels with Burnham. [MORE]

Sunday, September 27, 2009 2:00pm

Daniel Burnham and the Plan of Chicago

Wilmette Historical Museum

Judith Paine McBrien, filmmaker and Wilmette resident, discusses her feature-length documentary Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City, which premiered September 2 in Millennium Park.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Pecha Kucha Night

City of Chicago

Conceived in 2003 as a place for young designers to meet, network and show their work in public, Pecha Kucha Night is a patented presentation format during which each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This special Burnham Edition is emceed by: [MORE]

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 7:00pm

From City Beautiful to City Green: Chicago and the Evolution of its Regional Environment

Orland Park Public Library

In 1909 in the Plan of Chicago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett responded to large problems in the city and its region -- problems that included the lack of public open and green spaces, and an ill-coordinated relationship of the city to its region. [MORE]

October, 2009

Thursday, October 1, 2009 noon to 2:00pm

Law As Hidden Architecture

John Marshall Law School

Real estate analyst/zoning attorney Richard Roddewig gives a lunchtime multimedia presentation focusing on the seldom-told story of the Appendix at the back of the Burnham Plan. Titled “Legal Aspects of the Plan of Chicago,” the appendix expands upon the legal history related to implementation of the Plan since 1909. Interestingly, the legal Appendix is longer than any of the eight chapters in the Plan itself! [MORE]

Thursday, October 1, 2009 6:30pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Chicago Public Library

The Chicago Public Library's One Book One Chicago fall programming offers multiple opportunities to view  this film which explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations.

The film, the first full-length documentary about Burnham, was directed by Judith McBrien and produced by The Archimedia Workshop in consultation with Kartemquin Films.

Upcoming showings are: [MORE]

Thursday, October 1, 2009 7:00pm

A Portrait of Daniel Burnham

Chicago Ridge Public Library

Mr. R.J. Lindsey narrates a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1872, the building of the 1892 Worlds' Columbian Exhibition, and the Chicago Plan of 1909 outlining the development of our city.  The famed architect discusses his innovative buildings and presents the Burnham Plan advocating sensible city growth.  A selection of original 1892 World's Fair souveniers will be displayed.

High School students and adults are invited to attend this free program. [MORE]

Saturday, October 3, 2009 10:30am to 12:30pm

White City Revisited

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Explore Jackson Park, site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 of which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works. The tour includes a pictorial recreation of the famous fair and examines how Frederick Law Olmsted transformed marshes and sand dunes into a beautifully landscaped park that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  We will also visit the restored Osaka Garden. [MORE]

Saturday, October 3, 2009 5:00pm to 8:00pm

Burnham and Bennett from the Boat: A Special River Cruise with Geoffrey Baer

Chicago Architecture Foundation

CAF docent and WTTW Channel 11 program host Geoffrey Baer leads a special river cruise that looks at infrastructure and planning as they relate to Burnham and Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago. As we travel the South and Main Branches of the Chicago River, Baer discusses the 1929 straightening of the river, the creation of Congress Parkway and the Plan’s ingenious infrastructure recommendations including the double-decked Wacker Drive and the Michigan Avenue Bridge. [MORE]

Sunday, October 4, 2009 2:00pm to 3:30pm

The Life and Contributions of Billy Caldwell

Niles Public Library District

Military historian and museum educator, Fred Christensen, traces the life and deeds of Chief Sauganash (a.k.a. Billy Caldwell, the Potawatomi leader who gave his name and his tribe's lands for a local road and the nearby forest preserve, providing the village of Niles with an important green space. [MORE]

Sunday, October 4, 2009 3:00pm

Daniel Burnham’s Chicago: Historical Reenactment

Actor and historian Terry Lynch presents Daniel Burnham, architect of the Chicago Plan, discussing Chicago's history and his strategy to create to create a well-ordered and convenient city. [MORE]

Monday, October 5, 2009 7:00pm

The Imprint of the World Columbian Exposition

Lewis University

Emmy Award-winning documentarian and WTTW producer Geoffrey Baer will present a lecture on how the1893 World Columbian Exposition, for which Daniel Burnham served as Director of Works, left its mark on the shape of the current city and on visions of urban culture. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 6:00pm

One Book, One Chicago: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing

Chicago Public Library

D. Bradford Hunt -- Associate Professor of Social Science at Roosevelt University and author of Blueprint for Disaster: The Unraveling of Chicago Public Housing -- reflects on Chicago public housing from its New Deal roots through the current Mayor Daley's Plan for Transformation.
 
Presented in partnership with Chicago Matters and the National Public Housing Museum. [MORE]

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 6:30pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Chicago Public Library

The Chicago Public Library's One Book One Chicago fall programming offers multiple opportunities to view  this film which explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations.

The film, the first full-length documentary about Burnham, was directed by Judith McBrien and produced by The Archimedia Workshop in consultation with Kartemquin Films.

Upcoming showings are: [MORE]

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 7:00pm

A Portrait of Daniel Burnham

Indian Prairie Public Library

Historical dramatist R.J. Lindsey, portraying Daniel Burnham, will narrate a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1871, the design of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, and the Chicago Plan of 1909, Burnham’s development plan for the city. He’ll also speak about the significance of several Burnham designed buildings including the Reliance, Monadnock, Montauck and Rookery. [MORE]

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago as the Nation's Crossroads: Our Region's Transportation History and Future through Policy and Maps

Wheaton Public Library

James R. Akerman, The Newberry Library, an historian of maps and Joseph P. Schwieterman, DePaul University, a transportation planning expert join forces to explore Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's treatment of transportation in the Plan of Chicago and to examine the region's role as the crossroads of America. Burnham and Bennett clearly understood Chicago's strategic location as a transportaion hub for the region and the nation, and their vision has profound implications for the city and region today. [MORE]

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 7:30pm to 9:30pm

The White City: Burnham's Dream

Lost and Found Productions

The White City: Burnham’s Dream, a musical, tells the story of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the Columbian Exposition, inspiration for the Plan of Chicago, planned and constructed under the leadership of Daniel Burnham. For that Fair, Chicagoans worked together to create a temporary city that drew millions of visitors. After the turn of the 20th century, Burnham was asked to develop a plan for Chicago’s future growth. What he learned in creating the White City was the foundation of his vision for the Plan of Chicago. [MORE]

Thursday, October 8, 2009 8:00am to 5:00pm

Context Sensitive Street Design: How Illinois is Responding to the Challeges and Opportunities

Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), Illinois Chapter

Learn the design side of context sensitive solutions for urban thoroughfares. Learn how to make them efficient, attractive and vibrant. Appreciate their ability to connect cities and neighborhoods to each other and understand how such ideals are echoed amidst the planned intentions of Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett 100 years ago as presented in the great Plan of Chicago. [MORE]

Thursday, October 8, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Finding Burnham in the Archives: Spiritual Revelations and the Plan of Chicago

Swedenborg Library

Daniel Burnham's views on architecture and his ideas for the city are more fully revealed in his notes, letters and drafts than in the published Plan of Chicago. These materials enrich our understanding not only of the public architect and planner, but also disclose the religious beliefs and moral values of the private man. [MORE]

Friday, October 9, 2009 2:30pm to 6:00pm

Burnham and Bennett's "Originality, Daring, and Genius": Problems and Prospects

Loyola University Chicago

Community residents are welcomed to attend two panel discussions exploring the legacy and implications of the Burnham and Bennett plan, with a special focus on the Edgewater and Rogers Park communities. The first panel focuses on ecological issues, and the second on planning issues. [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:30am to 12:30pm
Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Community Showcase Tours

Burnham Plan Centennial Committee

As part of One Book One Chicago programming, explore the unique stories and bold plans of six diverse Chicago neighborhoods as told through the voices of community leaders and residents.

The tours will depart from and return to the Chicago Cultural Center and include:

MORNING TOURS:  9:30 am - 12:30 pm (choose one) [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 11:00am to 8:00pm

Mobile Bold Plans Big Dreams Art Gallery

Art On Track

Join Art on Track artists who will transform an orange line elevated train car into an environment constructed to blend educational information with their depictions of the future here in Chicago. The mobile Bold Plans Big Dreams gallery will feature artwork ranging from the conceptual to site-specific and include sculpture, painting, and installations. [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:00pm to 3:00pm

YOUmedia presents "Planning Our Urban Future"

Chicago Public Library

As a part of One Book, One Chicago, a group of 57 teens have been reading Carl Smith’s book, The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City and working with YOUmedia mentors to create digital pieces which address issues in their neighborhood and present real workable solutions to these challenges.  [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:30am to 12:30pm
Saturday, October 10, 2009 1:30pm to 4:30pm

Community Showcase Tours

Burnham Plan Centennial Committee

As part of One Book One Chicago programming, explore the unique stories and bold plans of six diverse Chicago neighborhoods as told through the voices of community leaders and residents.

The tours will depart from and return to the Chicago Cultural Center and include:

MORNING TOURS:  9:30 am - 12:30 pm (choose one) [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 3:00pm to 4:00pm

Daniel Burnham's Evanston Walking Tour

Evanston History Center

A one-hour tour covering the neighborhood along the Evanston lakefront that Daniel Burnham called home. Please wear appropriate walking attire. [MORE]

Saturday, October 10, 2009 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Burnham in Evanston Talk

Evanston History Center

Wine and cheese reception, viewing of the Daniel Burnham's Evanston exhibit and video presentation about Daniel Burnham's life in Evanston and professional career. Hosted by Design Evanston and Evanston History Center. [MORE]

Sunday, October 11, 2009 2:00pm

Chicago: Behind the Skyscrapers

Deerfield Public Library

When Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood take us on a tour of Chicago, they are telling us about the city’s true main streets, where people work and live and love and dream in a uniquely Chicago way. Join these journalists for their stories of this great city. [MORE]

Sunday, October 11, 2009 3:00pm to 6:00pm

The White City: Burnham's Dream

Lost and Found Productions

A concert performance of the new musical, The White City: Burnham's Dream, in Mies van der Rohe's Carr Memorial Chapel, being restored on the IIT campus. The White City, by June Finfer and Elizabeth Doyle, traces the amazing journey of Chicago and Daniel Burnham to win and build a great World's Fair in 1893 that inspired the City Beautiful and City Planning movements. Original music and a cast of eight will tell the story of personal challenges and public works. [MORE]

Sunday, October 11, 2009 3:00pm to 4:00pm

Finding Burnham in the Archives: Spiritual Revelations and the Plan of Chicago

Swedenborg Library

Daniel Burnham's views on architecture and his ideas for the city are more fully revealed in his notes, letters and drafts than in the published Plan of Chicago. These materials enrich our understanding not only of the public architect and planner, but also disclose the religious beliefs and moral values of the private man. [MORE]

Sunday, October 11, 2009 4:00pm to 5:00pm

History Speaks Lecture Series: Burnham's Chicago

Naper Settlement

Hear veteran actor Terry Lynch as architect Daniel Burnham describe the history of Chicago from its beginnings as the “Wild Onion” to the “City of Big Shoulders” at the kickoff of the 2009-2010 season of the History Speaks Lecture Series from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at Naper Settlement’s Century Memorial Chapel, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. The year 2009 is the Centennial of Burnham and Edward Bennett’s visionary 1909 Plan of Chicago. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:30pm

The World Comes to Chicago

Lewis University

Professors Eileen McMahon (History), Tennille Allen (Sociology), and James Burke (Theology) will consider how the World Exposition of 1893, of which Daniel Burnham served director of works, was an important early moment in the exploration of human diversity.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

A World Fair to Remember

Ela Area Public Library District

Using color digital images, art historian Dr. Suzanne L. Epstein will show and discuss the splendid architecture and exquisite landscape of the 1893 Chicago Exposition. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago as the Nation's Crossroads: Our Region's Transportation History and Future through Policy and Maps

Orland Park Public Library

James R. Akerman -- historian of maps, The Newberry Library -- and Joseph P. Schwieterman -- transportation planning expert, DePaul University -- join forces to explore Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's treatment of transportation in the Plan of Chicago and to examine the region's role as the crossroads of America. Burnham and Bennett clearly understood Chicago's strategic location as a transportaion hub for the region and the nation, and their vision has profound implications for the city and region today. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 7:00pm

The Magic to Stir Men’s Blood: Daniel Burnham and His Plan for Chicago

Palos Park Public Library

Speaker:   Barbara Geiger, Adjunct Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology, Program of Landscape Architecture [MORE]

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 2:00pm

“Making Bold Plans: Frank J. Lewis and the Founding of Lewis University”

Lewis University

Kurt Schackmuth, Associate Vice President for Mission, talks about the life of the Catholic philanthropist who donated the land and provided start-up funding for the technical school that became Lewis University.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 6:30pm to 8:45pm

Make Your Garden Green

Bloomingdale Public Library

In honor of Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago Centennial celebration and his vision of a “Green” Metropolis, representatives from DuPage County will discuss water resource planning for homeowners.  Learn how to implement rain gardens, native plants, and rain barrels around your home, and how the benefits of these practices will help conserve water and contribute to a healthy environment. [MORE]

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Understanding the Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham's Vision of an American Metropolis Exhbition

Niles Public Library District

In this illustrated lecture, Diane Dillon will introduce the audience to the Plan of Chicago, the landmark city plan published by DanielBurnham and Edward H. Bennett in 1909.  She will survey the major ideas set forth in the Plan and discuss their continuing relevance today.  She will also talk about the various special exhibitions and public programs that will take place during 2009 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Plan of Chicago.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009 7:00pm

Daniel Burnham: Make No Little Plans

St. Charles Public Library District

An historical portrayal of Daniel Burnham by R.J. Lindsey will be presented in the Library’s Carnegie Community Room. As Daniel Burnham, Mr. Lindsey will narrate a slide program detailing the Chicago Fire of 1871, the building of the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition, and the Chicago Plan of 1909 outlining the development plan for the city. [MORE]

Saturday, October 17, 2009 10:00am to 5:00pm

The House That Burnham Built

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Plan of Chicago by Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett on Saturday, October 17, with “The House that Burnham Built” – a series of events throughout the day which are free and open to the public. [MORE]

Sunday, October 18, 2009 2:00pm

Eastland Disaster: "Chicago's Titanic"

Aurora Public Library

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland was boarding passengers along the Chicago River for an all-day picnic excursion. But during boarding, something went terribly wrong—the Eastland rolled into the river with more than 2000 people aboard. More than 800 people lost their lives that day. The Eastland Disaster Historical Society tells the story of what became known as “Chicago’s Titanic”—the tragedy & its causes, the rescue efforts, and the impact on the families who were there that fateful day.
  [MORE]

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 10:30am

Book Discussion: "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Deerfield Public Library

While this year's Burnham Plan Centennial reflects on the ingenuity of architects Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett, Devil in the White City reveals a tarnished side of the Gilded Age.Larson juxtaposes Burnham's story with that of serial killer Henry H. Holmes during the World's Fair. This discussion is led by Deerfield Public Library staff members. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 7:00pm

Contra Burnham: Why We Need More Little Plans

Although Daniel Burnham probably never spoke the famous words "Make no little plans," Chicago area planners, politicians, architects and reformers have long taken them as a commandment. At what point do Big Plans become counterproductive? Do we neglect what's already been built--which requires maintenance and adjustment--in the rush to the next Big Plan? Are Big Plans like the 1909 Plan of Chicago appropriate, or even possible, for the 21st Century? [MORE]

Thursday, October 22, 2009 7:00pm

From City Beautiful to City Green: Chicago and the Evolution of its Regional Environment

Chicago Public Library

In 1909 in the Plan of Chicago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett responded to large problems in the city and its region—problems that included the lack of public open and green spaces, and an ill-coordinated relationship of the city to its region.
  [MORE]

Friday, October 23, 2009 7:30am to 10:00am

Burnham's Plan of Chicago: History or Inspiration?

Lambda Alpha International Ely Chapter

The Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, the Honorary Society for the advancement of Land Economics, is proud to sponsor a public symposium discussing Burnham's influence on Chicago and throughout the world. An exceptional panel of visionary pragmatists will explore questions about 21st century urban development. [MORE]

Friday, October 23, 2009 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Chicago and the American Metropolis: Urban Policy and Our Region's Future

Burnham Plan Centennial Committee

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement Valerie B. Jarrett will look ahead to the future of our city and region and how we can benefit from new priorities being set by the first White House Office of Urban Affairs. This timely civic conversation will be moderated by George A. Ranney, President and CEO of Chicago Metropolis 2020.
  [MORE]

Saturday, October 24, 2009 11:00am to noon

One Book, One Chicago: "Chicago --The American City" with Carl Smith

Chicago Public Library

Join the author of the Fall 2009 One Book, One Chicago selection! Carl Smith gives an exciting and engaging illustrated talk about the remarkable effort to create and implement the Plan of Chicago

What put Burnham at the helm of this gargantuan task to restructure our city? How did Burnham's plan change the way that Chicago and other American cities are built? [MORE]

Saturday, October 24, 2009 11:00am

Wellsprings Eternal: Imagination and Innovation for Oil and Water

Archeworks

The challenges we face ahead in managing oil and water resources can be daunting.
 
What are the imaginative and creative solutions being developed? Can technology and design really solve the problems we face or will we need to consider much more significant changes and sacrifices at the individual, community, and global level?
 
Panelists: [MORE]

Sunday, October 25, 2009 1:00pm

Burnham's Vision Today: Open Space as a Necessity, Not a Luxury

Fox Valley Reads

Discover why the Chicago area boasts some of the best open space systems in the nation. This slide presentation of preserved, restored and protected areas in the local area offers examples of environmental stewardship's best practices. Tour the nature trails and restored prairie around the Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove campus.

 

Sponsored by the Aurora Public Library and presented in cooperation with the Conservation Foundation, Naperville, IL. [MORE]

Sunday, October 25, 2009 2:00pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

DuSable Museum of African American History

This documentary film explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations. This special viewing is free and open to the public.

Monday, October 26, 2009 6:00pm

Parks, Squares, Lawns, Woods, and Dales: The Burghs of Fictive Chicago

DePaul University

Chicago writers Billy Lombardo, Gina Frangello and Eric May read from their work and consider how Chicago as a city of lines and borders crafted by civic history has defined them as writers, teachers and editors. The authors will address this city of interwoven villages, and how it has informed the insights offered in their poetry and prose. Sponsored by DePaul University's Department of English as part of the citywide One Book, One Chicago program. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Chicago Matters: Beyond Burnham Presents "Planning for Sustainability through Lighting Design"

Chicago Public Library

Architect, Patrick H. Grzybek, LC, LEED®, Perkins+Will, speaks on the architect’s role in influencing models for the conservation of electrical power for lighting including energy conserving light sources, controls and daylight harvesting enhancements. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago Matters: Beyond Burnham -- "Global Visionaries: Rami Nashashibi" on WTTW

Chicago Matters

In this episode of WTTW's year-round series we meet Rami Nashashibi.  Through his nonprofit INner-City Muslim Action Network,  the founder and executive director strives to engage the Muslim community around progressive issues of social justice. [MORE]

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 7:00pm

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871: A Presentation and Tour of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum

Fox Valley Reads

Did the cow do it? What was so "great" about the Chicago Fire? Did you know that Aurora sent firefighters to battle the big blaze? Join us for a lively discussion/multimedia presentation on the history of the Great Chicago Fire. Following the program, visitors have an opportunity to see real artifacts that survived the Great Chicago Fire and tour the Aurora Regional Fire Museum's interactive exhibit "Getting There, Getting Water, Getting Rescued."
  [MORE]

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 noon

"What Makes Your Place Great?" Roundtable

Metropolitan Planning Council

This summer, the Metropolitan Planning Council asked residents of the region to submit photos or videos of their favorite public spaces to the "What Makes Your Place Great?" contest. The response was overwhelming; More than 50 submissions from around the region - from gardens and public plazas to coffee shops and hiking trails - were nominated. Come hear the people behind the winning submissions talk about the history of their favorite places, why they nominated them for the contest and what they mean to them and their community. [MORE]

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Find Your Cause

Chicago Associate Board Presidents Council (CABPC)

Find Your Cause brings together two prominent groups in Chicago, our non-profits and young professionals, in order to inform and inspire individuals to get involved in the organizations that champion philanthropic action.
  [MORE]

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 6:00pm

One Book, One Chicago: The Biography of Chicago

Chicago Public Library

Historian Dominic Pacyga traces our city's storied past, from the explorations of Joliet and Marquette in 1673 to the new wave of urban pioneers today. Pacyga's latest book, Chicago: A Biography, is filled with all of the city's characters and defining moments. [MORE]

Thursday, October 29, 2009 6:00pm

Make No Medium-Sized Plans

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

Dan Wood — principal at New York-based WORKac (Work Architecture Company) and Adjunct Professor at Princeton University's School of Architecture — presents this lecture in conjunction with the exhibition Actions: What You Can Do With the City. [MORE]

November, 2009

Sunday, November 1, 2009 4:00pm to 5:00pm

History Speaks Lecture Series: City Beautiful - Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Naper Settlement

Art historian and university professor Jeff Mishur of Art Excursions presents a slide lecture, “City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial,” about architect Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago and its relationship to European and American precedents. Follow the transition from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement so eloquently manifested in Burnham's plan.

For more information, visit www.napersettlement.museum [MORE]

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 7:00pm

The Plan of Chicago Presentation

Oswego Public Library

Jeff Mishur of Art Excursions speaks about Daniel Burnham's vision for Chicago and its environs. From the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition to the City Beautiful Movement, this presentation will depict how Burnham's plan shaped Chicago and suburbs for generations of residents and visitors. [MORE]

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 6:00pm

Did Someone Say Participate?

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

This event has been canceled due to illness.
 
Berlin-based architect and researcher Markus Miessen — editor of the 2006 anthology Did Someone Say Participate?: An Atlas of Spatial Practice and 2007's The Violence of Participation — presents this lecture related to the exhibition Actions: What You Can Do With the City. [MORE]

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 7:00pm

The Plan of Chicago: A Regional Legacy

Glen Ellyn Public Library

This lively lecture by Chicago geographer and historian Dennis McClendon includes pictures of the Chicago that faced the planners a century ago, the grand visions they had for the city and what actually resulted from the Plan of Chicago. [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 9:00am to 5:00pm

Infrastructures for Change Workshop

Archeworks

Keynote speaker Dr. Eric W. Sanderson — Senior Conservation Ecologist, Wildlife Conservation Society and author of The Mannahatta Project — kicks off a day-long workshop examining the process of change in our collective environments. [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 10:30am
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7:00pm

Daniel Burnham’s Chicago: Historical Reenactment

Blue Island Public Library

Actor and historian Terry Lynch presents Daniel Burnham, architect of the Chicago Plan, discussing Chicago's history and his strategy to create to create a well-ordered and convenient city.
 
The 10:30 a.m. performance is for school children.  The 7 p.m. presentation is for all. [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Chicago Nature & Wildlife Research Summit

Mayor Daley's Nature and Wildlife Committee

Mayor Daley’s Nature & Wildlife Advisory Committee is convening a Research Summit to identify priority research needs, connect researchers to land managers and policy makers, and imagine what a biodiversity research network would look like in the City of Chicago. The Research Summit, which is by invitation only, will be complimented by two early evening programs that expand the discussion to a broader public. [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Our Green Metropolis: The Next 100 Years

The greatest legacy of the 1909 Plan was the regional green infrastructure it created. At this reception and special program, partners from around the region will announce the next steps for key Green Legacy projects and how the region can become a green metropolis.
  [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 5:30pm to 7:30pm

A Conversation with the Critics: Imagining the Future of the City

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Edward Lifson, cultural critic and creator of Chicago Public Radio’s Hello Beautiful!, moderates a panel that includes: [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 6:00pm to 8:00pm

An Ongoing Legacy: The Burnham Plan from the City Beautiful Movement to Daley's Post-Modernist Chicago

In this illustrated Friends of the Library Signature Showcase presentation, Dr. Dominic Pacyga explores the roots and impact of the Plan of Chicago from its conception to present day.
  [MORE]

Thursday, November 5, 2009 10:30am
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7:00pm

Daniel Burnham’s Chicago: Historical Reenactment

Blue Island Public Library

Actor and historian Terry Lynch presents Daniel Burnham, architect of the Chicago Plan, discussing Chicago's history and his strategy to create to create a well-ordered and convenient city.
 
The 10:30 a.m. performance is for school children.  The 7 p.m. presentation is for all. [MORE]

Friday, November 6, 2009 4:00pm to 6:00pm

The Mannahatta Project: Manhattan Island Year 1609

City of Chicago

Have you ever wondered what New York was like before it was a city? In his keynote address to the Chicago Nature & Wildlife Research Summit, Dr. Eric W. Sanderson—Senior Conservation Ecologist, Wildlife Conservation Society—presents his work on the Mannahatta Project, an effort to reconstruct the landscape of Manhattan Island in 1609. [MORE]

Friday, November 6, 2009 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Chicago Nature & Wildlife Research Summit

Mayor Daley's Nature and Wildlife Committee

Mayor Daley’s Nature & Wildlife Advisory Committee is convening a Research Summit to identify priority research needs, connect researchers to land managers and policy makers, and imagine what a biodiversity research network would look like in the City of Chicago. The Research Summit, which is by invitation only, will be complimented by two early evening programs that expand the discussion to a broader public. [MORE]

Monday, November 9, 2009 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Burnham's Chicago

Town and Country Public Library

See Chicago through the eyes of the finest tour guide in the state. Terry Lynch, actor and member of the National Speaker's Association presents an interactive program of Burnham's plan for Chicago.  [MORE]

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Authors Weigh In On Burnham's Plan of Chicago

Society of Midland Authors

The Society of Midland Authors presents a special panel of four authors focused on Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago. The engaging evening takes place at the historic Cliff Dweller's Club.
 
The authors are: [MORE]

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:00pm

Rick Kogan: The Burnham Legacy

Blue Island Public Library

Rick Kogan — popular Chicago Tribune columnist and host of WGN radio's Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan — considers how Burnham’s legacy is a confusing yet wonderful thing. Kogan talks about the city behind the skyscrapers, telling stories of people and a city that exists apart from grand plans. [MORE]

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 12:15pm to 1:00pm

Lunchtime Lecture: The Wacker Manual

Chicago Architecture Foundation

Wacker’s Manual of the Plan of Chicago: Municipal Economy, written in 1911, taught the city’s eighth grade students about the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Jean Linsner, Vice President of Youth Education, Chicago Architecture Foundation, shares highlights from this textbook and offers a glimpse at how today’s students and teachers take up the challenges set forth in the Manual. [MORE]

Thursday, November 12, 2009 2:00pm

Geographical Memory: The 25th Anniversary of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Historic Corridor

Lewis University

From a historical perspective, the creation of the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor represents historical revisionism that placed geography and the history of waterborne transportation at the center of local consciousness. The NHC concept has become a national trend that recovers a sense of place in the local and national context. [MORE]

Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:00pm

Lecture: Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss

Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts

Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, founder of Philadelphia-based NAO (Normal Architecture Office), presents a lecture in conjunction with the exhibition Actions: What You Can Do With the City. Weiss is an architect educated at Harvard University and Belgrade University. His book Almost Architecture explores the roles of architecture vis-a-vis democratic processes, abrupt political changes and architectural appearance of post-communist ideologies. [MORE]

Saturday, November 14, 2009 11:00am to 4:30pm

Think Big Youth Expo

Chicago Humanities Festival

One hundred years ago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett issued the Plan of Chicago to give people great ideas about how to make the city and region a better place. [MORE]

Saturday, November 14, 2009 noon to 1:30pm

Bold Plans for the Next 100 Years

Chicago Humanities Festival

A panel of visionary designers and thinkers—including: architect and planner Doug FarrCheryle Jackson, president of the Chicago Urban League; and John Tolva, IBM, Director, Citizenship & Technology—provide an exciting look into an imaginative future. Adele Simmons, vice chair of Chicago Metropolis 2020, moderates. Bold Plans for the Next 100 Years is part of the 2009 Chicago Humanities Festival. Two other Burnham Centennial-themed programs on November 14 are: [MORE]

Saturday, November 14, 2009 2:30pm to 4:00pm

The Future of Chicago: How We Get There

Chicago Humanities Festival

A panel including: John Fregonese, a regional planning and transportation expert; Sadhu Johnston, former chief environmental officer for the City of Chicago; and Carlos Nelson, executive director, Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, considers practical and immediate solutions to questions about housing, education, transportation and the environment and sustainability in and around Chicago. WBEZ's Steve Edwards moderates. The Future of Chicago is part of the 2009 Chicago Humanities Festival. [MORE]

Sunday, November 15, 2009 2:00pm to 4:00pm

No Little Plans: The Roads of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago and Historic Route 66: A Journey through History

Joliet Public Library

Windy City Road Warrior David G. Clark looks at Burnham and Bennett’s concepts for road building that included grand boulevards as well as a system of radiating and encircling highways throughout Chicago and the suburbs.The Roads of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago presentation considers the highways proposed by the Plan, and how that plan differed markedly from our current dependence on tollways and expressways. [MORE]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:30am

For Seniors Only!: "City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial"

Blue Island Public Library

The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham's visionary plan for Chicago and its environs.  Burnham's Plan shaped the city and suburbs for generations of residents and visitors to enjoy. [MORE]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:30pm

Haussmann’s Paris and Burnham’s Chicago lecture

Alliance Francaise de Chicago

Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s radical remaking of Paris during the 1860’s had an obvious and profound influence on the 1909 Plan of Chicago prepared by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett. Chicago-based architect Timothy Brown, who worked in Paris for many years as director of IIT’s European Study Programs, explores the sometimes unexpected ways the respective plans continue to inform contemporary urban planning efforts. [MORE]

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 7:30pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Landmark Conservancy

As part of the Landmark Conservancy's seventh annual Fr. Baar Architecture Lecture series, director Judith McBrien introduces her new documentary. The film explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations.
 
The film, the first full-length documentary about Burnham, was produced by The Archimedia Workshop in consultation with Kartemquin Films. [MORE]

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Chicago History Museum Members’ Annual Meeting

Chicago History Museum

Museum president Gary T. Johnson and board president Sharon Gist Gilliam invite you to a light reception and remarks on the Museum’s past year of activities.
  [MORE]

Friday, November 20, 2009 8:00am to 9:30am

Jane Addams Symposium

Jane Addams Hull House Association

This breakfast workshop is the first of four Jane Addams symposia to take place over the next year. Janice Metzger, author of What Would Jane Say? City-Building Women and a Tale of Two Chicagos, will lead a candid discussion on how Chicago might be a different city today if Jane Addams and other leading women had been a part of the Burnham planning process. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with Ms. Metzger and to purchase an autographed copy of the book.
  [MORE]

Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:00am to noon

"Burnham's Chicago," presented by actor Terry Lynch

Hammond Public Library

History comes alive as actor Terry Lynch portrays architect Daniel Burnham at the Hammond Public Library. This is a joint meeting of the Friends of the Library and the Hammond Historical Society. The presentation is free and open to the public. The library is at 564 State Street (between State and Sibley streets, at Sohl Avenue), Hammond, IN. [MORE]

Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Global Warming: What's a Kid to Do?

Joliet Public Library

In the spirit of Daniel Burnham's forward-looking Plan of Chicago, Kidworks Touring Theatre Co. presents a “hands-on” exploration of climate changes around the world, told from the perspective of endangered animals and plants.
  [MORE]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago Matters: Beyond Burnham -- "Global Visionaries" on WTTW

Chicago Matters

Watch an interview from our series of local visionaries on Chicago Tonight. [MORE]

Monday, November 30, 2009 noon to 1:00pm

Global Warming: What's a Kid to Do?

Gail Borden Public Library District

In the spirit of Daniel Burnham's forward-looking Plan of Chicago, Kidworks Touring Theatre Co. presents a “hands-on” exploration of climate changes around the world, told from the perspective of endangered animals and plants.
  [MORE]

Monday, November 30, 2009 7:00pm

City Beautiful: Celebrating the Burnham Plan Centennial

Chicago Ridge Public Library

The year 2009 marks the centennial of Daniel Burnham's visionary plan for Chicago and its environs.  Burnham's Plan shaped the city and suburbs for generations of residents and visitors to enjoy. [MORE]

Monday, November 30, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Global Warming: What's a Kid to Do?

Eisenhower Public Library

In the spirit of Daniel Burnham's forward-looking Plan of Chicago, Kidworks Touring Theatre Co. presents a “hands-on” exploration of climate changes around the world, told from the perspective of endangered animals and plants.
  [MORE]

December, 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 7:30pm

Fr. Baar Architecture Lecture: The Legacy of the Burnham Plan

Landmark Conservancy

This lively lecture by cartographer Dennis McClendon includes pictures of the Chicago that faced the planners a century ago, the grand visions they had for the city and what actually resulted from the Burnham Plan of Chicago.
 
The lecture is free and open to the public. A docent-guided tour of Mayslake Hall will be offered before the lecture at 6:30 p.m. at $5/person. For reservations for the lecture, please call 630-206-9566. [MORE]

Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:00pm to 3:15pm

Explore the White City: World's Fair Simulation

Museum of Science and Industry

Unless you’re a Chicago history buff, you may not know that the Columbian Exposition—also referred to as “The White City” or the World’s Fair of 1893—was a source of inspiration for Daniel Burnham’s audacious 1909 Plan of Chicago, which provided a vision of what a well-ordered and attractive city of the future could be. The Plan of Chicago has inspired generations of Chicagoans and city lovers worldwide. [MORE]

Sunday, December 6, 2009 8:00am to Sunday, December 13, 2009 11:50pm

Vehicle Sticker Art Design Contest

City of Chicago

All Chicago high school students grades 9-12 were invited to submit artwork for the 15th annual City Sticker Art Contest. The 2010-2011 theme is “Burnham’s Chicago, and more than 300 area students created designs highlighting Daniel Burnham’s contributions to our city. A panel of volunteer judges—including artists and civic leaders—determined the top 10 designs, which are up to a public vote.” [MORE]

Sunday, December 6, 2009 2:00pm to 3:15pm

Explore the White City: World's Fair Simulation

Museum of Science and Industry

Unless you’re a Chicago history buff, you may not know that the Columbian Exposition—also referred to as “The White City” or the World’s Fair of 1893—was a source of inspiration for Daniel Burnham’s audacious 1909 Plan of Chicago, which provided a vision of what a well-ordered and attractive city of the future could be. The Plan of Chicago has inspired generations of Chicagoans and city lovers worldwide. [MORE]

Monday, December 7, 2009 10:30am to 11:30am

Book Discussion: The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City

Lansing Public Library

The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City by Carl S. Smith is the first book to fully explore Burnham's Plan, the defining document of American urban planning. As Smith relates, Burnham and his coauthor, Edward Bennett, were careful to leave no part of the city untouched. The Plan called for an extensive greenbelt around Lake Michigan, recreational parks throughout the city's limits, a streamlined transportation system and cultural amenities like the Field Museum of Natural History.

Monday, December 7, 2009 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Global Warming: What's a Kid to Do?

St. Charles Public Library District

In the spirit of Daniel Burnham's forward-looking Plan of Chicago, Kidworks Touring Theatre Co. presents a “hands-on” exploration of climate changes around the world, told from the perspective of endangered animals and plants.
  [MORE]

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Daniel Burnham: Master Planner

Eisenhower Public Library

Architectural consultant and preservationist Beth Johnson conducts a program about Daniel H. Burnham. [MORE]

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:00pm

Chicago Matters: Beyond Burnham -- "Global Visionaries: Funmi Olopade" on WTTW

Chicago Matters

In this episode of WTTW's year-round series we meet Funmi Olopade, Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, and Director of the Cancer Risk Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center. An expert in breast cancer risk assessment and treatment, her goal is to extend high-end care to typically underserved populations at home and abroad. [MORE]

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 7:00pm

The World's First Cities: Babylon and Beyond

Oriental Institute

The world’s first cities were built in the ancient Middle East more than 5,000 years ago, and many faced issues that confront our cities of today. In this richly illustrated lecture, Geoff Emberling, Museum Director of the Oriental Institute, explores cities from the plains of Mesopotamia to the fertile Nile Valley in ancient Egypt. 
  [MORE]

Sunday, December 13, 2009 3:00pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

Gene Siskel Film Center

Director Judith McBrien appears in person for the Chicago theatrical premiere of her feature-length documentary. McBrien will introduce the movie and participate in an audience discussion afterward. The film—narrated by Joan Allen—explores the fascinating life and complex legacy of Daniel Hudson Burnham and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations. [MORE]

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Global Warming: What's a Kid to Do?

Waukegan Public Library

In the spirit of Daniel Burnham's forward-looking Plan of Chicago, Kidworks Touring Theatre Co. presents a “hands-on” exploration of climate changes around the world, told from the perspective of endangered animals and plants.
  [MORE]

Thursday, December 17, 2009 8:00pm

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

WTTW Chicago

The first full-length documentary about Daniel Hudson Burnham makes its television broadcast premiere. Directed by Judith McBrien, the film—narrated by Joan Allen—explores Burnham's fascinating life and complex legacy and how his vision to organize the chaos of 19th century America shaped the nation's towns and cities for generations.
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January, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010 4:00pm to 6:00pm

Burnham Goes To 2040

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

Please join us at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) as we build on the momentum of the 2009 Burnham Plan Centennial to launch bold new plans for the region's future.
 
At this very special kick-off, you'll be the first to receive a copy of the CMAP's preferred Regional Scenario, the last major policy publication before the draft GO TO 2040 comprehensive seven-county plan itself is issued in June 2010. The preferred Regional Scenario will describe the policies upon which the detailed plan will be based. [MORE]

The Burnham Plan Centennial
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