The Burnham Plan Centennial - Bold Plans, Big Dreams

Calendar & Projects

ALL CALENDAR ITEMS ARE FROM 2009. PLEASE CHECK WITH PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR CURRENT COSTS AND DATES.

Make Big Plans: Burnham's Vision of an American Metropolis

Make Big Plans:  Burnham's Vision of an American Metropolis

Exhibit :

The Westchester Public Library is hosting Make Big Plans: Burnham's Vision of an American Metropolis at the Westchester History Museum located at 700 W. Porter Ave, Chesterton, Indiana. The exhibit will be on display until September 27 in recognition that Daniel Burnham included the three norwest Indiana counties of Lake, Porter and LaPorte in his historic Plan.
 
The multi-format exhibition includes a photo-panel exhibit that will be simultaneously displayed at more than 50  libraries and other sites throughout the region from June - December 2009 and an online exhibition and slide show that contains the full list of Make Big Plans exhibit venues. Commemorating the publication of Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago the exhibit emphasizes the Plan's relevance to metropolitan development through the 20th century and into the future. Maps, photographs, and illustrations from the plan and other sources will engage broad audiences in the history and implications of Burnham's regional vision.
 
The exhibit will create a forum for broad public discussion of the 1909 Plan, its impact, continued relevance and the lessons it offers for urban and regional planning efforts in the 21st century. There will be a complementary series of public programs. The exhibition focuses on five central themes:  
 

  • Planners and Reformers offers an introduction to the plan, its historical context and creators, and its impact nationwide.
  • Rerouting the Metropolis focuses on how the plan envisioned Chicago’s transportation infrastructure and how Burnham’s design crystallized the transportation issues that faced American cities throughout the 20th century.
  • Nurturing Open Space explores the role the plan played in expanding metropolitan Chicago’s public parkland and the lakefront, and its national legacy for open space.
  • City and Region examines Burnham’s insistence that the plan address problems of the city and the region as a single unit and the historical challenges to its regional vision.
  • From City Beautiful to Green Metropolis depicts some of today’s bold plans for addressing critical regional issues – including solutions to challenges in areas such as transportation, conservation, energy, water, and sustainable design.
  • Program Partner

    Westchester Public Library

    Westchester Public Library serves the residents of Westchester Township in northern Porter County, Indiana on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The library comprises the main library in Chesterton, a branch library in Porter, the Westchester Library Services Center in ...[MORE]


    This program was offered on these dates:
    Exhibit : Friday, June 19, 2009 to Sunday, September 27, 2009

    Westchester Public Library

    Hours:
    Please visit library Web site for specific hours based on location

    Cost: Free and open to the public

    Location:
    Westchester Township History Museum
    700 W. Porter Ave
    Chesterton, IN 46304
    [Get Directions]

    The Burnham Plan Centennial
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