Time's now to 'make no little plans'

Imagine Woodfield Shopping Center with a rooftop garden. Imagine the vast expanses of asphalt there, and at every other mall, replaced by sod, trees and flowers because light rail zips us to the malls' doors. Imagine a 15-minute trip on that light rail could get us to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular's front gates this weekend. Imagine never, ever having to stop for a freight train because all the rail lines are above ground or below.

Imagine not risking your life and every limb to ride your bike to work because the suburbs' streets are filled with bike lanes. Can you see what life would be like here if small grocery stores and big beautiful parks filled with more bike and jogging trails were within blocks of most housing?

This remains the genius of the forward-thinking Daniel Burnham from nearly 100 years ago. Burnham was the urban planner and master architect whose most famous call to arms was, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood."

Burnham planned boldly and envisioned the "White City" for Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. From there, he created the lakefront community we enjoy today using plans for Rome, Paris, Vienna and London for his inspiration.

As Chicago Metropolis 2020, The Commercial Club of Chicago and scores of civic leaders from the suburbs and Chicago launch a celebration of Burnham's vision, they rightfully are doing so with an eye toward a better future for us all.

Aptly, at an Aurora conference Thursday on sustainable development called "GreenTown: The Future of Community," the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee members announced their main focus in the year ahead will be on inspiring us to fulfill the realization of a world-class transportation system and the expansion of parks, trails and open space.

Make no mistake about it, the suburbs remain the American dream. That is why our communities continue to grow. They already feature beautiful homes, forest preserves, parks and solid schools. But we suffer from sprawl. We contribute to global warming. Our transit network is as gridlocked as our political leadership.

We must find the courage to demand better. It can be done. As the Burnham committee members noted in a news release, Aurora is an example "with its thoughtful development and restoration projects downtown and along the Fox River." In Des Plaines, work continues on a usable, livable river walk not unlike Naperville's.

Much of Burnham's Plan of Chicago and its suburbs was achieved. Indeed, we note that his plan recognized a region that was global in its vision. A green Woodfield, a regional light rail network and improved infrastructure are just some of what more we could achieve that would dramatically improve the quality of our lives. Can we find the public and political will and the finances to do it? That will be the challenge. Meantime, the centennial committee members are to be applauded not for celebrating the genius that was Burnham, but for challenging us all to continue to reach forward to achieve his brilliance.