Research Essay

This academic paper is included in The St. Martin's Handbook by Andrea Lunsford (Bedford/St. Martins, 2007).

The introduction is included below; full text available upon request.

"Sweet Home Chicago: Preserving the Past, Protecting
the Future of the Windy City"

Stormy, husky, brawling

City of the Big Shoulders…
- Carl Sandburg

Only one city could prompt such a description: Chicago. Known for its diehard sports fans, its spirited St. Paddy’s day parade, and its fabulous deep-dish pizza, Chicago exudes character. Perhaps the city’s most salient feature is the very stuff that comprises it. So renowned are its skyscrapers and celebrated building style that an entire school of architecture is named for Chicago. Presently, however, the place that Frank Sinatra called “my kind of town” is beginning to lose sight of exactly what kind of town it truly is. Many of the buildings that give Chicago its distinctive personality are being torn down in order to make room for new growth.

With battle lines being drawn between conservationists and developers, it is difficult to assess the merits and shortcomings of each perspective. Both preserving the classics and encouraging new creation are important, as it is the combination of these elements that gives Chicago its unique flavor. As Witold Rybczynski, a professor of urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of City Life, a book focusing on Chicago’s past, describes the dilemma: “Of all the cities we can think of… we associate Chicago with new things, with building new. Combining that with preservation is a difficult task, a tricky thing. It’s hard to find the middle ground in Chicago” (Rozhon).

Yet finding a middle ground is essential if the city is to retain the original character that sets it apart from the rest. In order to maintain Chicago’s distinctive identity and its delicate balance between the old and the new, the city government must take the initiative to provide a comprehensive urban plan that not only directs growth, but calls for the preservation of landmarks and historic districts as well.