Parks

Burnham and Bennett saw park land as absolutely essential to a successful and healthy urban environment. In the years leading up to being contracted to design a plan for Chicago, Burnham had made a name for himself among Chicago's business elites designing and advocating for new parks along Lake Michigan. That work is very evident in the Plan, as a full chapter is devoted to Chicago's park system. 

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In the second half of the nineteenth century, park advocates worked to create a great system of parks which stretched from the north side at Lincoln Park to the South side at Jackson Park. After this however, little was done to claim new park land. Burnham hoped to change this with his plan. The 1909 Plan called for land along the shore of Lake Michigan, from Jackson Park back up to Lincoln Park, to be mostly public park land. The Plan also proposed the addition of several new parks west of downtown.

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Burnham believed that parks were vital to survival in a dense urban environment. He believed they provided fresh air and a connection to nature that was important to maintain in a time when more and more land was being taken over by city and industry. 

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The lakefront parks remain a popular attraction in Chicago. They are an excellent place for relaxation, recreation, and reflection, just as Burnham intended them.