Reconnecting Chicago with its river

Riverwalk East

Location	Chicago, Illinois
Client	Muller2 (Gannett Fleming) and Chicago Department of Fleet and Facilities Management
Expertise	Horticulture & Arboriculture, Community Collaboration
Size	2.8 acres
Completion	2019

Located between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, the eastern end of Chicago’s Riverwalk transforms how residents and visitors experience one of the city’s most iconic natural resources. For much of the city’s history, the Chicago River served primarily as a working asset, supporting industry, transportation, and infrastructure while its ecological and civic potential remained largely overlooked. As perspectives began to shift, the Chicago Riverwalk emerged as a catalyst for reimagining the riverfront as a vibrant recreational and cultural corridor that could reconnect people with the water.

"The Riverwalk changed the way people interact with the Chicago River, transforming the waterfront into the city’s next recreational frontier.”

Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Riverwalk east play space site design group

Building on the vision established by the Chicago Riverwalk Main Branch Framework Plan, we collaborated with Muller2 and the City of Chicago to reimagine the easternmost stretch of the Riverwalk. The project strengthens the connection between the city and its waterfront while expanding opportunities for recreation, gathering, and engagement along the river’s edge.

A Sequence of Riverfront Rooms

The design realigns and widens the existing path to more closely embrace the river, guiding visitors along a carefully composed route that reveals new perspectives of the water and surrounding cityscape. Along the way, a series of distinct outdoor “rooms” creates a variety of spatial experiences that range from urban plazas to a more natural, park-like landscape as the Riverwalk approaches Lake Michigan. These spaces provide flexible seating, recreation areas, and an innovative children’s playground, while public art and layered plantings bring seasonal color and visual interest throughout the year. Integrated vendor spaces further activate the Riverwalk, supporting seasonal food and beverage concessions, kayak rentals, and more.

Sculptural Seating

Seating and gathering spaces are thoughtfully integrated throughout the landscape, including sculptural seating forms, tiered areas for socializing, and quieter places to pause and take in views of the river. A consistent material palette and detailing unify the varied program elements, creating a cohesive public realm that supports both everyday use and the heavy flow of visitors along the Riverwalk.

Ecological Histories

Planting strategies celebrate the ecological and cultural history of Chicago, weaving together diverse plant communities and incorporating allium species that reference the city’s name, derived from the Algonquian word chicagou, meaning “wild onion.” New tree and understory plantings increase biodiversity while providing shade and helping transition the urban river edge into a greener, more inviting public environment.