Original Entry Title: Rooted
Team code: 175175
School: University of Texas at Austin

Overview (Narrative excerpt from final four team submission)

Rooted was built upon the inherent power of food culture to bring together people of diverse backgrounds in a comfortable and lively space. Chicago has long served as the heartland for food production, processing, and distribution due to its prime location as the gateway to the east and west. By creating a center of gravity for food and manufacturing, a unique urban experience materializes, tying together past, present, and future. The proposal not only reimagines the localization of the food supply chain, but creates an equitable and inclusive environment conducive to building human capital. The core of the development revolves around the coevolution of modern manufacturing, education, and a productive landscape. As the development takes root, it resourcefully meets the needs of Chicago today, and evolves to meet the needs of Chicago tomorrow. Rooted creates a uniquely gritty, transparent, and adaptable urban community where both residents and visitors alike can make, learn, and grow.

Design Narrative

Rooted was built upon the inherent power of food culture to bring together people of diverse backgrounds in a comfortable and lively space.Chicago has long served as the heartland for food production, processing, and distribution due to its prime location as the gateway to the eastand west. Creating a center of gravity for food and manufacturing creates a unique urban experience, tying together past, present, and future.

While nearby Goose Island development has primarily focused on high-tech research and innovation, North Roots will serve as the steppingstone for local small businesses and residents to begin their industrious journey of building capital. The design draws from Chicago’s strongheritage in food and manufacturing to reinvent and reintegrate industry into its urban core.

The proposal also serves to reconnect Wicker Park and Lincoln Park to the east and west, long separated by Kennedy Highway and theunderutilized North Branch of the Chicago River. Filling the void creates a common ground for established neighborhoods to gather andexperience food, manufacturing, and industry on a new stage. The production of food for the neighborhoods, city, and region establishes anidentity for the community.

Updating site zoning is key for catering to modern urban needs, and preserves the original intent of the Planned Manufacturing District: to protect the industrial economic base. Commerical is utilized to ease the transition from heavier to ligher use towards the river.

The heart of the proposal sits at the intersection of education, modern manufacturing, and a central market and exhibition hall. Completestreets provide a functional and pleasant space for the intriguing mix of industrial activity and pedestrian movement.

Workforce training at the Deep-Roots Trade School builds human capital while serving the employment needs of onsite industry. IndHub, themanufacturing incubator, allows newer small businesses the chance to experiment and drive the evolution of food culture and production. Roots Processing serves as the primary food processing and manufacturing center. This central plant allows for medium economies of scale, and serves the city and regional needs for food security and job creation.

The Roots Market Hall and exhibition space is an open-air, adaptable plaza which provides space for the manufacturing entrepreneurs topublicly demonstrate their inventive spirit and sell their goods.

Multimodal accessibility and connectivity to the site are dramatically increased with the relocation of the Metra Rail Clybourn Station to N. Besly Ct. and W. Wabansia Ave. This strong rail linkage provides a quick, efficient, and convenient connection to both the suburbs and downtown Chicago. W. Wabansia also then becomes a key pedestrian corridor for both visitors and residents. With street level retail, transparent industrial activity, and an activated streetscape with diverse landscaping, the site becomes a bustling environment at all times of the day.

The Bridge Park grants both residents and visitors opportunities to interact with and participate in food and production culture via community gardens and tree orchards. Rooftop gardens take advantage of the southern sunlight, allowing the residents to be directly connected to the food cycle in their daily routine.

Varied housing options introduce choice and inclusivity for all Chicagoans. Providing 17% affordable housing and creating public amenitiesenables equitable access to the programming on site.

The Riverwalk Promenade, trail, and pedestrian bridge rebrand the site as an active ped + bike public amenity that provides access to the siteand links to the greater Chicago area. Terraced residential communities along the waterfront provide a strong connection to local ecology andneighboring destinations, such as Goose Island and Lincoln Park.

Rooted reimagines Chicago’s strong food and manufacturing history in an industrial marketplace community, enabling the retooling of theworkforce and healthy lifestyles.

Team

• Christopher Perkes (Team Leader), Joint degree Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning, Master of Science in Sustainable Design
• Luke Kvasnicka, Master of Architecture
• Miles Payton, Master of Landscape Architecture
• Mason Rathe, Master of Business Administration
• Kirsten Stray-Gundersen, Master of Architecture

Faculty advisers

• Simon Atkinson, Professor Community and Regional Planning
• Edna Ledesma, Lecturer School of Architecture

Final Four Submission Materials

• Final Four Presentation Board
• Final Four Full Presentation

Original Submission Materials

• Presentation Board
• Narrative Summary
• Pro Forma