Explore Oak Park, less than 10 miles west of downtown Chicago and well served by transit with the Green and Blue elevated train lines of the Chicago Transit Authority and Metra commuter trains providing direct access to and from the Loop. The village is home to the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings and houses, with 25 structures built between 1889 and 1913. Oak Park has a Walk Score of 78 and a transit score of 61 for the 52,000 people that live in this 4.5 square mile village. Village staff will discuss recent and ongoing strategies and initiatives that ensure transportation and land use decisions maintain this ‘suburbs’ urban form. Participants will see public art integrated into public transit infrastructure in a unique way that supports professional artists as well summer youth employment, will hear about recent TOD projects and Divvy bikeshare, and will see artsy crosswalks, woonerfs, bumps outs and bike shelters incorporated into this unique suburb. Finally, participants will be able to take a quick tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple and hear how tourism influences transportation and wayfinding.
Modes: “L” Train, Walking, Metra