Safe spaces, cultural landmarks, and essential services shaped by thoughtful, community-driven design are thriving throughout Chicago’s South Side.
Join AIA Chicago’s EDI Committee, I-NOMA, and the Experimental Station for an active, eight-mile guided bike tour through the Woodlawn, Bronzeville, and Grand Crossing neighborhoods. Starting at Experimental Station’s cultural hub, this tour explores new urban interventions that go far beyond striking aesthetics to serve as vital community anchors.
Participants will engage directly with members of I-NOMA, AIA Chicago, project leaders, and community users, experiencing the built environment at a pedestrian-focused pace that demonstrates how equitable design enriches daily life. The tour features both interior and exterior stops along the route.
Tour Stops & Highlights:
Stop 1: Experimental Station & Blackstone Bikes (6100 S Blackstone Ave)
Stop 2: Northwestern Medicine Bronzeville Outpatient Center (4822 S Cottage Grove Ave)
Stop 3: The Land School (7200 S Dorchester Ave)
Stop 4: Dorchester Art and Housing Collaborative (1456 E 70th St)
Stop 5: Home Court & Obama Presidential Center Grounds (6121 S Stony Island Ave)
Gear & Logistics Notice:
Capacity: Capped at 45 attendees.
Equipment: Attendees must bring their own bike, helmet, and biking accessories. Spare equipment can be requested in advance from Blackstone Bikes by emailing alexv@blackstonebikes.org.
Learning Objectives
Discuss the principles behind key South Side projects, emphasizing the community-driven processes, successes, and challenges involved in bringing them to fruition.
Learn how responsible design led by communal discussion fosters local growth and aligns facility programming directly with the needs of end-users.
Observe the architectural legacy, history, and culture of Woodlawn, Bronzeville, and Grand Crossing, examining how spatial interventions address decades of disinvestment.
Explore practical methods for integrating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) core values into real-world projects in collaboration with developers and neighborhood leaders.