Client:

Park District of Highland Park

Engineers:

Bill Brose, John Kretschman

Category:

Planning & Analysis

Situated along five miles of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, Highland Park, one of several Illinois towns characterized by its rich history, rich culture and natural resources of bluffs and ravines, is one of only 14 communities out of 1,200 in Illinois to be positioned along Lake Michigan.

In 2006, the Park District of Highland Park set its sights on enhancing and preserving its lakefront setting by initiating a process to revitalize the land with four new public lakefront parks, each with its own distinct character to bring the community together and provide recreational opportunities for all. The role of the landscape architect was to create a master plan developing a unique lakefront experience that builds upon the history and natural resources of Highland Park, connect neighborhoods and parks to the lakefront, improve environmental and public health conditions at the lakefront, develop a successful lakefront model for other lakefront communities to follow, and create a long-term strategy to enhance, manage and maintain the lakefront. Conceptual site plans and illustrations for improvements for Rosewood Beach, Millard Park, Central Park and Moraine Park include swimming beaches, a small craft sailing center, performance and education pavilions, ravine enhancements and habitat demonstration projects. A series of interactive planning summits, which included workshops and discussion groups of more than 500 community members, helped the landscape architect create a master plan defining the vision for the future of the lakefront – a vision that uses the lakefront as the city’s backdrop.