Project brief

Unlike tourist-centric Michigan Ave. and retail-rich State St. in the heart of Chicago's Downtown Loop, Wabash Ave. is neglected, undervalued, and disliked by many Chicagoans (despite a rich history and proximity to the "L" train). The Chicago Loop Alliance, which represents business owners in the Loop, tasked Institute of Design students with finding potential ways to revitalize Wabash Ave.

If the DNA of Wabash is built on the "L" train that runs through it, we considered how transportation could be used to revitalize the street.

Additional team members: Alexa Stern, Apoorva Shenoy, Madison Loew
Class: Multidisciplinary Prototyping

Insights to action

While the Chicago Loop Alliance was initially focused on the presence of the train as a way to revitalize the street, our insights drove us in a different direction: addressing issues with pedestrian traffic at the street level.