PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST FOR SAFER STREETS
MUSE led the creation of Chicago’s first neighborhood-level Vision Zero plan. Working in partnership with community organizations in the Austin, North Lawndale, and East and West Garfield Park communities, the plan included short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations to improve safety on Chicago’s West Side. Upon the plan’s adoption in 2019, Mayor Lori Lightfoot committed $6 million toward implementation.
Details
Client: Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT)
Chicago, IL
2018 – 2019
Scope of Work
Mobility planning
Community + stakeholder engagement
Data analysis
Graphic design
MUSE Method
The MUSE team set aside our assumptions when developing a community engagement strategy, and let community partner organizations inform how we could best support their efforts. This included sponsoring a DJ and petting zoo at a community event and pivoting on our approach to youth engagement.
We developed a social media strategy to bolster visibility and engagement, and created stickers and other swag to hand out in the neighborhoods to help locals voice their traffic concerns. Employing tactical urbanism techniques, we deployed temporary pilot projects to demonstrate how sidewalk bump outs can improve the pedestrian experience.
Recognizing that community engagement efforts can feel extractive to community members, MUSE used stipends to compensate participants for their time and contributions. Additionally, professional photos and videos produced during engagement activities were shared with community partner organizations for their use, highlighting the Black joy found on Chicago’s West Side.
We debuted our Design-a-Street activity with Vision Zero West Side, a hands-on engagement tool that invites users to configure different Complete Streets elements. A through-line of this project was empowering residents with an understanding of how street design impacts community safety.
PLANNING IN PARTNERSHIP
Leveraging the power of established community organizations and City agencies active in the Austin, East and West Garfield Park, and North Lawndale neighborhoods, MUSE led innovative and tactile engagement to build safer communities. We brought our hands-on “Design A Street” activity out to community events, created a pop-up runners’ lounge during a 5K, and experimented with creating sidewalk bumpouts.
Leveraging the power of established community organizations and City agencies active in the Austin, East and West Garfield Park, and North Lawndale neighborhoods, MUSE led innovative and tactile engagement to build safer communities. We brought our hands-on “Design A Street” activity out to community events, created a pop-up runners’ lounge during a 5K, and experimented with creating sidewalk bumpouts.
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES
Here’s what we heard from community members during Vision Zero West Side engagement.
My ideal street would have a bike zone, so that cars know what’s not where they’re supposed to go. A lot of people ride bikes so we don’t want them getting run over because of the cars.
A lot of people come through Lake and Kedzie going to and from the Green Line. The lighting is bad there and it doesn’t feel safe.
There’s a great park on our block but someone was shot there recently. I don’t feel safe walking there with my kids, so we all drive to parks elsewhere.
I’m a competitive runner, but I run far from home because it’s just not worth it when the sidewalks aren’t shoveled or in good condition.
