Chicago's Lakefront: Forever Open, Clear, and Free

— Daniel Burnham, 1909 Plan of Chicago

By Dear Kevin Warren · 2026-01-21

The Promise

> "The Lakefront by right belongs to the people... Not a foot of its shores should be appropriated by individuals to the exclusion of the people."

— Daniel Burnham, 1909 Plan of Chicago

Chicago's lakefront is not an accident. It's the result of deliberate decisions made over a century ago to preserve the shoreline for public use. Those decisions shaped the city. They're why Soldier Field exists where it does.

And they're why moving the Bears to the suburbs matters more than just football.

1836: The Origin

When Chicago was incorporated in 1836, the eastern edge of the city was literally the shore of Lake Michigan. The city's founders made an early decision: the lakefront should remain "public ground — a common to remain forever open, clear, and free."

This wasn't just idealism. It was a reaction to what had happened in other American cities, where private interests had captured waterfront land and walled it off from the public.

Chicago would be different.

1893: The World's Columbian Exposition

The 1893 World's Fair transformed Chicago's lakefront. The fairgrounds were built on reclaimed land along the lake — what is now Jackson Park and the Museum of Science and Industry.

The Fair demonstrated what the lakefront could become: a continuous public space, accessible to everyone, featuring parks, museums, and public institutions.

1909: The Burnham Plan

Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's 1909 Plan of Chicago was one of the most influential urban planning documents in American history. At its core was the lakefront.

The Plan called for continuous public parkland along the entire lakefront, no private development on the shore, museums and cultural institutions throughout, and the lakefront serving as Chicago's "front yard."

The Plan led directly to the creation of Grant Park, Burnham Park, and the museum campus that includes the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and Adler Planetarium.

And Soldier Field.

1924: Soldier Field Opens

Soldier Field was built as a public stadium on public land. It was a war memorial — a tribute to American soldiers — not a private sports venue.

The Bears didn't arrive until 1971. For almost 50 years, Soldier Field hosted public events: football games, concerts, political rallies, religious services, and civic celebrations.

The stadium belongs to the lakefront. The lakefront belongs to the people.

What the Lakefront Means Today

Chicago's lakefront is unique among American cities. Twenty-six miles of continuous shoreline, almost all of it public. No private development blocking the water like in Miami or Los Angeles. Museums, parks, harbors, beaches—all accessible by foot, bike, transit.

The lakefront is Chicago's greatest public asset. It's why people move here. It's why tourists visit. It's what makes Chicago feel like a city that works.

The Suburban Alternative

When the Bears talk about Arlington Heights or Indiana, they're talking about leaving the lakefront.

Arlington Heights sits 26 miles from Lake Michigan, surrounded by parking lots and highways, with no connection to Chicago's public spaces. You drive there. That's it.

Northwest Indiana is even worse—30-plus miles from Chicago's lakefront, post-industrial landscape, no civic connection to the city at all.

Moving the Bears to the suburbs doesn't just move a football team. It breaks the 100-year connection between the Bears and Chicago's public lakefront.

The Development Pressure

Chicago's lakefront has always faced pressure from private interests. Hotels in the 1920s—rejected. Convention centers and commercial development in the '50s and '60s—mostly rejected. Various monetization schemes in the '70s and '80s—mostly rejected. The 2003 Soldier Field renovation passed because it maintained public ownership and lakefront presence.

The consistent through-line: Chicago has protected its lakefront. Private development has been kept at bay. The shore remains "forever open, clear, and free."

Until now.

What Leaving Would Mean

If the Bears leave Soldier Field, several things happen.

Soldier Field is a public building on public land. A suburban stadium would be private, likely on land the Bears already own. The civic connection disappears.

With the Bears gone, what happens to the lakefront stadium district? The momentum for improvement—better transit access, pedestrian bridges, surrounding development—could stall entirely.

Chicago letting its NFL team leave for private suburban land sets a precedent. The lakefront principle—public ownership, public access—weakens for the next fight.

And suburban sprawl wins. Every decision to build major facilities in the suburbs rather than the city reinforces car-dependent sprawl over walkable urbanism.

What Could Be

Instead of leaving, the Bears could push for lakefront improvements. Better pedestrian access across Lake Shore Drive—overpasses, underpasses, or burying sections of LSD. Improved transit with dedicated bus routes and better Metra connections. Year-round activation of the stadium district for public events beyond Bears games. Tighter integration with the museum campus—the Field Museum, Shedd, and Adler.

These investments would benefit everyone, not just Bears fans. They'd strengthen the lakefront for the next century.

The Choice

Chicago is being asked to choose.

Keep the Bears on the lakefront. Invest in public infrastructure that improves access for everyone. Maintain the 100-year connection between Chicago's team and Chicago's front yard.

Or let them leave for a suburban stadium. Watch lakefront investment stall. Accept that the team belongs to private land, not public space.

The choice isn't just about football. It's about what kind of city we want to be.

The Legacy

Daniel Burnham couldn't have imagined NFL football. But he understood what the lakefront meant to Chicago.

> "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood."

The lakefront was a big plan. It stirred blood. It shaped a city.

Letting the Bears leave — for a parking lot in Arlington Heights or a cornfield in Indiana — isn't a big plan. It's surrender.

Keep the team on the lakefront. Invest in the public good. Make the big plan.

Sources

- Chicago Plan Commission archives - Burnham & Bennett, "Plan of Chicago" (1909) - Chicago Park District historical records - National Register of Historic Places documentation - Chicago Tribune historical archives