Over the years, the city of Chicago has introduced a highly complex zoning ordinance called Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs), with aim to protect some of our city’s organically formed centers for heavy industry. Now more than ever, architects and planners are taking it upon themselves to determine what the future of our city’s PMDs could be to deliver the most value to Chicagoans. With unprecedented opportunity to redesign a 20th century city for the 21st century and beyond, where will the next great economic engines in Chicago be located? We look in-depth at two bold proposals for the future of the West Loop and Goose Island.
