Millennium Park named one of six Great Public Spaces in America

SHARE Millennium Park named one of six Great Public Spaces in America

Millennium Park has been designated one of six “Great Public Spaces” by the American Planning Association (APA) it was announced today.

Chicago’s lakefront gem is one of six Great Public Spaces on the organization’s annual “Great Places in America” list, along with the Santa Fe Railyard (Santa Fe, New Mexico), the 445-acre Herman Park (Houston, Texas), San Diego’s 1,200-acre Balboa Park, the Flint Farmer’s Market (Flint, Michigan), and the Pearl Street Mall (Boulder, Colo.).

The 24.5-acre, $475 million Millennium Park opened in 2004 and features the Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion, Anish Kapoor’s iconic “Cloud Gate” sculpture (affectionately known as “The Bean”),  Jaume Plensa’s interactive Crown Fountain, and the Lurie Garden.

According to the APA:

The Great Places in America program recognizes streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the United States demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country. The Great Neighborhoods, Great Streets, and Great Public Spaces of 2015 are places that are unique and exemplary in their amenities and infrastructure, cultural identity, and use of sustainable and innovative practices.

Places selected for designation as a “Great Neighborhood,” “Great Street” or “Great Public Space” are announced by the APA each October. For more info on all the honorees in all categories, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces.

Cloud Gate, or ‘The Bean’ in Millennium Park.

Cloud Gate, or ‘The Bean’ in Millennium Park is one of the most photographed icons in the City of Chicago. | Photo by Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times/File

Sun-Times file

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