On June 30, 2015, the Metropolitan Planning Council hosted a boat tour of the Chicago River as part of our Great Rivers Chicago initiative, a partnership between MPC, City of Chicago and Friends of the Chicago River.
The tour included the River’s main branch featuring the Riverwalk, the south branch to the Collateral Channel, and the north branch to North Avenue. A series of speakers led the tour, describing current successes and ongoing challenges, including the state of the River’s water quality and ecology, why the River remains vital for many industries and how the River can bring more value to Chicago’s communities.
Thanks to all of our guests, as well as speakers from Friends of the Chicago River, Ozinga, Studio Gang Architects, North Branch Works, YWCA, Chicago Park District, Little Village Environmental Organization, and Chicago Dept. of Fleet and Facility Management! And a special thanks to Wendella Boats for a great evening of exploration, dialogue and leisure on Chicago’s rivers.