In the classic movie
“Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner’s character hears a voice that urges him “if
you build it, they will come.”
That might work in the
fictional cornfields of
Iowa
, but in the real world, the people come
first if you want to create great places. On a summer evening in downtown
Elmhurst
, for example, you’ll find the streets
buzzing with activity: people going to and from the historic
York
movie theater,
enjoying al fresco dining, or visiting in the public plaza. The village planners
designed the space with the people’s needs in mind … so the people come.
If you travel 25 miles
southeast, to
Chicago
’s
63rd Street
Beach House, on that same
summer evening, you’re likely to find an impromptu circle of musicians
delighting the dozens who came to hear – and often join in -- the captivating
rhythms. This nightly gathering, known as the
Drum Circle
(see sidebar, pg. 2), has been
happening on this site for more than 20 years, simply because people come. When
the Chicago Park District renovated the Beach House in 1999, it did not
designate
a space for the
Drum
Circle
– which by its very nature is spontaneous and
organic. But, in a swath of open space -- between a colonnade of tall trees on
the east and low, full bushes on the west – is where the
Drum Circle
now
happens. The Metropolitan Planning Council knows an open, public planning
process will help put people first. MPC is working hard to rebuild communities
and neighborhood gathering places from the ground up, by giving people new tools
to get involved.
Great places – with
easy access to convenient transportation options, and a range of housing, work
and shopping choices – these are what matter to people. These are the regional
assets the Metropolitan Planning Council is committed to
fixing.
MarySue Barrett
President
Metropolitan Planning
Council