Bloomingdale Trail: A Journey in Photographs
Sarah Morton
Scattered throughout Chicago are dozens of elevated train tracks, the legacy of a formerly vibrant form of transportation. One of these abandoned lines stretches for three miles across Chicago, through gentrified neighborhoods on the east, and communities that are struggling economically and socially on the west. Presently, the trail is crumbling and overgrown and is a magnet for gang activity. The embankment also serves as a canvas for vibrant murals and spontaneous works of art. A group called Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail is working with the city and community members to create an elevated, multiuse park and trail that will connect these varied neighborhoods and create much-needed open space. But this dream is still many years and millions of dollars away. All photos taken in 2006.
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TO ACCOMMODATE CROSS TRAFFIC ON THE STREET GRID, MANY OF WHICH COULD SERVE AS ACCESS POINTS
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WAYS, FROM BUILDING SHRINES TO WEEDING AND HAULING OUT GARBAGE.
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EVENTUALLY BE TRANSFORMED INTO A USABLE PUBLIC SPACE.