HD-50312, Lake Forest College:
Virtual Burnham Initiative.
A 2008 grant is enabling Lake Forest College to develop a multimedia project examining the history and legacy of Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago, which led to the reshaping of downtown Chicago and influenced the new field of city planning. Combining historical research, 3-D models, curriculum development, and philosophical debate, the Virtual Burnham Initiative will capitalize on new technology and social networking to facilitate an ongoing discussion among numerous communities, including scholars, technologists, and high school and college students in the greater Chicago area.

During the initial stages of this project, Lake Forest College is bringing together a coalition of colleges and high schools to transform the flat images, maps, and text of the Burnham Plan into three-dimensional models. The models will be accessible through the project Web site, and they will enable students to analyze the plan’s components. This community effort will involve students throughout the Chicago area, who will learn about the Burnham Plan as they help to build pieces of it. Students will learn not only about architecture and urban planning, but also about Chicago history and politics and how they affected the ways in which the plan was ultimately implemented.

Featured Project URL: vbi.lakeforest.edu/