Oak Street Corridor Vision Plan Chicago, Illinois
Services Provided
Corridor Planning
People Involved
Brett Weidl
Kelly Murphy
Abigail Fiala
Donny Donoghue
Yahan You
Bohan Qian
Streetscape enhancements promote safety, security and comfort, creating a beautifully vibrant corridor.
Oak Street is a world-class luxury shopping and dining destination on the north side of Chicago. The Oak Street Vision Plan develops a long-term corridor plan to enhance the district as a welcoming hub for locals and a magnetic destination for visitors; embodying elegance, safety, and flexibility while honoring the street’s unique character.
A key focus of the project is to define a welcoming and distinctive district identity. Six core design strategies guide this transformation:
Draw People In
Sparkle Street
Celebrate the Oak Street Legacy
Keep it Simple
Inconspicuous Security
Shorten the Block
These strategies work in harmony to elevate the corridor’s appeal without overwhelming its charm. Simplicity and functionality are central to the design approach. A clean, intuitive streetscape layout organizes space for walking, gathering, and landscaping. Subtle but effective security measures are seamlessly integrated into the environment, ensuring safety without disrupting the aesthetic. The goal is a space that is easy to navigate, timeless, and resilient.
To improve pedestrian flow and create a more human scaled experience, the design introduces a tabled mid-block crossing and small seating areas along the corridor. By “shortening” the block and adding moments of pause, the street becomes more inviting, functional, and comfortable to pedestrians. These enhancements ensure that Oak Street remains not only a luxury destination but also a lively, accessible urban experience for all.
