Wild Mile: Floating Parks to Restore Urban Ecology and the Chicago River

Restoring the Chicago River's role as a wildlife habitat and a living laboratory for education and research is a key goal of the Wild Mile, which began construction in 2016. The project offers a new environment that involves the community in its management.

The Wild Mile stretches along the Chicago River as a floating eco-park.

In collaboration with Urban Rivers, SOM (Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill) designed the Wild Mile as a floating eco-park on the east side of Goose Island. Wild Mile has a vision of urban ecological renewal that includes efforts to strengthen neighborhood connectivity, generate cleaner water, and encourage the creation of more vibrant ecosystems.

The Chicago River plays a role as a wildlife habitat as well as a living laboratory for education and research.

Top view of one of the Wild Mile floating parks.

Over the course of approximately five years since it was first built, Wild Mile has grown into a large collaborative project with an area of 17 hectares. In its program, Wild Mile also facilitates communities with urban forests, public trails, kayak docks, and much more.

Enjoy views of the river ecosystem from the Wild Mile.

Pathway along the Wild Mile.

As a project that prioritizes the balance of nature, Wild Mile will periodically transform the Chicago River branch into an eco-friendly park worthy of humans and animals. The function is based on observations from the River Rangers, a group of volunteers who will record and provide regular reports on plants and wildlife present on the Chicago River.

Wild Mile shapes new public spaces in Chicago.

There are kayaking facilities at Wild Mile.

Thus, the Wild Mile will provide public spaces within the city and make the river a 'good' place for ecosystem balance. People can do activities in the Wild Mile while running the river to make it cleaner and more suitable for all living things to live in.

The thrill of kayaking along the Chicago River with the Wild Mile on its banks.

Aerial Diagram of Wild Mile.