The City in a Garden: History of Chicago’s Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces

Name: The City in a Garden: History of Chicago’s Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces
Start: 2017-03-01T00:00:00-06:00
End: 2017-03-01T01:00:00-06:00
Location: The City in a Garden: History of Chicago’s Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces

Led by Julia Bachrach

Mar 01, 2017

Nicknamed “Urbs in Horto,” a Latin phrase meaning “City in a Garden,” Chicago possesses one of the nation’s most impressive collections of parks and green spaces.

Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (by February 10): $200
Regular Price (after February 10): $220

This seminar is full. Please call (312) 255-3700 to be on the waitlist.

Seminar Description

Nicknamed “Urbs in Horto,” a Latin phrase meaning “City in a Garden,” Chicago possesses one of the nation’s most impressive collections of parks and green spaces. This seminar explores the rich history of Chicago’s parks, weaving together social, political, architectural, art, and landscape history. The contributions of talented architects, landscape architects, and artists, such as Daniel H. Burnham, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jens Jensen, Dwight H. Perkins, and Lorado Taft, among others, will be illuminated. Six sessions.

Julia Bachrach has a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture and Historic Preservation from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She has been the Chicago Park District historian for 28 years and is author of The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks.

Materials List

Required:

Bachrach, Julia. The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks, second edition. Chicago: Center for American Places at Columbia College, 2012. ISBN-13: 978-1935195221
Wille, Lois. Forever Open, Clear, and Free: The Struggle for Chicago’s Lakefront. University of Chicago Press, 1991. ISBN-13: 978-0226898728.

Recommended:

Bachrach, Julia and Jo Ann Nathan. Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago’s West Side. Chicago: Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0979412509.
Jensen, Jens. Siftings. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990. ISBN-13: 978-0801840210.
Perkins, Dwight H. Report of the Special Park Commission to the City Council of Chicago on the subject of a metropolitan park system. Chicago: WJ Hartman, 1905. (Out of print)

First Readings:

Please read pp. 1-9 of Bachrach’s The City in the Garden and pp. 1-25 of Wille’s, Forever Open, Clear and Free for the first class.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.