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Aesthetically, the park is a beautiful combination of trees, grass, and seating that serves as a refreshing counterpoint to the el tracks and buildings that surround it. The rolling landscape and winding footpath lend a sense of serenity to an otherwise bustling and chaotic environment, and there are, in fact, plenty of places to sit. In addition to the formal seating areas, the lights lining the walkway double as small benches, characteristic of the innovation inherent in the park’s design. In addition, the sloping grassy areas invite people to sit down around the edges of the park. It is not a place where you have to stay between the lines.
While the city of Chicago deserves credit for allowing the vacant lot to be transformed into such a public asset, the future of Pritzker Park remains in doubt because it is only temporary. The city should take a good look at the amount of use the park gets and consider making it a permanent feature of the South Loop. As an oasis of open space in a part of the city that sorely needs it, Pritzker Park can be an important and creative ingredient in the revitalization of the South Loop.
