Visions for Chicago in 2050 unveiled as part of competition

The World Business Chicago competition dubbed "Horizon Lines: Visions for Chicago 2050" garnered about 200 submissions. The six finalists are on display at the Chicago Cultural Center through September 20, 2026. One finalist envisions a tree-focused green infrastructure to strengthen the city's climate resilience, public health and community vitality. Another transforms Chicago's alleys into active neighborhood spaces. While a third proposes a network of major highway caps over the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower to heal divisions cause by the highway system. A fourth finalist re-imagines the city's legacy corridors as ecological and social landscapes that expand the tree canopy-reducing heat and mitigating flooding. Another envisions creating a "Food District" in the city with interconnected greenhouses and shared food-production infrastructure. And the sixth finalist proposes a walkable circular economy district where reclaimed materials, local makers and public art come together. The public is invited to share feedback on them through July 24th. The winning concept will be announced September 15th.