Located in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, Argyle Shared Street is a shared-use, pedestrian-prioritizing streetscape that encourages a sense of community for the Uptown's diverse residents, businesses, and institutions. The unique street design celebrates green infrastructure, place making, accessibility, and economic development.

Historically, Uptown was a booming hub for entertainment in Chicago. After the Great Depression, many famous entertainment venues were shuttered, and poverty and blight took over. As one of a few affordable neighborhoods in Chicago, it began to attract immigrants from around the world. However, over the last several decades, Uptown has become known for its Asian influence and large collective of Vietnamese shops and restaurants.

Beginning in 2013, alongside community-wide initiatives to reinvigorate Uptown while keeping it affordable, the City of Chicago initiated the replacement of Argyle Street for a three-block area between Broadway and Sheridan Road. site design group, ltd. (landscape architect) led the project with Burns & McDonnell (civil engineer, project lead). Through the design process, it became clear that due to the scale, context, and enthusiasm of the community, Argyle would be an excellent candidate for a "shared street." It would provide a venue for community gathering and events while prioritizing the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit users and accommodating vehicular use.

Through an in-depth public input process that engaged stakeholders, it was confirmed that a shared street would address multiple community needs simultaneously. It would support the growth of local businesses, encourage multi-modal transportation, and provide opportunities to expand on local community programming. Two notable events that take place on the street are the popular Argyle Night Market farmers market and the Chinese New Year celebrations the community is known for. These types of festivities were part of what inspired the spirit of the shared street project. To help represent the values of the community, the colors seen throughout the streetscape elements, such as orange, green, red, and yellow, are tied to traditional Vietnamese culture.

The final design was based on "shared street" principles established as part of the project. The layout inverts the traditional street hierarchy to prioritize pedestrians rather than vehicles. The street creates a plaza-like feel by elevating the street and eliminating raised curbs, creating a universally accessible space. Bump-outs, narrower vehicle lanes, and chicanes help users to navigate the street safely. These not only slow down traffic, but they also encourage eye contact between drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians negotiating passage.

Contrasting colored pavers delineate pedestrian-only areas, and detectable warning pavers separate parking lanes. Infiltration planters showcase native plants while widened pedestrian areas provide flexible space for sidewalk caf????(R)???(C)s, retail establishments, and events. Place-making elements, such as a vertical "Argyle" identifier pillar and custom "Argyle Uptown" bike racks, contribute to community identity. "The Argyle Shared Street project is the result of an extensive community engagement process involving local merchants and residents of the community," commented Chicago City Councilman and 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman. "We have already seen broader use of the street as a gathering place, and the new streetscape is spurring local businesses to spruce up their storefronts."

The street features a number of sustainable elements, including energy efficient streetlights, permeable unit pavers, and rain garden infiltration planters that are designed to soak up rainwater. Argyle is one of four pilot projects in which a research team from City Digital, a UI LABS collaboration looking to enhance city planning, is monitoring the performance of green infrastructure through high tech sensors that deliver real-time data about the effectiveness of the system. This data will provide valuable insights to help inform the design of green infrastructure in Chicago and throughout the country.

Department of Water Management Commissioner Barrett B. Murphy said of the street, "The partnership created on this project helps all of us to better understand how working together we can resolve problems with integrated solutions. Incorporating the green technologies that we see here benefits our residents today, and provides a model for future sustainable collaborations."

The first shared street in the City of Chicago, Argyle is an innovative, flexible, and sustainable streetscape that demonstrates the idea that roads are not simply infrastructure that takes us from one place to another. They can in fact encourage a sense of identity and community. In September 2017, the city conducted a survey of Night Market visitors from the previous months. 74 percent of respondents agreed that the shared street improvements enhanced the market experience, with 96 percent of respondents noting they would return. When asked what they liked best about the shared street, common responses revolved around the way the street embraces diversity and culture, the pedestrian-oriented design, and the increased sense of community. This positive feedback may inspire future shared streetscape designs in the city.

The $4.5 million project led to a new addition for the Chicago Special Service Area (SSA), which funds expanded services and programs for local business owners, such as increased maintenance and stewardship. The expanded role helped bridge historic disparities between residents and business owners to work toward a common vision for a new community amenity that serves all of Uptown.

Argyle Shared Street is a vivid example of community-oriented, multi-modal streetscape development. It prioritizes safety, is easily accessible, creates a sense of place, and lays the foundation for neighborhood economic development.