CHICAGO l Eco-Bridge and observation tower.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by LaSalle.St.Station

any one who supports wind power should only be allowed to use energy when the wind is blowing. have fun in oppresive July

Beginning to wonder if you live in our city. One of the joys of Chicago during the summer is that the vast majority of summer days we have beautiful wind...right off of lake Michigan! We always joke about how wonderful it is...but in 6 months we will hate it.....come winter.

I will totally be hands down supportive of the Olympics if the L is updated and this is built.

[intrepidDesign]

Are there any other renderings of the eco bridge other than the one we've all seen? Seems to me that if they were really pushing for this, they would show it from a realistic vantage point. I don't know about you, but I don't take a helicopter to work every day. I'd like to see what this would look like from a pedestrians point of view looking east as well as what the city views would be like if one were actually on the bridge itself. Showing some details of the path, how they plan to light it at night, and closeups of that observation tower wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

^ I don't think anyone's pushing for it. It's pie-in-the-sky meant as a PR boost to Smith + Gill.

[Para]

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

Are there any other renderings of the eco bridge other than the one we've all seen? Seems to me that if they were really pushing for this, they would show it from a realistic vantage point. I don't know about you, but I don't take a helicopter to work every day. I'd like to see what this would look like from a pedestrians point of view looking east as well as what the city views would be like if one were actually on the bridge itself. Showing some details of the path, how they plan to light it at night, and closeups of that observation tower wouldn't be a bad idea either.

The Smith&Gill website's page on this project has a few of the pictures you are looking for.

http://www.smithgill.com/ecobridge#/...ago_eco_bridge

[Chicago29]

When I first same this project I thought it was silly. Now I see the genius and beauty behind it. It would be great for the 2016 games and it would be another city icon.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by Ch.G, Ch.G

^ I don't think anyone's pushing for it. It's pie-in-the-sky meant as a PR boost to Smith + Gill.

What I love about Chicago is seeing every day the "once" pie in the sky ideas and loving them as real beautiful parts of our city. We got to have dreamers....and planners....and builders.

[-ZT-]

cool way to add a large amount of character to an already large city.

And, despite what some people have said, I think the incorporation of wind turbines is a great idea. However, they could do something about odd flaccid looking tower IMO.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ That tower appears to only be a placeholder, just a blown up version of the "Bird in Space" sculpture by Brancusi.

[IMADreamer]

I think this is a cool project, I mean why not? The country wants clean energy so why not put a bunch of turbines up? This would certainly draw attention to Chicago and give it some green credentials and it would put people to work building and maintaining it. It sounds like a good plan to me.

[intrepidDesign]

Originally Posted by IMADreamer

I think this is a cool project, I mean why not? The country wants clean energy so why not put a bunch of turbines up? This would certainly draw attention to Chicago and give it some green credentials and it would put people to work building and maintaining it. It sounds like a good plan to me.

If Chicago wants to add to its green street cred, then it needs a truly working recycling program. I know its not as much of a PR stunt as the eco bridge, but oh well.

[ChicagoChicago]

Originally Posted by intrepidDesign

If Chicago wants to add to its green street cred, then it needs a truly working recycling program. I know its not as much of a PR stunt as the eco bridge, but oh well.

I couldn't agree more. I live next to a bar that fills up 3 industrial trash bins a weekend, and MOST of that trash consists of bottles and boxes. If the city wants to be green, they need to push a commercial recycling program.

[FlashingLights]

Maybe I am a hypocrite, I mean I do support green, but the wind power generators along the bridge are just ugly and destroy the skyline to me.

The overall bridge and observation point are cool and fit in with the original park plans. I support the bridge and the observation point, I actually think it would become a tourist destination.

[simcityaustin]

The more I think about this proposal, the more I realize it's just a waste, privately funded or not....there are so many better things and better/cooler projects that this kinda money could buy.

[lawfin]

^^^Yeah give me 2 billion for the L

[Zerton]

I don't see the point of having a street and train on it and the asymmetry is very anti-Burnham. I do like the idea of putting those nice vertical wind towers along the lake though. Any figures on how much electricity this would produce?

[alex1]

Originally Posted by Zerton

I don't see the point of having a street and train on it and the asymmetry is very anti-Burnham. I do like the idea of putting those nice vertical wind towers along the lake though. Any figures on how much electricity this would produce?

barely enough to power my iPod nano (if I had one).

[puckle74]

I do like the idea of the other pier's but this just seems out of place