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Originally Posted by ardecila
Actually I believe a portion of the complex is within Chicago city limits, as the city controls a one-block strip north of Foster to connect Chicago proper with O'Hare. You won't find me hanging out at MB Financial Park, but it's not because of poor urban design. They have the same crappy bro establishments I can find in Wrigleyville, but that doesn't make Wrigleyville suburban either.
For what it's worth, Rosemont is seeking to improve pedestrian connections to the River Road CTA station.
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None of it is in Chicago City limits currently, but the opportunity for immediate spill over effects is definitely there. The ballroom and meeting space expansion of the O'Hare Intercontinental was built within the Chicago umbilical cord that you speak of, as such, the city is grabbing some of those amusement taxes generated up there.
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As far as the mall design discussion; I have always had an affinity for the 70's chic of Woodfield, although I am disappointed the waterfall and mini-aquarium has since disappeared from the center. Oak Brook and Old Orchard are pretty decent, and get props for mixed uses incorporating offices directly into the mall foot print (Golf Mill gets points there too); but overall our malls are disappointing, aesthetically bland and horribly auto-centric.
Its not so much of suburbs vs. downtown shopping, as let's face it, most far flung suburbanites rarely venture downtown for shopping trips. We can have a better design standard in the burbs for these attractions, examples of which I have visited in Mexico, Canada and Europe which have better integration with transit and pedestrians and better overall design. There is a new Westfield Mall near Sheppard's Bush Green in London's Hammersmith borough that absolutely shits all over anything we see built in the Chicago area, and its directly serviced by the Undergrand and Overground. Meanwhile Westfield in the US remains very anti-transit. The relatively new Plaza Andares in Zapopan, Mexico (suburban Guadalajara) has a very sleek modern aesthetic, underground parking (charged) and is surrounded by ultra modern high-rises with various uses.
Plaza Andares
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