Reimagining Chicago’s Rivers: How Community Groups are Leading the Charge for Equitable Riverfront Access

July 8, 2025 / Planning

Representatives from community organizations working along Chicago’s rivers and from MPC and Friends of the Chicago River at a convening in April.

While Chicago’s rivers have long shaped the city’s landscape, many communities living near their banks have historically been excluded from accessing the rivers and making decisions about their futures. Across Chicago, community-based organizations are transforming how residents engage with their local rivers as spaces for recreation, engaging in cultural history and events, advancing environmental justice, and expanding economic opportunity.

This blog highlights the powerful work (past, and planned) of five community organizations — Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC), Chi Nations Youth Council (CNYC), McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC), People for Community Recovery (PCR), and Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) —who are organizing, planning, educating, and advocating for inclusive, community-led riverfront development.

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC)

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) focuses on civic engagement, education, and community planning, with a growing emphasis on riverfront access and activation. Their past river-related work included creating two large murals inspired by traditional Chinese culture under the Ping Tom Memorial Park viaducts, bike and pedestrian planning in Chinatown, and activation of Ping Tom Memorial Park through events like Dragon Boat Rowing Days and Water Taxi tours. CBCAC also runs programs such as youth rowing in partnership with the Shedd Aquarium, photography classes for teens, and senior tours—efforts designed to connect residents of all ages and backgrounds to the river in culturally meaningful ways. They work in coordination with the McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC) to expand trail connectivity and recreational programming along and in the South Branch of the Chicago River.

As the lead agency for Chinatown’s new State Designated Cultural District, CBCAC is increasingly interested in policies that support culturally relevant engagement with the river and nearby parks. Their priorities include improving access to Ping Tom Memorial Park, fostering inter-community collaboration, and addressing issues like signage and wayfinding development and maintenance and litter management. CBCAC is also interested in an economic development approach to the riverfront in Chinatown that values small business diversity over tourism-only strategies. They support youth engagement in urban planning conversations and are preparing for deeper advocacy related to large developments like The 78.

Chi Nations Youth Council (CNYC)

The Chi Nations Youth Council (CNYC), founded in 2012, was created to give Native youth a voice in decision-making and community advocacy. CNYC emphasizes the sacredness of nature—especially the river, which they view as a living being deserving of rights. Their work is focused along parts of the Chicago River, including River Park and Bubbly Creek, and they manage the First Nations Garden in Albany Park along with nearly 200 smaller satellite gardens across the city. Their programs blend cultural traditions—like canoeing, fishing, hunting, and foraging—with environmental stewardship and youth empowerment, supporting Native and BIPOC youth ages 14–24. Elders also play a key role through storytelling and cooking programs, and families are welcomed as active participants.

CNYC’s engagement emphasizes safe, culturally affirming access to nature in urban environments. While their focus has been primarily on gardening and relationship-building with land, CNYC is increasingly interested in engaging in policy advocacy. Their priorities include expanding open space protections, placing city land into land trusts for re-nativization, and advancing water policies that support the health of both humans and the ecosystem.

McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC)

McKinley Park Development Council (MPDC) is a community and economic development organization in McKinley Park. MPDC focuses on community-centered development by deeply engaging residents in planning and decision-making processes. Through The Chicago Community Trust’s Our Great Rivers grant, MPDC developed The South Branch Connectivity Project, a framework plan for a riverwalk from Ping Tom Memorial Park to the Daley Boat Launch on Western Avenue. Other initiatives include walk audits, signage and wayfinding planning, and engagement events to help residents discover and access their local riverfront. MPDC’s efforts have highlighted how many community members have historically felt disconnected from the river, and their programming, such as paddling events and bike tours, aims to change that. Their mission reflects a commitment to preserving and strengthening McKinley Park’s identity rather than transforming it, guided by a belief that the neighborhood is already rich in value.

In addition to engagement, MPDC tracks major developments in the area and plays an active role in shaping land use and zoning policy. They recently supported the rezoning of 35th street from residential to mixed use, which passed through the Zoning Committee and will allow long vacant storefronts to reopen. Their policy priorities include protecting open space, improving non-car mobility, modernizing outdated zoning regulations, and creating community-owned housing opportunities.

People for Community Recovery (PCR)

People for Community Recovery’s (PCR’s) legacy dates to 1979, when Hazel Johnson started the organization to advance tenants’ rights and address environmental issues in Altgeld Gardens. Today, PCR continues to advance community priorities in Chicago’s Calumet region. PCR hosts vibrant events that combine celebration with education. From Black History Month celebrations and River Festival Days along the Little Calumet River, to Toxic Tours that highlight environmental hazards, PCR’s activities foster joy while raising awareness about environmental justice and riverfront access.

Many new residents have moved into the area, and this trend is expected to continue with the upcoming Red Line Extension and growing attention to the area’s Underground Railroad history. PCR is leveraging this momentum to educate new residents about the amenities and open space available in the area and to support community-led riverfront development. The Altgeld Gardens and Riverdale communities are home to a large stretch of the little Calumet River and Forest Preserves land that PCR and community members would like to see include amenities like picnic areas, pavilions, and concessions to make the space more welcoming and accessible for long-time and new residents alike.

In the next year, PCR plans to continue their ongoing work and engage with institutions like the Forest Preserves, local churches, public libraries, museums, and schools to build broader support and host additional visioning workshops and educational events. As investment increases in the Little Calumet River area—an area still lacking the policy protections found along the Chicago River and the lakefront—PCR is advocating for stronger riverfront guidelines and community control of vacant land to ensure that future development benefits existing residents.

Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF)

Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) formed in 1989 in opposition to a garbage incinerator proposed at a former steel site. Today, SETF is a leader in the Calumet region through three key programs: Environmental/Climate Justice, the New Economy, and Nature & Healing. Their work addresses immediate environmental threats, promotes local economic development grounded in Just Transition principles, and encourages residents to reconnect with green spaces.

SETF also leads Calumet Connect, a local coalition of community and civic stakeholders focused on improving the health and well-being of communities and residents in Southeast Chicago by shaping the future of the Calumet region based on community vision. Calumet Connect is focused on three major projects this year: restoring river access at 100th Street through activation events and redesigning the space for community use, participating in an update to the Calumet Land Use and Design Guidelines, and engaging residents to advocate for remediation and envision the future of two EPA Superfund Sites (ACME Steel Coke Plant and Schroud) on the Southeast side. SETF seeks to build broader collaborations around river and waterway connectivity by sharing local stories that connect to broader goals in the region. Their priorities include protecting their communities from the cumulative impacts of pollution, catalyzing local businesses and ownership, and ongoing environmental justice advocacy.

Chicago’s community organizations are reshaping the city’s riverfronts. Through advocacy, education, and inclusive planning, these organizations are ensuring that the future of the rivers reflects the voices and needs of the communities who live alongside them.