Swartzman, Arlene

Arlene Swartzman Soundex Code S632

Arlene Swartzman wrote Warren Park and the Edgewater Golf Club for the 2013 Annual House Tour Booklet.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014, Park Wars Presentation

You may be surprised to learn that the history of parks in our area is fraught with conflict. In the Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods, several of our finest parks were quite controversial and required much community effort. Indian Boundary Park (2500 W. Lunt Avenue) and Pottawattomie Park (7340 N. Rogers Avenue) were created through the formidable efforts of a number of civic-minded people. Urban park historian Arlene Swartzman will share the stories of how these parks were developed and the devoted Chicagoans involved in the process. Join us for a spirited talk followed by lively discussion of these important public spaces and the influences that shaped them.

Urban park historian, Master Gardener, educator, and writer Arlene Swartzman has written numerous articles and public information reports for government and private agencies on a variety of public issues, including urban transportation, domestic violence, and access to health services in Chicago. In the past 10 years, her focus has been on urban parks and gardens, and the political and social issues that led to the creation of these public spaces. Her 2006 Ph.D. dissertation, The Geography of Hope, analyzed the civic discourse that led to Chicago's neighborhood parks during the Progressive period (1889-1909). She is currently working on a book on neighborhood parks and the impetus for their development in Boston, New York, and Chicago in the late 19th and early 20th century.

This event will take place from 6:30 - 8:00 pm on Wednesday, June 25 at the Budlong Woods Branch Library of the Chicago Public Library (5630 N. Lincoln Avenue). It is cosponsored by the Library and your Society.