A rendering of a planned inclusive playground to be built at the east end of Midway Plaisance in Hyde Park. (Chicago Park District)
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Though lauded as “groundbreaking” by the Park District, the playground has met with significant opposition from neighbors, who have faulted the choice of the Plaisance's east end as too dangerous for a play space.

Cherry blossoms in Jackson Park, during a previous season's bloom. (Chicago Park District)

Peak bloom is still a couple weeks away, but the buds are beginning to burst forth in Jackson Park’s Cherry Blossom Grove.

South Side voters overwhelmingly supported an advisory referendum to stop cutting down trees in Jackson Park and South Shore. (Save Jackson Park / Facebook)
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Voters sent a message to officials by overwhelmingly supporting an advisory referendum calling on the city of Chicago to stop cutting down trees in Jackson Park and South Shore. 

The Olmsted-designed Jackson Park in Chicago. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

In honor of Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.’s bicentennial, The Cultural Landscape Foundation has released “What’s Out There Olmsted,” a digital guide to hundreds of landscapes designed by Olmsted and his successor firms — a legacy that stretches from coast to coast.

Cherry trees blossoming in Jackson Park. (Chicago Park District)

The cherry tree blossoms in Jackson Park are quickly becoming a beloved springtime tradition in Chicago and they’re about to hit their peak.

Jackson Park, in spring. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

The Jackson Park Advisory Council has canceled its February meeting due to concerns related to COVID-19, delaying an anticipated vote on controversial changes to the group's bylaws.

Jackson Park, in spring. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

The Jackson Park Advisory Council is proposing a change to its bylaws that would raise the bar in terms who’s considered a voting member. Critics say the move is designed to limit input from “newcomers,” and they want the Chicago Park District to intervene.

Design rendering of the Obama Presidential Center. Plaza in foreground. (Courtesy of The Obama Foundation)

As part of the $100 million gift to the Obama Foundation, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has asked for the plaza at the Obama Presidential Center to be named the John Lewis Plaza.

Former President Barack Obama, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama toss shovels of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)

After five years of legal battles, gentrification concerns and a federal review, Barack and Michelle Obama dug shovels into the ground Tuesday during a celebratory groundbreaking on their legacy project in Jackson Park.

Wooded Island’s Japanese Garden, in spring. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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“I know people are upset but you can’t tell me there’s not bad activity there after dark,” Mike Kelly, CEO of the Chicago Park District, said in defense of gates the agency installed that are now at the center of another controversy brewing at Jackson Park.

The latest rendering of the Obama Presidential Center tower. (Courtesy of Obama Foundation)

The Obama Foundation is sharing new details related to its landscape plan for the proposed Obama Presidential Center, which it says will “create a model of sustainability.”

The latest rendering of the Obama Presidential Center tower. (Courtesy of Obama Foundation)
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The legal wrangling over the Obama Presidential Center’s construction in Jackson Park is far from over, opponents say. Meanwhile, the Obama Foundation has just revealed a new architectural detail about the center’s tower.

Design rendering of the Obama Presidential Center. (Courtesy of The Obama Foundation)

The Obama Presidential Center can be built in Jackson Park after a federal review that lasted nearly four years concluded the $500 million project will have “no significant impact” on the federally protected park.

Former President Barack Obama sat for a recent interview with “60 Minutes.” (60 Minutes / Facebook)

On the promotional trail for his new memoir “A Promised Land,” the former president sat down with “60 Minutes” for an interview that aired Sunday.

Design rendering of the Obama Presidential Center. (Courtesy of The Obama Foundation)
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Opponents of the Obama Presidential Center care more about trees and traffic than they do about people impacted by decades of systemic disinvestment, proponents of the project said in an open letter.

Jackson Park in Chicago. (WTTW News)

We speak with Protect Our Parks founder and president Herb Caplan about the latest in the legal battle over the $500 million project planned for Chicago’s South Side.