Englewood Nature Trail

The Englewood Village Plaza at Fifty-Eighth Street and Halsted Street serves as the entry point to the Englewood Nature Trail. As a two-mile long green infrastructure reuse project, the Englewood Nature Trail builds on the foundational values of anti-displacement, career pathways, and community stewardship. The plaza will serve as a versatile gathering space for the Englewood community that can host a range of uses including a weekly community market, a learning/demonstration garden for discussions led by local and global voices, outdoor screenings, and other cultural activities. All of these events will abide by Black culinary and land traditions. As the main entry point to the Englewood Nature Trail, the plaza will be an activity hub. Its dynamic design provides a unique opportunity for community driven tactical urbanism and place keeping. The plaza buildout will prioritize hiring local residents to lead the construction; it will serve as a beacon of innovation for other vacant lots to advance green space as well as black health and wealth building activities.