1. +
Lawrence
Harlem
Lawrence and Harlem:
Reviving Transit Friendly Areas
Samantha Kearney
UPP 558, Nov. 2012

2. +
Lawrence
Harlem
CTA Typology: Major Activity Centers
Service areas: Lawrence: Uptown
Harlem: Oak Park, Forest Park,
and River Forest

3. +
Major Activity Centers
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
 Uptown has many well known  The 3 bordering towns all have
concert venues, as well as shopping & dining
shopping & dining
 Opulent historic structures:  Near two well maintained
some neglected, others adapted historic districts
 Robust nightlife  Mild nightlife
 More dense  Less dense, but still busy
 Competitive parking  Competitive parking
smattering of parking lots many parking lots
lower car ownership higher car ownership

4. + Intro to Transit
Lawrence
Lawrence:
Lawrence’s transit is robust because its nightlife
involves drinking & attracts concert crowds, and
because its many neighboring lower income
residents can’t afford cars (or choose not to drive).
Harlem:
Harlem is near several shopping plazas, which
attract drivers as well as alternate transit users.
Harlem has a mild nightlife, as the area was dry
until recently, so driving is not an obstacle, yet
more CTA fares are collected at Harlem than
at Lawrence.
Harlem

5. +
Residents’ Income
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
 Over half of the residents make  Incomes of residents are more
less than $25,000 annually evenly distributed
less than less than
$25,000 $25,000
$25,000 - 20.99% 28.88% 24.21% $25,000 -
$49,999 $49,999
12.10% 51.56%
$50,000 - $50,000 -
$74,999 15.35% 17.49% 29.42% $74,999
$75,000 + $75,000 +

6. +
FORM
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
 Mixed use buildings, theaters,  Mixed use buildings,
businesses, multi & single businesses, multi & single
family residences, parking family residences, parking
 Density of residential areas: 74  Density of residential areas: 33
population: 8,151 population: 2,876
residential acres: 110 residential acres: 86
 Older sidewalks &  Newer sidewalks &
infrastructure infrastructure
 less pedestrian friendly  very pedestrian friendly
 Vacant storefronts  Award winning renovations
 Inadequate lighting  Illinois chapter of APA
 Congress for New Urbanism

7. +
USE: Entertainment & Shopping
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
= Station Entrances
100 m 100 m

8. +
FORM: Parking Lots
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
= Station Entrances
100 m 100 m

9. +
PATTERN: Streets & Stations
INTRO
Lawrence Harlem
 Near many arterial streets  Near several arterial streets
= Station Entrances
 Commercial corridors:  Commercial corridors:
Broadway, Lawrence, Sheridan Lake, Marion, Harlem
= Other Stations
200 m 200 m

10. + Fares & Ped Sheds
Lawrence
In 2011, the Lawrence stop collected 1,121,249
fares, fewer than the 1,159,189 fares collected by
the Harlem stop. This is typical for other years.
This may be because Harlem is the terminus of the
Green Line, so people might be willing to come
from farther west to get to it. Also, Lawrence is two
blocks from the Wilson and Argyle stops, narrowing
Lawrence’s ped shed.
Lawrence’s ped shed is smaller than Harlem’s.
Harlem

11. +
How Nearby Residents Go to Work
MODE
Lawrence Harlem
2% 1%
8% 8%
6% 9%
43%
50%
31%
42%
drive transit walk drive transit walk
bike other bike other

12. +
Modes of Transit:
MODE
Lawrence
= Photo Area = Station Entrance
Bus
Bike Lane
Small Bike Rack

13. +
Modes of Transit:
MODE
Harlem
= Photo Area = Station Entrance
Bus
Long Bike Rack

14. +
Transit Gateway Project
Lawrence
8/2/2012: The area shown in the previous slide
received a $1.1 million federal grant for the “Transit
Gateway Project” to expand the APA & Congress of
New Urbanism award winning improvements along
Marion Street to South Boulevard by the CTA station.
“Oak Park… stands to be a regional model for
local revitalization that incorporates transit,
walking, biking and economic development.”
-- Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Harlem

15. +
REVIVED
Revived Commerce:
Marion Street
Pedestrian
Lighting

16. + Revived Commerce:
REVIVED
Marion Street

17. + Revival
Lawrence
The area around the Lawrence stop is bustling with
commercial activity, and its density is significant.
It is less reliant on cars than the Harlem area,
yet it also seems less pedestrian friendly.
Pedestrian traffic is hindered by an unwelcoming
streetscape that can be unsafe. Some buildings are
vacant, most notably the Uptown Theater.
The successful methods used around Harlem
can be considered for the area around Lawrence.
• ~ Building vacancies may dwindle
~ Pedestrian safety would increase
Harlem
~ Businesses could prosper

18. +
REVIVE
Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Lawrence Harlem

19. +
REVIVE
Uptown
Theater
Purchased by Jam
Productions in 2008
for $3.2 Million
Cost of renovation:
$55 - $70 Million
The Elephant in the Room:
Can The Uptown be Restored?
“It can happen now because people are finally seeing the intertwined
connection between culture and economic development”
-- Mayor Rahm Emanuel

20. +
REVIVE
Commercial Revival?
Broadway
Street lights are
Uptown Theater uninspiring, not for
is vacant pedestrians, only cars

21. +
REVIVED
Revived Commerce:
Lake Street
Native plants,
benches

22. +
REVIVE
Residential Revivals?
Lawrence Ave.
Street lights are
uninspiring, not for Apartments and tree
pedestrians, only cars lined side streets
Spanish
Revival
is low
income Storefronts are vacant,
Art Deco building is
housing sidewalks are boring
a retirement home

23. +
REVIVED
Residences Revived:
Franklin Street
Sidewalk bump-outs are
Single nice, but will not work so
family well for streets with buses
housing
Multi-
family
housing

24. + Conclusion
Lawrence
Lawrence:
Lawrence’s high density, adaptive reuse, and transit
oriented residents make the area very sustainable
and even efficient (although its many vacant buildings
count against it in this category, and make the area
less viable).
Harlem:
Some areas around Harlem encourage driving more
than others, but in general the permeable pavers, use
of native plants, reuse of buildings, and commitment
to improving inter-modal transportation supports
sustainability.
The Harlem area is quite viable and efficient because Harlem
it has fewer vacancies, well established residents, and
because its infrastructure continues to improve.

25. +
Sources
 Caro, Mark. “Uptown Theater: Polishing an Old Jewel.”
Chicago Tribune, 10/11/2011
 Cook County Clerk’s TIF District Maps:
http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/aboutus/map_room/pages/tifmaps.aspx
 CTA Ridership Reports, 2011
 Google Maps
 Oak Park’s Community Planning & Development Dpt.
http://www.oak-park.us/planning/planning_marion_street.htm
 Terra Engineering (Marion Street Project)
http://www.terraengineering.com
 TOD Database (by the Center for Transit Oriented Development)
which generated data from the US Census Bureau for the ¼ mile radius areas
around the Lawrence and Harlem CTA stops.
 www.undercity.org/Chicago_UptownTheater_GALLERY/index.html