Englewood Agro-Eco District

The project, which includes a 1.75-mile nature trail, integrates science and art to foster a connection to the land and strengthen cultural belonging, writes María A. Villalobos H. It embodies an emerging urban movement in which agriculture is understood as culture—driven by a collective landscape design and research practice.
The vision emerged through collaboration between the Master in Landscape Architecture and Urbanism program at the Illinois Institute of Technology, the City of Chicago Planning Department, and the local nonprofit Grow Greater Englewood. Today, the project team includes multiple entities, among them Gensler, Planning Resources Inc., and Botanical City.
The 1.75-mile nature trail repurposes the Loomis Embankment—constructed in 1905 for freight rail and used until the 1970s—into a continuous agro-botanical landscape. The project supports urban farming businesses and institutions, addresses environmental challenges such as soil contamination and seasonal flooding, and creates spaces for relaxation, learning, and ecological stewardship.
The project shifts planning power to community organizers, shaping a neighbor-led landscape grounded in everyday life. Three principles guide the work: diverse agro-botanical identities that link plants, culture, and livelihoods; soil and water systems that heal land and manage flooding; and interconnected sacred groves that honor ancestors through trees with restorative capacities.
Blending science and art, the Englewood Agro-Eco District and Nature Trail cultivate ecological awareness and belonging. In four years, the initiative has mobilized more than $80 million. In 2023, the first poplars were planted at Englewood Plaza—rooting justice in the landscape.