He financed spirited legal defences against developers who had designs on the prime real estate. For more than a century, developers with political pull continued to ask for exceptions to official plans that banned lakeside development. Community groups won the battle for the beach, but they may have lost on other fronts. All the green along the shore gave developers an excuse for not including open space in projects away from it. Chicago's lakeshore ribbon now represents more than half of all the parkland in a sprawling city of buildings and concrete.
Some neighbourhoods are devoid even of trees.
Even the lakeside green carpet has gaps. Until recently, the vast downtown Grant Park had a railroad line running through its corner. The plaza will be financed, in part, by parking fees that are a major source of revenue in a car-dependent city. But having a park doesn't mean people will use it. Grant Park lures enormous crowds downtown to summer festivals and special events.