Designing the public realm around a new rail hall

A rail hall is only as good as the streets that lead to it. When we designed Union Rail Hall in Chicago, we spent as much time on the plaza, the crossings and the bus stops as we did on the building itself.

Start from the walk

We mapped how people actually arrive: on foot, by bus, by bike and by car. Most walked, and most took a route the old plans ignored. We drew the new entrance and plaza around those paths instead of asking people to follow ours.

That changed the plan in small ways that mattered. We moved the main entrance twelve meters, widened the crossing at the north corner and removed a row of parking that blocked the most direct path.

Make room to wait

Stations create waiting, and waiting needs somewhere to happen. We added shaded benches, drinking water and a covered edge along the plaza, so a delayed train feels less like lost time.

Waiting also looks different at different hours. In the morning people stand and check their phones, and in the evening they sit and talk. We mixed seating types, from single benches to long steps, so the plaza works for both.

Connect to the neighborhood

The plaza now continues the grid of the surrounding streets, with new trees, wider sidewalks and a protected bike lane that links to the lake path. We also kept a row of small retail units at the edge, so the square stays active outside rush hour.

Good public space needs people looking after it. The city agreed to extend its cleaning and lighting schedule to the plaza, and a local market operator now uses the square on weekends.