Through the Native Prairie and Pollinator Plant Project, Global Garden Refugee Training Farm will integrate native prairie and pollinator plants into their Albany Park site—boosting vegetable yields, reducing pests naturally, and restoring Illinois’ lost prairie ecosystem. Refugee farmers will lead the effort, drawing on deep agricultural knowledge. The project includes community-designed plant beds, signage, volunteer training, and long-term ecological stewardship, creating a model for resilient, sustainable, and culturally rooted food production in Chicago.

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Provisions transforms a vacant Englewood lot into a community-designed outdoor kitchen and gathering space, addressing food apartheid and the loss of cultural spaces in Black neighborhoods. With custom cooking tools, solar-powered refrigeration, and participatory fabrication workshops, the project uplifts Afro-diasporic traditions and food sovereignty. Through design rooted in accessibility, storytelling, and mutual aid, Provisions becomes a cultural hearth—nourishing both body and community while modeling a replicable approach to public space reclamation.

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Mecca Inflatable is a mobile, design-driven installation that transforms underutilized South and West Side spaces into vibrant civic forums. Acting as a flexible venue for workshops, performances, and public dialogue, it centers accessibility, co-creation, and spatial equity. Designed for quick deployment and deep community engagement, each activation is shaped with local partners. Mecca Inflatable is both a visual landmark and a prototype for inclusive design—redefining public space as a tool for collective transformation.

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Architectural designer Akima Brackeen leads with a commitment to culturally responsive, community-driven design. Her work centers environmental and spatial justice, drawing on deep experience in water-focused, site-specific projects. In Pilsen, she has collaborated closely with residents to ensure the built environment reflects community values and aspirations. Through a thoughtful, equity-focused process, Akima advances interdisciplinary, BIPOC-led design practices that transform public space into long-lasting resources rooted in cultural heritage and collective agency.

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Since 1966, the Chicago Architecture Center has made architecture and design accessible to the public, beginning with efforts to preserve the historic Glessner House. Today, CAC reaches over 500,000 people each year through tours, exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives. By connecting design to everyday life—especially in disinvested communities—CAC inspires people to see the built environment as a shared civic experience shaped by culture, history, and community values.

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As director of the Deconstruction/Reconstruction Lab at Illinois Institute of Technology, architect and professor Dillon Pranger leads research in circular construction and sustainable material recovery. His work challenges architecture’s traditional consumption models by advancing a circular economy approach—“take, make, repeat.” Through funded research, academic publications, and hands-on experimentation, Pranger and his team are redefining how the built environment can be designed with reuse, remanufacturing, and environmental responsibility at its core.

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Dorian Sylvain Studios, in collaboration with Natty Bwoy Chicago, is dedicated to enriching Chicago's communities through the integration of art, design, and recreation. Our mission is to transform underutilized public spaces into vibrant hubs that foster creativity, cultural expression, and community engagement, with a particular focus on empowering the youth of Chicago's South Side.

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EcoShip’s mission is to divert packaging materials from the landfill and provide them to local community members for reuse. We help small businesses, artists, and individuals reduce waste and shipping costs while promoting a culture of sustainability and shared resources. Through thoughtful systems design, community engagement, and circular thinking, we aim to shift how cities use materials—proving that reuse can be a tool for environmental impact, civic good, and economic empowerment.

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Matiz Press, founded by visual artist and cultural worker Miguel Limón, is a Chicago-based, artist-run press and risograph studio dedicated to democratizing printmaking as a strategic tool for civic engagement, education, and community empowerment. Rooted in the Spanish word matiz—meaning “hue” and “nuance”—our mission is to ensure equitable access to publishing tools, amplify marginalized voices, and nurture print media as a dynamic, inclusive medium for storytelling, activism, and social change.

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A historic anchor in North Lawndale, Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church has served as both a spiritual and civic force since the 1920s. It hosted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his Chicago housing campaign and remains a beacon of empowerment under Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick’s leadership. With a mission of holistic renewal, STC continues to restore hope and life in a disinvested community—honoring its legacy while actively shaping the neighborhood’s future.

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Duo is an innovation studio/lab that uses design to reimagine systems, spaces, and strategies for collective well-being. Our mission is to build structures—both physical and conceptual—that redistribute power, create access, and affirm the dignity and creativity of historically excluded communities. We believe design is not just about aesthetics or function, but about liberation, equity, and long-term resilience.

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