Inside the Wild Mile: Reimagining Nature in the City’s Floating Eco-Park

Join AIA Chicago’s Committee On The Environment (COTE) + AIA 2030 Commitment for an exploration of the Wild Mile, the world’s first floating eco-park. Participants will discover the biodiversity of this innovative urban habitat and learn from the Urban Rivers team about their work to restore nature within the Chicago River and surrounding urban environment. The experience will also include a hands-on opportunity to help clean up and care for the rejuvenated Chicago River.

Led by Urban Rivers’ Community Outreach and Programs Director, Maddie Fernandez, the tour will provide participants with an opportunity to examine the Wild Mile as a living case study in resilient site planning and environmental design. Participants will explore how floating infrastructure, native and aquatic planting, habitat creation, ecological monitoring, and ongoing stewardship are integrated to support biodiversity and improve the ecological function of an urban waterway. The program will also address how plant selection and habitat strategies can be informed by scientific research and adapted to the environmental conditions of urban sites.

Speaker:

Jennifer Skowlund, AIA
Associate Director, Urban Design and Campus Planning
SOM

Jennifer is an architect and urban designer leading the City Design Practice at SOM’s Chicago studio. Her work is driven by a commitment to shape the built environment and create lasting impacts on local communities.

Maddie Fernandez
Community Outreach and Programs Manager
Urban Rivers

Maddie Fernandez is a bilingual environmental science communicator and environmental educator with a background in environmental studies, geography, and industrial design. She currently serves as Community Outreach and Programs Director at Urban Rivers, where she supports community engagement, environmental education, participatory science, and stewardship initiatives focused on restoring and rewilding the Chicago River. Her work includes developing bilingual educational opportunities, facilitating community programs, and building partnerships that connect people with Chicago’s urban waterways and natural systems.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify strategies used at the Wild Mile to restore biodiversity and ecological function within a highly urbanized environment.
2. Examine how floating infrastructure, native planting, and habitat restoration can contribute to healthier and more resilient urban environments.
3. Evaluate the role of nature-based design strategies in improving environmental and community outcomes along urban waterways.
4. Apply lessons from the Wild Mile to the planning and design of resilient, sustainable, and ecologically responsive projects.

For AIA Members: AIA Chicago will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. AIA Members cannot self-report courses for AIA CES credit.

For Non-Members: AIA Chicago does not report attendance for non-members. If you would like to request a certificate for proof of participation, please click here.

For Vendor Education Program Attendees (AIA Member and Non-Member): The hosting Vendor will report your attendance for continuing education credit directly to AIA national. Please ensure your name matches your AIA membership record and your AIA number is correctly entered at the time of registration to receive proper credit. To ensure accuracy, please request a certificate of completion from the Vendor.