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On a warm summer evening...
… after the day’s work has been done.
Reflecting on the Joy Garden for a moment.
Watermelons ripen under cool green leaves, dragonflies flit over a plant-lined watercourse, river birches spread a growing canopies of shade above gently curving beds of bee-laden flowers.
One might ask themselves why every public school isn’t surrounded by such an oasis.
July 10, 2010
Next lecture July 7: Community Activism through the Design Studio
Join us for Community Activism through the Design Studio, when Profs. Nils Gore and Shannon Criss of the University of Kansas Architecture Department will share with us the community-based projects they’ve done with architecture students in Mississippi and Kansas.
June 16, 2010
The JOY GARDEN has been CHOSEN!!!
The Joy Garden has been chosen to partake in the SITES Pilot Program! Read about it in our blog.
May 25, 2010
UHC celebrates Underground America... from up high!

Photo by Anne Swaney.
The Joy Garden viewed from the roof of Northside College Prep High School as the solar hotwater system was being installed.
See below for more info on Underground America day.
May 15, 2010
Celebrate Underground America Day with UHC!
Underground America Day? What….is that? Underground America Day is officially May 14, it’s a celebration to honor the the 6,000 or so Americans who make there homes in the Earth. Architect Malcom Wells came up with the idea, “I woke up one day to the fact that the Earth’s surface was made for living plants, not industrial plants.”
Find out more here!
So, how is UHC celebrating Underground America Day? We are joining up with Greencorp to plant vegetables in the Joy Garden at Northside Prep this Saturday. We will be planting root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, radishes, etc. We hope you can dig a hole with us this Saturday!
(Be sure to check out the Glocal section for an interesting look into how Kansas City, MO is making Underground America Day a 365-day celebration!)
Where & When
Date: The celebration is May 15!
Time: 12 PM - 4 PM
Where: Joy Garden (at Northside College Preparatory High School) 5501 N. Kedzie Chicago, IL 60625
Cost: FREE! but please RSVP to Mike Repkin by calling 773-791-1131
May 15, 2010
Featured Projects
Vertical Gardens Initiative (UHC-VGI)
If it's big and blank, it should be doing more than just sitting there. Let's grow on it!
UHC Lecture and Film Series
Giving you the tools to address today's environmental concerns.
2006-present
Joy Garden at Northside Prep High School
Reconnecting students to their surrounding environment through restorative landscape technologies.
2009
True Nature Foods Rooftop Victory Garden
Better than a green roof... a food-producing roof for this Edgewater business.
2005-present
Deconstruction advocacy
Deconstruction is the right thing to do at the end of a building's life.
2006-present
Recent Blog Posts
There once was a moth...
July 15, 2010
by Dave Hampton Image source: Illinois State Museum This story begins with a moth on a CTA bus and ends with why you’ll want to volunteer to help make Chicago a more beautiful place.... Continued…
The fish and the plants and Santa Claus and breweries!!
June 8, 2010 Post a Comment
by Breena Ferguson This month’s lecture given June 2nd by John Edel, a developer (erase the ugly connotations of that word as you read on) who has a deep love for industrial building preservation. The lecture covered the history of... Continued…
UHC's Joy Garden Chosen to Participate in SITES 2-year Pilot Program
May 25, 2010
The Joy Garden has been chosen to partake in the SITES Pilot Program! The 150+ participants in the program showcase diverse projects in order to demonstrate the application of The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009 , released... Continued…
UHC Participated in Foresight Design Initiative's Programming Roundtable
May 11, 2010
Last Wednesday, Urban Habitat Chicago co-founder and vice president, Anna Glenn, represented UHC in a quarterly roundtable sponsored by Foresight Design Initiative. Participants shared sustainability related programming for the summer months and discussed potential collaborations and partnerships. Some upcoming events... Continued…
The Wonderful World of Malcolm Wells
January 5, 2010 Post a Comment
by Dave Hampton Summary What others have to say about Malcolm Wells Prototype green building ratings systems Learn more about Malcolm Wells In memory of Mac Summary On January 5, 2010, Urban Habitat Chicago presented a tribute to Malcolm Wells... Continued…



