Pop Heights | Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) Design Project

POP! Heights serves as a vibrant hub for Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood. As the first new park along South Halsted Street in more than 50 years, it transformed a vacant lot into a welcoming space where neighbors can join community events or enjoy a stroll around the park. The expansive site features six activity zones, all connected by a lively, brightly colored walking ribbon that winds through the area.

This ribbon transforms from a walking path in the morning to a roller-skating path after school. It serves as the organizing feature that ties the entire site together, drawing people in from the surrounding community. POP! Heights was designed as a multi-functional space, supporting movement and promoting the health of residents.

Visitors can access the site from three points on Halsted. Entering from the south, users are greeted by a bosque of trees, offering a shaded area to sit and relax. Next along the ribbon is a custom-painted basketball court, engaging teens and adults alike. The court doubles as a venue for a farmer’s market or food trucks from the adjacent parking lot. In the northeast corner, a playground offers younger children a place to play and learn. A stage, centered on a new community mural along the north property line, provides a space for performances, classes, or relaxation. The main entrance is vast and welcoming, with movable seating blocks that define the new park, block vehicles, and serve as signage, seating, and skating elements in the open plaza. The whole site is organized around a central lawn, accommodating both large crowds and quiet community moments.

This project benefits area residents by offering inspiring, beautiful, and culturally relevant programmed community spaces. While Roseland is rich in history and family values, it has lacked engaging, dedicated public open spaces. POP! Heights provides new opportunities to unite community members in accessible, creative, and exciting ways. By transforming a vacant lot, it enhances residents’ access to arts, culture, and nature.