For students in Rebecca Graff’s archaeological field methods class at the University of Chicago, involvement with Hyde Park’s history extends much further than the four years they’ll spend here in college. They’re waist-deep in the South Side’s past, excavating the remains of the World’s Columbian Exposition held in 1893 in Jackson Park. Read the rest of this entry »

In their eagerness to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago, four of the city’s largest foundations have created a multimillion-dollar fund to help neighborhoods on the South and West Sides. These areas would likely see the greatest improvements in infrastructure as a result of the Games, yet they are home to the strongest opposition to hosting them. With this in mind, the fund aims to bring residents into the planning process for the Olympics while offsetting some of their potentially adverse effects. Read the rest of this entry »