Popcourts is the first of many investments along the corridor and marks a shift in the community. It will be a catalyst for investment in a critical corridor of a historically forgotten and disenfranchised community. The bold colors and design reflect the vibrancy of the community, and provide a culturally relevant backdrop for community events. ARC, a Chicago Architectural Biennial initiative, is a network of local designers, city planners, and community organizers committed to making Chicago safe, healthy, and economically resilient for all.

ARC formed in the summer of 2020, during the height of the pandemic, and after the civil unrest, with the goal of helping communities on the city’s south and west sides re-open during challenging times. In a matter of weeks, ARC deployed an outdoor dining solution in Chatham, The 75th Avenue Boardwalk (75th St. – Indiana to Calumet), with the help of community leaders, volunteers, and local artists. In 2021, our work carries on. POPCourts!, ARC’s second project, was developed in concert with Mayor Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West initiative.

The goal in Austin was to create a sense of place and identity for a community that has limited access to public open space. The team transformed a vacant lot at the corner of W. Chicago and N. Lockwood Avenues into a place for activity, gathering, and commerce. POPCourts was designed to provide a stage for neighborhood gatherings, a mouthpiece for community artists, and a safe space for the local youth. The project includes three zones, familiarly known as “Courts,” each serving a variety of community functions.

The programming is meant to be flexible and allow activities to “Pop” up and transform over time. Each Court was designed with unique characters and materials. The basketball court doubles as a community plaza. The gravel drive will host food trucks, farmer’s market and other seasonal vendors, and the shaded lawn functions as a food court with casual seating. Artwork brings the project together, figuratively and literally. Local artists painted murals on the adjacent building walls depicting Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and Mahalia Jackson.

The site itself, spilling out onto the sidewalk and into the street, will be painted with a Pop Art theme. Volunteers will work with the artists during a Community Paint Day to complete this effort. The groundbreaking for POPCourts! took place in October 2020, generating excitement and anticipation for the opening. The success of this project has not only sparked new development of vacant lots in the community but also became an inspiration for a city wide program called “POP” which will fund similar community plazas all across the city.