Chicago offers a magnificent backdrop in the heartland of America for athletes to compete and spectators to cheer them on. We are a city that prides itself on achieving harmony among our lakefront, our 29 miles of shoreline parks and the city itself. In 1909 Daniel Burnham’s “The Plan of Chicago” introduced a comprehensive design for the city, and it still serves as a guide for planning today. By placing the Olympic Games in the very heart of our city, we will give our global guests the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the downtown parks and lakefront and offer athletes from around the world a compelling and unique experience.
A city is only as vibrant and strong as its citizens. Chicagoans embody Midwest values — integrity, hard work and optimism. Our community is a melting pot of ethnicities represented in our neighborhoods by 26 nationalities of more than 25,000 each. And we are passionate about sports, as evidenced by the 8 million tickets sold to sporting events in Chicago every year. We embrace athletes, support them in triumph and despair and are inspired by their efforts. The Olympic and Paralympic Games would likewise inspire us.
Mayor Richard M. Daley has pledged to make the city the greenest in the country. To that end, he has overseen the planting of a half million trees, bisected major boulevards with median strips spilling over with prairie grasses and colorful blooms and pledged to have the city using renewable sources for 20 percent of its energy needs within five years. Indeed, there’s hardly a neighborhood in which you don’t see some sign of continuing beautification.
Chicagoans are proud of our past, invigorated by our present and excited about our future. We are energized by the prospect of playing host to the Olympic Games, an event that would showcase and promote global partnership and harmony. We will not only stage an inspiring sporting event but also embrace and strengthen the Olympic Movement. Together we will Stir the Soul™.