Daniel Burnham

born: 1846 died: 1912

Daniel Burnham was the co-author of the Chicago Plan, which laid out plans for the future of Chicago in 1909. The plan included ambitious proposals for the lakefront and river and declared that every citizen should be within walking distance of a park.

Burnham had also served as the chief architect for the World Columbian Exposition, basing the "White City" on gargantuan Greco-Roman architecture. Prior to 1892, he worked for the architectural firm of Burnham & Root.

Burnham may not have ever said the most famous quote associated with him, "Make no little plans. They have no magic to strike man's blood and probably will themselves not be realized." The quote, however, captures Burnham's architectural essence.