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The Chicago River has been under a great deal of scrutiny of late. In 2013, there was federal action regarding the water quality of the river system, the city held global competitions to design river boathouses, and many of us read about the risk of Asian carp moving through our rivers and into the Great Lakes. … For the past five years, Skidmore Owings & Merrill has worked pro bono to promote a comprehensive 100-year design vision for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. Our “call to vision” resonates with diverse groups of stakeholders precisely because of the absence of other large-scale, long-term holistic thinking.