Daniel Burnham, architect and city planner, said about his master plans for Chicago and also the World's Columbian exhibition: Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die Burnham could just have as easily been talking about his plans for Washington DC and the National Mall, known as the McMillan Plan. Burnham was also the architect for one of my favorite buildings in DC, right off the National Mall pictured here: Union Station.On June 9th at 8:30pm, the film Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City will be shown on the National Mall at 4th street NW. Joan Allen, the film's narrator, will be attending. You may be familiar with the screen on the green series, which I love; just call this a precursor to the upcoming season! The McMillan plan was designed by Burnham (along with a host of others including Frederick Law Olmsted, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Charles F McKim) in 1901 , expanding upon L’Enfant’s original 1791 plans for the National Mall by designing the Lincoln Memorial, the adjacent reflecting pool and the Jefferson Memorial, seen on this plan below. These ingenius plans turned DC into the beautiful city we enjoy today. The City Beautiful movement from that time period touched nearly every major US city, thanks the Columbian Exhibition, and remain today among the most visited sections of any city. I hope you can visit the National Mall on June 9th to watch the film!
