Floating Symposium Explores Geopoetics of Urban Rivers

Friends had the pleasure of joining a one-of-a-kind “floating” symposium devoted to the Geopoetics of Urban Rivers on Friday, October 18, part of a yearlong initiative unfolding between the University of Chicago and the International Institute of Research in Paris. The tour convened 40 scholars, students, and community members, including artists, writers, activists, and designers, to engage in cross-disciplinary creative practice about the challenges facing urban watersheds. The crew toured parts of all three branches of the Chicago River, getting immersed in the history, ecology and human experiences of the river through discussions and creative prompts.

The symposium kicked off on the University of Chicago campus on October 17, with a public keynote panel entitled “Rivers and Power: A conversation on the imaginaries, materiality and culture of urban waters," featuring Dilip da Cunha from Columbia University and Rachel Havrelock from the Freshwater Lab at the University of Illinois Chicago. Becky Lyons, Friends’ director of equity and engagement, gave welcome remarks at the panel, grounding the symposium in a brief history and revitalization of the Chicago-Calumet River system.

“With the symposium anchored by many local partners, it showcased the amazing work and collaborations happening around our river system – something hard to imagine just even 15 or 20 years ago,” said Lyons. “And meeting people from France, Louisiana, and New York on the river tour, I was reminded of the many ways that water connects us and nourishes us. While each place has unique stories and situations, we also have so much in common and so much that we can learn from one another as we push towards healthy, climate resilient rivers for all.”