Chicago and Warsaw Build Connections Through Rivers

In Ocotober, Friends of the Chicago River welcomed a delegation from Chicago’s sister city of Warsaw led by Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, for a memorable cultural exchange, river exploration, and conversations about the important role rivers play in healthy, resilient cities.

The visit highlighted the many connections between the Chicago-Calumet River system and the Vistula River, which flows through Warsaw. Both waterways are central to cultural identities and ecological health, and both face growing challenges from the climate crisis. While Chicago and the surrounding region contend with periods of heavy rainfall and flooding, Warsaw faces its own challenges from drought and increasingly low water levels. Sharing experiences and strategies across borders offers valuable opportunities to learn from one another and strengthen river protection efforts.

The exchange was another in a series of international invitations Friends has received as a result of our leadership and contributions to the river’s transformation. In April, Friends’ executive director, Margaret Frisbie, was a speaker at Bloomberg CityLab in Madrid and in September, John Quail, Friends’ director of policy and advocacy, traveled to Warsaw to discuss the transformation of the river system at the United by Rivers Conference. Discussions are underway for an International River Symposium in Toronto next year and Chicago two years after that.

The Warsaw delegation’s visit concluded with a tour of the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, a river tour with Wendella Tours & Cruises, and a walk through Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown. International exchanges like this one strengthen Friends’ work by bringing new perspectives to river system challenges and building relationships with people who share a worldwide commitment to healthy rivers.