Lakeside will serve as a model for future development within the City of Chicago and will be part of the LEED^® for Neighborhood Development Pilot Program. The plan entails transforming the abandoned South Works steel mill, a 600-acre brownfield site, into an environmentally conscious, mixed-use district.

The project emerged from a vision put forth by planners, developers, and community leaders in 1998. SOM’s scheme, which incorporates LEED^® standards, proposes a mix of new housing, economic activities, and parks. The neighborhood will be served by the city’s comprehensive rail and bus system. The plan also calls for extending a pedestrian and bike path from downtown to the Lakeside development.