08/05/2026
Most birds can't see glass. That's a huge problem, and it's one my industry is uniquely positioned to solve.
Mark Toth had the privilege of joining an aldermanic tour of Flyway City, the new exhibition at the Chicago Architecture Center designed and co-curated by Studio Gang. Hosting the event with Jeanne Gang, Eleanor Esser Gorski of the Chicago Architecture Center, Daniella Pereira of Openlands, and Bryan Lenz of the American Bird Conservancy, alongside members of Chicago City Council, was a concerted attempt to change our infrastructure by getting designers, conservationists, manufacturers, and policymakers in the same room.
More than a billion birds die each year in the U.S. from collisions with building glass. Chicago sits directly on the Mississippi Flyway, which makes us a major destination for birders and means our skyline is a significant hazard for avian populations.
What the exhibition makes clear is that there is promise in policy. New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. have all adopted bird-friendly design ordinances. We are working to make Chicago next.
