“It is observed that in any great endeavor, it is not enough for a person to depend on himself” – Lakota proverb.

The Lakota Sioux Native-Americans of the Great Plains lived their lives according to the ideals of community, cooperation, generosity and strength.  For the Lakota, strong communities are not possible without cooperation, trust and teamwork between individuals.  That’s why the word “Lakota” translates in Sioux as “we are allies” in building an alliance of people for the common good.

It is the Lakota ideals that guide our work at The Lakota Group, a multidisciplinary planning and design firm established in 1993 and based in Chicago, Illinois.  In our work, Lakota professionals share a strong respect for the land and built environment with a desire to bring people together as “allies” for positive change in their communities.  Our firm is widely recognized for its large and small scale planning and urban design projects, landscape architecture projects, expertise in community relations and participation processes, and historic preservation planning experience.

We welcome you to our new blog!  While our website provides an overview of Lakota’s portfolio, client list and personnel experience, it is our desire with this new blog to offer a more in-depth discussion of our ongoing projects and to share our thoughts and wisdom on planning, urban design, historic preservation and community engagement.  We welcome your feedback and hope to meet you in our Lakota journeys soon.

The Lakota Group