Frank Gehry's BP Pedestrian Bridge connecting Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in Chicago

© Devon Neff/Shutterstoc

A path to access

Here's an example of cutting-edge form meeting practical function. This snakelike bridge, the brainchild of famed architect Frank Gehry, provides a meandering and safe path over a busy thoroughfare that separates Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park in downtown Chicago. With a gentle 5% slope, the 935-foot bridge is accessible for people who use wheelchairs or have trouble navigating stairs, and that's the main reason why we're featuring it on our homepage today. Thirty years ago to the day, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. This sweeping civil rights bill prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities at work, in school, and in public spaces. The resulting law meant that much of the country's physical infrastructure, like this elegantly curving bridge, was required to accommodate people with disabilities.