New plans have emerged from the world's largest design firm to rethink the Magnificent Mile.

Why it matters: Long an epicenter of shopping and tourism, the famed North Michigan Avenue has struggled with regaining foot traffic after the pandemic, as well as experiencing record-setting vacancies and crime.

Context: Design firm Gensler spent years identifying potential creative shared spaces, including new interactive public art and a bridge that would connect North Michigan Avenue to Oak Street Beach.

• The firm's study proposes outdoor dining, performance stages and public seating along the avenue.
• It also calls for cutting two lanes of vehicle traffic.

The vibe: A place for tourists to hang out.

What they're saying: "This study demonstrates that design truly has the power to transform experience in our cities," Gensler design principal Benjy Ward said in a statement.

Zoom out: The study compared the Mag Mile to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Regent Street in London.

Flashback: North Michigan Avenue hasn't seen many new developments or upgrades since the 1990s, but it was heading toward a facelift before COVID shuttered plans.

• Just recently, new legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker paves the way for business leaders along the Mag Mile to create a Business Improvement District, which could be used to collect taxes to fund area improvements.

The intrigue: The study was led by Gensler, which worked with two Chicago real estate stalwarts, Bob Wislow and Camille Julmy.

• Both helped build Millennium Park, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Reality check: This is just a conversation starter.

• Even though Gensler says the study has been shown to city leaders, this is not an official project. The Chicago Architecture Center will display these renderings in an exhibit this summer.

What's next: It's unclear whether the city is prioritizing redeveloping North Michigan Avenue.

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Living in a city of great beaches, we know the lure of Lake Michigan, but there's actually scientific research to back up our attraction to water.

Why it matters: Being on, in or near water has a stress-relieving and creativity-boosting impact on the brain, research finds.

Between the lines: The late marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols wrote in his bestseller "Blue Mind" that being near water offers a "mildly meditative state … that takes advantage of the neurological connections formed over millennia."

Case in point: Less than two minutes of looking at water outdoors "is enough to activate the parasympathetic nervous system" and lower your blood pressure and heart rate, organizational psychologist Adam Grant writes, based on recent research.

• One possible explanation: "Since being attuned to visual cues for water helped our ancestors avoid dehydration, the mere sight of water can be a relief."

What they found: In a survey of people recuperating from heart surgery, those who viewed an open-water scene had lower anxiety levels and needed less pain medication than those who looked at an abstract design, a blank white panel or even a forest scene.

• In another study suggesting that natural environments reduce stress, researchers found that viewing an aquarium before oral surgery was more effective than hypnosis at inducing relaxation.

☎️ Mayor Brandon Johnson joined a call last night with President Biden and other Democratic mayors. Afterwards, Johnson posted support for Biden on social media. (X)

🛒 Kroger and Alberston's announced yesterday they plan to sell seven Mariano's and one Jewel-Osco in Chicago in order to get a megamerger past federal regulators. (Tribune)

⚖️ Prosecutors and defense attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan say they'd like to keep the October trial set despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that some thought could affect the case. (Sun-Times)

🚨 Chicago's Inspector General's Office wants the Chicago Police Department to reopen its case looking into cops who are allegedly part of the "Oath Keepers." (WBEZ)

👋 Monica here!

In recent days I've seen a jillion commercials for Pizza Hut's new Chicago Tavern Style pizza, catapulting our local pie into the national spotlight. Yay!

Not so fast: This is only a good thing if the chain actually does a decent job representing the deliciousness of our local delicacy.

• As an unofficial quality control monitor for food under our city's name, I recently tried the new offering and compared it against a pie from Pat's Pizza.

The cheese: Pat's tasted richer and less dry.

The sauce: Pizza Hut skimped, while Pat's smeared on just enough.

The sausage: Pat's oozed with more juicy fat.

The crust: Cracker thin on both, but Pat's crackled with baked bread goodness, while Pizza Hut's recalled cardboard in texture and taste.

Cost: Pizza Hut 14" sausage, $10.

• Pat's 12" sausage, $16.75.

The verdict: Pizza Hut cranks out a decent tavern pie for a decent price, but the crust falls short.

• Pat's may cost more, but the work put into fermenting and drying that crust makes it worth the extra dough.

Plus: Pizza Hut gets a demerit for failing to offer giardiniera as a topping or even a side.

Congrats to 80% of you who guessed that Carrie was standing outside 880 N. Lake Shore Drive.

Backstory: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used the post-WWII abundance of steel to design the twin apartment buildings at 860 and 880 N. Lake Shore Drive.

• The towers are set at a right angle to provide the best views of Lake Michigan.
• They were the first Mies van der Rohe buildings to receive Chicago landmark status.

The intrigue: A large percentage of you guessed 2400 N. Lakeview — also a Mies van der Rohe apartment building.

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