Community Design Solutions (CDS) facilitated a process of information gathering that culminated in a visioning charette for the Five Points Exchange located in the Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District in the City of Milwaukee. This process involved considering the various strategic action plans that investigate the exchange, creating infographics, researching site history, developing analytical maps, examining business diversity and needs, and conducting focus groups to gather input from various stakeholders including lenders, developers, residents, City officials, agency leaders, and business owners. The information was disseminated to six teams of architects and each one was assigned to one of the opportunity sites.
The day long charette was held at UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning in late September 2017. Through the day, teams generated ideas for the sites and then shared them with the larger stakeholder group to receive feedback. Following the initial input, the architectural teams refined their designs to reflect stakeholder input and provided illustrations for how the Five Points Exchange could be transformed from a busy intersection with a lot of vacant sites into a vibrant and bustling intersection of neighborhoods.
The intent of the charette process is to explore and evaluate development ideas and possibilities. It is not intended to imply that the ideas are guaranteed by developers or the municipalities.