UWM’s Community Design Solutions is part of an effort that will result in 20 new “pocket parks,” created from 28 vacant lots on the northwest side of Milwaukee.
The project, which won the SXSW (South by Southwest) Eco Place by Design_Urban Strategy category award in October, is part of the City of Milwaukee’s HOMEGR/OWN Partners for Places Initiative.
UWM students and staff in Community Design Solutions, part of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, conducted workshops with neighbors and community organizations and developed plans for the parks.
The Community Design Solutions team, led by director Carolyn Esswein, then worked with the city’s project manager, Tim McCollow, to make sure the designs met budget and site requirements and reflected residents’ preferences. Nonprofit landscape firms worked with local residents to build the parks, all scheduled to be completed by Nov. 15.
