Toll Roads for Wisconsin!

via Urban Milwaukee

Traditionally, in Wisconsin toll roads are opposed by the right, because freeways are free, from the left because tolls are an attack on the middle class, and often by new urbanists, because freeways promote sprawl.  This urbanist feels it is time for us to stop referring to our Interstates as “freeways” as they have never been, and never will be free, and begin collecting tolls on them.  Now the new funds shouldn’t be used to build bigger and bigger roads, but to allow for users of the Interstate system to pay more of the direct and indirect costs associated with highways.  It is often claimed that the Interstates are 100% paid for by user fees and that these fees cover all of the costs, but this isn’t true.  In 2007, Subsidyscope estimated that only 51% of the funds set aside for highway construction and maintenance came from user fees.

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photo by HelveticaFanatic

more about Wisconsin:

The relationship of historic city form and contemporary greenway implementation: a comparison of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) and Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

We need a mobility plan, not a transportation plan

Target in Downtown Milwaukee

By Jeramey Jannene

With the announcement that Target is opening a CityTarget store on State Street in Chicago’s The Loop Neighborhood, the idea of a downtown Milwaukee Target has been generating a considerable amount of buzz in the past few weeks. Unfortunately for those wishing to shop at a downtown Target, none of that buzz has come from Target. Assuming Target was interested though, what location and store format would best match the desires of Target-loving shoppers with the needs of the city to continue to develop a healthy urban core in and around downtown? Let’s explore.

First, it’s important to examine what Target typically does in the Milwaukee area, as this should present a good indication of what they would likely do downtown if there were no restrictions.  The three Target’s nearest to downtown are on Miller Park Way, South 27th Street, and Chase Avenue. None are urban in form, in their locations they’re the standard suburban big box retail. The parking lots are the same size of the stores themselves, clearly not something fit for downtown.

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Downtown Milwaukee, by compujeramey

Downtown Milwaukee, photo by reillyandrew

more about urban planning and transportation in Milwaukee:

The relationship of historic city form and contemporary greenway implementation: a comparison of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) and Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

What is a neighborhood? Anthony Dows' answer

Rail stops that make sense

The relationship of historic city form and contemporary greenway implementation: a comparison of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA) and Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

by Donna L. Erickson

Many cities in North America are attempting to implement connected greenway networks. Some are building on sparse existing open space resources. Other metropolitan areas, like Milwaukee, Wisconsin (US) and Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) have an impressive historic open space framework on which to build. However, neither city is well known for progressive, contemporary greenway planning efforts. This research asks two main questions. First, how have early city planning efforts affected the pattern of connected greenway systems currently in place in these cities? To address this question, the history of open space planning and the physical change in greenway development is assessed over time. Second, what institutional structures are currently used to implement connected greenways, and how do they relate to the historic fabric? Organizational structures, inter-governmental cooperation, leadership and advocacy, and greenway objectives are compared in order to assess the degree to which a regional vision is being pursued. This project is based on comparative case study research. Qualitative techniques are used to develop in-depth cases. Findings show that Milwaukee and Ottawa have remarkable historic corridors to build from, especially in parkways planned along urban rivers in the early 20th century. This analysis shows, however, that contemporary collaboration around regional greenways planning is piecemeal, that greenway objectives have changed over time in important ways, and that coordinated greenway visions are lacking. Finally, both Milwaukee and Ottawa seem poised for integrated greenways programs, accelerated by innovative experimental projects, increasing environmental awareness, and growing institutional capacity. This research has relevance to the growing literature in greenway planning and implementation.

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Milwaukee, photo by compujeramey

Milwaukee, photo by compujeramey

more about Milwaukee and Wisconsin:

What is a neighborhood? Anthony Dows' answer

Rail stops that make sense

We need a mobility plan, not a transportation plan

What is a neighborhood? Anthony Dows' answer

"Neighborhood" is a fundamental notion in the contemporary urban studies and design. But it is usually hard to give a definition of it. It is one of those terms that almost every one knows what it is, but there is no common definition for it that includes broad acceptance. Anthony Dows gives a view of what the definition of a neighborhood can be (in Neighborhoods and Urban Development, 1981):

The National Commission on Neighborhoods gives a definition that is similarly used in some countries: "Neighborhood is what the inhabitants think it is". Dows introduces three concepts in neighborhood studies: "immediate neighborhood", "institution-oriented neighborhood", and "regional neighborhood". He gives a simple definition for the immediate neighborhood: "small cluster of houses right around one's own house".

As he writes: "The homogeneous neighborhood is the area up to where the market value of housing changes or where the market value of housing noticeably changes or where the mix of housing types or values changes". Dows notes that where the residents share common relationships with a local institution is an institution-oriented neighborhood. This local institute can be and elementary school, a church, a police precinct, or a political ward. 

An example of regional neighborhood is South Side in Milwaukee. That is a part of city, suburb, or township.  

Related posts: 
GENTRIFICATION: CULTURE AND CAPITAL IN THE URBAN CORE

Our suburbs can be transformed into true communities

South Side, Milwaukee: an example of regional neighborhood

Rail stops that make sense

By Matthew Trussoni

Aug. 28, 2010

The locations of the high-speed rail stops between Milwaukee and Madison have come under scrutiny as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has canceled the planned stop in Oconomowoc due to what it says is local and mayoral opposition. This is a positive development since the inclusion of the three stops in Brookfield, Oconomowoc and Watertown will not create significant ridership because people need to use their cars to get to the stations in the first place.

It is common knowledge that to support local mass transit, population densities need to be at least around 14 units per acre. For intercity travel, the critical mass of total population needs to be around 50,000 people.

These three locations have neither. At one point, they did have rail stops, but that was before the widespread use of the automobile and their subsequent development pattern has been that of automobile suburbs.

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