Factoid 2

Walking produces no toxic emissions.  And it is good for your health!

Factoid 1

The worse your car's fuel economy is, the more it pollutes!  No exceptions.

Sierra Club, Green Building Council Launch Cool Cities Project

MILWAUKEE- Wisconsin Green Building Alliance and Sierra Club’s Cool Cities
program on Monday announced the launch of the Green Building for Cool Cities collaboration.

The partnership will leverage Cool Cities’ more than 200 local campaigns and USGBC’s national network of 78 chapters to encourage new and energy-efficient buildings.

For the rest of the article click here

VIEW THE GREEN BUILDING FOR COOL CITIES POLICY GUIDE

-From the Daily Reporter 25nov09

Alderman Zielinski Getting Tough Again

Alderman: Go Green or Go Away

"Citywide Development LLC is the first private developer in Bay View to test a local alderman’s demand for green construction.
Tony Zielinski, the alderman representing Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, refuses to support project plans unless they require at least half of a new building’s energy come from renewable or on-site sources. He is asking Citywide, which is planning a four-story apartment building, to meet the benchmark."


Link to the Daily Reporter story:
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/11/05/developer-proposes-green-apartments/

Thanks Alderman Zielinski for holding developers to what they claim they want to do, and/or convincing them to set good examples in the community.

More on Coal

Sierra Club Looks to Snuff Out Coal

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday published an order requiring the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources revise an air-quality permit for Alliant Energy’s Columbia Generating Station in Pardeeville. The order is in response to a challenge the Sierra Club filed last year."

Link to the Daily Reporter Story:
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/11/05/sierra-club-looks-to-snuff-out-coal/

Thank You Sierra Club

Clean Coal

Al Gore and I agree!  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our Choice - New book from Al Gore

East Side Comprehensive Plan

Northeast Side Plan Adopted

A new land use plan for Milwaukee’s northeast side was adopted in September by the Common Council.  The 300-page plan includes detailed recommendations for seven sub-areas: Riverworks, Riverwest, Harambee, Milwaukee River, Upper East Side, Lower East Side, and the Lakefront. The planning effort was organized by the Department of City Development and directed by a contract management team and plan advisory group composed of property owners, citizens, business owners, and organizations from throughout the northeast side. The full plan is available at:

 http://www.mkedcd.org/planning/plans/Northeast/pdfs/plan/NESplan.pdf

Planning work continues to update the 1999 downtown land use plan and create new land use plans for the west side, southwest side, and near north side

neighborhoods.

- From City of Milwaukee Press Release, DCD Commisioner Rocky Marcoux

Special Note from Darrin Engel: 

I have an original copy of the General Neighborhood Renewal Plan, East Side Renewal Plan (Revised - January 1961) which is the 1960's version of the plan mentioned above.  Beleive me, there are no obvious similarities!  It is absolutely disgusting the change that the 1961 plan proposed.  Realize that the title has the word "Renewal" in it - that is enough to make my heart palpitate, fall, gasp and make me black out!

The plan called for the demolition of most of the homes on the Lower East Side.  They were to be replaced mostly by interstates, green spaces and Cul-de-sac subdivisions.  The industrial district along North Avenue was to be expanded with interstate access (there's an industrial district there is the question most of you Milwaukeeans are asking).  The two previous homes that I owned and lived in (magnificent 2.5 story 2600 s.f. Queene Ann Victorians) would have been demolished to make an arbitrary but huge multi-block "greenspace" buffer zone between an exclusively zoned professional office district and a low density cul-de-sac subdivision.

There are many of these arbitrary greenspaces and public land scattered about the map.  Also lots of "expressway right of way" land use designation.  Basically the whole goal was to eliminate "urban blight", a.k.a. old buildings especially those with "undesireable" mixed uses, it was to create segregated zoning uses and move the traffic much faster.  There seems to be no concern for micro-neighborhoods, retail districts, historic landmarks (remember in 1961 there was no such designation) and other urban qualities.  Interestingly no public transit shows on the maps, yet miles of interstates, parkways, parking lots and other street work is shown.

There is one page titled "Urban Renewal Plan".  This is the page with the district map that shows the "Area to be Cleared and Redeveloped" and the "Area for Rehabilitation or Conservation".  The area to be cleared on the map is the majority of the resedential neighborhoods which is about 66% of the area map.  The area for rehab. and conserv. is generally existing professional office, existing industrial, existing high denity/high rise residential and existing park and public space - the remaining 33%.  This 33% must have also posessed all the political clout in developing th plan.

In Hindsight - Milwaukee was a very conservative city and had an aversion to taking federal funding (urban renewal and interstates were federally funded).  So only about 10% of the plan was carried out.  The interstate freeway was never built through the neighborhood - but the buildings were cleared and hundreds of residents displaced.  Currently The East Side has the highest land value per s.f. in the Milwaukee Metro area (outside of downtown).  This includes property with Victorian houses and retail buildings still on it.  It still has mostly mixed uses which contribute greatly to its character and desirability. The neighborhoods subject to the 1961 report are now the most desirable residential neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee.  At the time of the report they were far from the worst neighborhoods in the city.  I am confident that if the majority of this plan was carried out this area would not be desirable It would have had a profound negative affect to the image of the city and the future of its tax base.  I have confidence that the new Comprehensive Plan will be more feasible.  I will comment on it in the future as I read it and get familiar with it

Now I hope you can understand why I cringe in disgust when some one says "we need more green space there" or wants to declare something as "blight".  A few years ago I sold one of my formerly "blighted" houses for twice the metro area's median home price - and less than ten days on the market!

For you non-Milwaukeeans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Side,_Milwaukee and http://www.theeastside.org/

Milwaukee's Olmstead Designed Boulevard Recognized

Newberry Boulevard Named “Great Street” *

The American Planning Association has named Milwaukee’s East Newberry Boulevard as one of America’s “10 Great Streets.” The designation, made through APA’s Great Places in America program, singled out Newberry as an iconic example of the boulevard planning concepts espoused by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead Sr., who designed Lake and Riverside parks in Milwaukee (and Central Park in New York City). The designation also noted the outstanding concentration of architecturally distinguished homes, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that line E. Newberry Boulevard. The 12-block street showcases 101 fine residences and represents a veritable catalogue of residential styles, according to APA. Newberry was Milwaukee’s second boulevard, designated as such in 1897. Highland Boulevard was the first, designated two years earlier.

To learn more about APA’s Great Places program, click here:

http://www.planning.org/greatplaces/

- From City of Milwaukee Press Release, DCD Commisioner Rocky Marcoux

* I can agree with this designation as for several years I lived one block from this magnificent Boulevard that connects two Olmstead designed parks - one park on each end, Lake Park and Riversde. Originally designed to beautiful for promenading (walking) along and carraige riding. It is still magnificent street that can be enjoyed by walking and biking.

Streetcars Returning to Milwaukee!

Streetcar Lines Unveiled

Three possible routes for a downtown “starter” streetcar have been unveiled by Mayor Tom Barrett. The public is urged to provide comments on the proposed routes, which are designed to circulate the maximum number of riders throughout downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. More information about the routes and instructions for submitting comments are available at:

http://www.milwaukeeconnector.com/public_meeting_streetcar.html

The streetcar would be largely funded by a $54.9 million federal grant.

 

-  From City of Milwaukee Press Release, DCD Commisioner Rocky Marcoux

Lorelei 3 Halloween

Lorelei's First Halloween!  She is a little dragon that is just starting to walk.  (Click to enlarge picture)

Lorelei 2

Can't help myself again!  Here is Lorelei at 8 months 3 weeks.  Her mommy did a great job taking the pictures.