Cities face chronic struggles with the planning, implementation, and renovation of urban freeways.  Most planners have seen the way cities replace freeways amidst controversy — with improved streets, blocks, parks, buildings, and urban places.   This set of three case studies remarks on the political conflicts but focuses primarily on how urban planners have crafted their answers to such issues over 50 years in one city – Milwaukee. 

To begin an analysis of urban freeways and their impact on the city, we first have to understand how freeways have impacted urban areas by becoming embedded barriers which, in turn, have negative consequences. Some embedded urban barriers fit the essential form of the city like rivers, lakes, and major topographic changes.  …  When these barriers are removed new growth occurs — like the Park East area in Milwaukee.

…. reconnection plans for this area began by understanding the historic circumstances and acknowledging, from the outset, that there is no simple method for reconnection.  Foremost in the planning process was an evaluation of the pattern of urban from …

As a Boomer, I was born into the wonder of freeways.  As an architect, I still view freeways as the awesome Roman aqueducts of our time.  But as a Milwaukee resident since 1972, I have outgrown my Boomer freeway crush. it’s time for my generation to respond to changing values for the next generations and plan our city for their future. This matters more than ever, as we design the future of I-794. …