Location
600 E Greenfield Ave #124, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Client
City of Milwaukee, Harbor District, Inc.
Team
Baird, Quorum Architects, Stormwater Solutions Engineering, LLC
The Harbor District in Milwaukee presents an opportunity for a new type of working waterfront that helps to reestablish natural ecosystems, invites the public to enjoy the river, and maintains the ability to utilize the waterways for commerce in the 21st century.
site led a diverse consultant team in the development of Design Standards for the Harbor District Riverwalk along the Kinnickinnic River. The Design Standards support the original 1992 RiverLink Guidelines, specifically related to three key topics:
- Recreation
- Resource
- Transportation.
Community engagement sessions were held throughout the development of these Design Standards with property owners within the Site Plan Review Overlay Zone (SPROZ), targeted Harbor District stakeholder groups, as well as the public at large. Stakeholder input was structured to understand how a public Riverwalk might affect current business and industrial uses, while public sessions looked to understand broader physical and social connections to the community. The planning team held a special engagement session that focused on water quality and riverfront habitat creation efforts.
The Design Standards guide the form, function, and future development of the Harbor District Riverwalk through established standards for paving, planting, furnishing, circulation, access, and more. Key features of the plan include typical Riverwalk Design Standards for conventional and challenging segments, public access nodes, and connection point areas. site also mapped existing and proposed “edge conditions” along the Riverwalk and developed several “trail types”, represented as typical cross-sections.
