Interim Plaza Program Transforms Milwaukee Streets

The City of Milwaukee Common Council voted unanimously on March 21 in support of the establishment of the Interim Plaza Program, an initiative that would allow underutilized city streets and areas to be transformed into public gathering spaces.

Led by Common Council Alderman Robert Bauman and supported by Mayor Cavalier Johnson, the program began accepting applications the day of the council vote, allowing local organizations and property owners to volunteer their own spaces as potential plazas.

“We want to increase public space for people to hang out and socialize, particularly in parts of the city that lack these kinds of high quality spaces,” said Kate Riordan, senior transportation planner for the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.

The program, according to the Department of Public Works website, was created in an effort to improve the quality of life for Milwaukee citizens and increase traffic safety by eliminating roadways that are underutilized or unsafe for pedestrians.

Interim plazas can be created by repurposing an entire street block, a smaller portion of a street, an underutilized traffic lane or an unnecessary slip lane, according to the DPW website.

One slip lane on the south side has already undergone reconstruction. At South 16th Street and West Forest Home Avenue, a right turn slip lane has been blocked off, painted and reutilized.

The start of these refurbishments has garnered support from corporations and individuals around Milwaukee. Marybeth McGinnis of the Wisconsin Bike Federation spoke at the Common Council meeting March 8 in support of the program.

“They have basically added additional space by opening a slip lane to people instead of just cars,” said McGinnis. “That has been very successful. They’ve had everything from voter engagement events to pedestrian safety events, parties for kids, things like that.”

District 3 Alderman Jonathan Brostoff also expressed support at the March 8 council meeting.

“This is, I think, quietly a huge step forward for Milwaukee and is going to have significant and incredible implications for the community as a whole,” said Brostoff. “I want to thank all the community members and groups who have worked on this, but I also want to give a huge shoutout to our mayor.”

The Interim Plaza Program is just one initiative resulting from Johnson’s focus on city infrastructure. Before his election in 2022, he served as Common Council president where he launched the S.T.A.N.D for Safer Streets Plan to combat reckless driving, piloted Active Streets for Business to utilize street portions as outdoor dining areas post-pandemic and directed the Gathering Places Feasibility Study, which highlighted opportunities for the city to create gathering spaces like the interim plazas.

The feasibility study was conducted in an effort to activate existing and underutilized spaces in the city, invest in neighborhoods lacking gathering spaces and increase safety, health, economic opportunity and racial equity in Milwaukee, according to the report.

“One of the recommendations that came out of that study,” said Riordan, “was to develop this type of program; to create public gathering spaces out of excess street space.”

One of the locations mentioned in the study was at North Farwell Avenue and East Ivanhoe Place, outside of Crossroads Collective Food Hall. The report presented a conceptual rendering of the street portion as a gathering space, calling it an “ideal location” for a plaza.

“It is an area of high pedestrian activity surrounded by many retail businesses,” read the Gathering Places Feasibility Study. “It is also on the Pedestrian High Injury Network so closing a portion of the street would reduce pedestrian conflicts with turning vehicles.”

To qualify for the program, applicants must first submit their location for approval by the DPW. If approved, they go through a permit process, outlining a site plan with dimensions, barricades, ADA access, seating and further decorative plans, according to Riordan.

Applicants may also fill out a grant application through the DPW. The department is currently offering three grants of $30,000, according to their website. The grants will go towards installation costs for the three chosen locations. Grant applications are due May 12 and awardees will be notified May 24, in time for summer installation.

“I think this is just another way for us to really think about our streets differently,” said Riordan, “and start changing our mindsets around what our streets are for and how they can be used.”

Interim plazas are temporary and applicants must reapply for the program annually, with permits running form April 1 to March 31. They may, however, serve as trials to more permanent changes to Milwaukee streets.