This Map Raises Big Questions About I-794

Source: Urbex Solutions

A recent post on reddit sparked discussion about the economic tradeoffs of urban highways and theories about why or why-not development happens adjacent to freeways.

The map above, created by Urbex Solutions, was shared in addition to the post and raises interesting questions for Milwaukee: How much economic potential is tied up in the land occupied by urban highways? What is the opportunity cost of a centrally located urban freeway?

Looking more closely, one would see that the map visualizes how the land in Milwaukee is used and how much property tax revenue is generated by those land-uses. The taller spikes represent the highest returns to the city.

As WisDOT continues to assess the impact of each of the alternatives and the community weighs in, it's worth considering what opportunities emerge when certain amounts of the land are returned to the city. Land freed up by the removal of I-794 downtown represents a significant opportunity for our region. New housing, businesses, and public spaces could generate tens of millions of dollars in annual property tax revenue while expanding Milwaukee's tax base and helping reduce the burden on property owners across the city. Also, since the land is publicly owned, Milwaukee residents have a unique opportunity to work with the city and help shape its future. Through downtown planning efforts, public engagement, and future development proposals, the City of Milwaukee can work with residents, businesses, and community organizations to determine how the corridor should evolve.

Typically, the city establishes a vision through area plans and public input processes. That is where residents will have the greatest opportunity to shape the outcome. Information related to the existing Downtown Area Plan is available on the City of Milwaukee's website. Once the plan is reviewed and adopted by the common council, the development opportunities are offered through Requests for Proposals (RFPs), which allows developers to submit projects that align with the community goals and city priorities. This gives Milwaukee the ability to guide development in a way that reflects community priorities.

When we discuss the I-794 freeway removal option, the debate is usually framed around traffic.

Read our reflections on traffic: Traffic is only part of the story. What is WisDOT missing? and Challenging Traffic Projections

As we've said before, movement of vehicles is only one piece of the conversation. The Reddit discussion highlighted broader questions about how cities use valuable land and what possibilities are created or hindered by those choices.

Our questions also have implications beyond downtown development. They open up the conversation about how Milwaukee connects its neighborhoods together and to the rest of the region. With ongoing discussion about expanding passenger rail service (MARK Rail Study; proposed extension of Hiawatha Rail line to Madison), the future of I-794 presents an opportunity to think about how transportation, land-use, housing, and economic development can work together.

Check out more of the conversation here: When talking about 794, we tend to focus only on cars. Let's focus on other aspects in this thread : r/milwaukee