(18-min. podcast episode.) Several American jurisdictions and regions have done rails to trails projects. In many ways, Milwaukee’s Beerline Trail is like most of the projects. Train service through Milwaukee’s Northeast industrial corridor left, so Milwaukee has turned its tracks into an attractive trail for walking and biking, and the residents and city are still working on it.
Above and below: scenes on and near the Beerline Trail.
What makes the Beerline Trail different is the work it does to bring the two neighborhoods it borders together. One neighborhood, Harambee, is traditionally Black, and the other, Riverwest, is traditionally white. These two communities are working together to turn the tracks that long divided them into something different—into a shared public space with a stage, a smoothie shop, and other amenities.
Above: map showing the Beerline Trail in blue.
In this podcast episode, I interview Ruth Weill and Robert Kolb with Riverworks Development Corp. and Sara Daleiden with MKE <-> LAX. My thanks to them for their time, their expertise, and their love for public spaces.
Our thanks also to Pecan Pie for the licensed use of “Sunset Splendor” from Uppbeat. License code: 7EGXNKOVRQA3CNTK.
Above: Robert Kolb and Ruth Weill.
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