vacant lots pattern book

David Lange • Jarred Lassiter • Bre McDonald • Nancy Maring • Jenna Ormson • Lane Masoud

PrePared for the City of Milwaukee dePartMent of City develoPMent • May 14, 2013

Portfolio of PotENtiAl

An IllustrAted GuIde to VAcAnt lot reuse In the cIty of MIlwAukee

Pattern Book

2 Portfolio of Potential: Pattern Book

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Table of ContentsIntroductIon

sIte consIderAtIons sIMple solutIons lAndscApInG And fencInG sIde lot expAnsIon And AdjoInInG lot sAle neIGhborhood pAthwAy short-terM leAsInG

cApItAl InVestMent InfIll deVelopMent off-street pArkInG ActIVe pArks prIVAte pArks publIc Art

urbAn AGrIculture coMMunIty GArden hoop houses And Greenhouses urbAn fArM orchArds And VIneyArds seAsonAl MArketplAce dedIcAted enVIronMentAl strAteGIes rAIn GArden AlternAtIVe enerGy tree cAnopy bIoswAles soIl AMendMents GreenseAMs

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38404142434445

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Acknowledgments

AcknowledGMents

A special thank you to our clients: Janet Grau, Nolan Zaroff, Yves LaPierre, and Vanessa Koster from the City of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development for offering us their dedication, feedback and support throughout this project.

We would also like extend a special thank you to the following professionals and community members for their support and engagement. Vacant lots deeply affect a community and without their time and valuable input, this report would have not been possible. We hope that this pattern book can aid the community as a valuable tool.

Carolyn Esswein - University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeNancy Frank - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Ivy Hu - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Barry Spencer - St. Marcus Church & School Alderwoman Milele Coggs - 6th District Alderman Nik Kovac - 3rd District Dannell Vance - City of Milwaukee, Department DPWRaphiel Cole - City of Milwaukee, Department of DPW


Welcome to the Portfolio of Potential, a document that provides illustrative and creative reuse strategies for vacant lots in the City of Milwaukee. In 2013, as part of its long-term planning efforts, the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development has completed a number of reports and studies on vacant lot reuse. The City is exploring ways to further enhance the success of its vacant lot policies and strategies. Therefore, this document was created to aid in illustrating utilization categories for reuse strategies in the City of Milwaukee to assist in the long-term planning for vacant lot reuse. This book complements a decision-making guide for vacant lot reuse based on a variety of physical characteristics applicable to each lot such as: lot size (buildability), zoning, accessibility, and proximity to other land uses such as schools or parks.

This document is intended for use by residents, community groups, policy advocates, private developers, and the City of Milwaukee, who are interested in vacant lot reuse strategies. Vacant lots invoke passion among residents and neighborhood groups, as Milwaukeeans live next to vacant properties, walk past them, and often already have creative ideas for the reuse of a vacant lot. The Portfolio of Potential is designed to be a community stepping stone to propel the imaginations of the community and investment in vacant lot reuse in Milwaukee.

Introduction

7IntroductIon


Site ConsiderationssoIl condItIons

The condition of the soil on lots can impact how a lots are used, but most soil challenges can be overcome. Some challenges might be pollutants, debris, compacted soils, or the specific type of soil present (clayey, silty loam, etc.). One consideration when looking at development is the expenses of clearing debris or remediating contaminated soil. This does not need to put a stop on development. There are techniques to minimize soil disturbance during site re-development which should be considered. Additionally, the clearing of debris will be necessary to make these lots more marketable and reduce the instances of crime and further dumping. Urban agriculture is one use that will be highly impacted by the soil conditions at different sites. Generally, Milwaukee has very clayey soils, not optimal for cultivation, but there are some solutions for this. One such solution is amending the soil; this means to add in compost and aerate the soil. This brings in more organic content and can improve a soils growing power and drainage ability. Another solution is using raised garden beds, where soil conditions can be optimized and easily managed.

Organic material from compost can add to the soil content.

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AlternAtIVe enerGy plAnnInG Rising energy costs and concern for the environment across the country have people thinking about how to find new ways to meet their home energy needs. Alternative energy uses - such as solar, wind, water and biopower - offer a cleaner and renewable source of energy for homes, businesses, and other uses. Vacant lands offers the perfect conditions for implementing these types of reuse strategies since typically the property begins as a clean palette for building or developing. By planning ahead for alternative energy, efficiency can be maximized and costs minimized by understanding and accounting for a renewable energy system during the design and construction process. For example, a solar energy system is most efficient with minimal loads, a south-facing roof with a 30 degree pitch, and minimal shading from buildings or trees. Renewable energy strategies can be rapidly deployed, unlike coal or gas fired plants, and have the ability to diversify Milwaukee’s energy portfolio making it less susceptible to fuel price fluctuations.

sIte consIderAtIons

Solar panels, like these at Olga Village, generate power using the sun’s energy.


AccessInG wAter

Access to water is a concern, particularly for urban agriculture. Water access can impact how a lot is repurposed. Residential and commercial development will be unhindered by access to water since city has vast utility networks running throughout the city, where development can easily tap into. However, challenges arise with urban agriculture and environmental strategies in attempting to access and harvest water. In 2010, the Milwaukee Water Works and the City of Milwaukee alerted gardening groups and other hydrant water users that they would need to seek out outside sources of water as the hydrant use permits would be phased out, due to concerns about the stress on the public safety system. This creates issues for urban gardeners as most sites do not have a metered water source or structures where water can be harvested from. Installing a metered spigot is expensive and most gardens do not have the funds to have one installed. There are some solutions such as rainwater harvesting and partnering with neighbors on water sources.

Rain barrels are one of the most simple ways to catch and harvest stormwater.

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rAInwAter hArVestInG

The harvesting and retainment of rainwater could be a source of water for urban agriculture. This alternative comes with its own challenges and benefits. Collecting rainwater helps remove it from storm sewers, which lessens the strain on city sewers and treatment facilities during a rain event, as well as preventing erosion and nonpoint source pollution. However, harvesting rainwater can be challenging for multiple reasons. Rainwater can be an unreliable source of water for an entire growing season because rain events can be sporadic and infrequent, and often too much water is needed than can be stored in simple rain barrels. Rain cisterns can hold more rainwater, but often need greater investment and are more permanent than barrels. Finally, as mentioned above, many of the gardening sites do not have structures where they can harvest rainwater from. This will require policy changes in the city to allow for secondary structures, such as gazebos, lean-tos, tool sheds, and picnic pavilions, without the presence of primary structures, to be installed for harvesting.

neIGhborInG wAter sources

Accessing water from a nearby spigot is ideal, but requires neighborhood cooperation. A neighboring house or institution might be willing to strike a deal with a community garden to help supply water. That relationship would be the responsibility of each private party, and not the city.

sIte consIderAtIons

Large organizations can use cisterns to catch stormwater such as this example above at

Walnut Way.


enVIronMentAl consIderAtIons

Land conditions have a significant impact on the environmental, social, and economic fabric of a community. Effective management of environmental issues is critical to maintaining healthy cities. The city of Milwaukee like many older US Cities has areas where development density is high and this creates environmental challenges, such as air pollution, water pollution, and public health and safety risks. These challenges can be address through environmental site considerations that can help to manage the negative impacts that land development can have on the urban environment. Milwaukee in particular

storMwAter MAnAGeMent

Integration of stormwater management in the form of green infrastructure should be included on all properties. Green infrastructure helps to capture, store, and treat polluted stormwater runoff, that would otherwise enter stormsewers potentially causing a host of issues such as basement back-ups, combined sewer overflows, and degraded water quality conditions. Integrating better on-site stormwater management helps to alleviate surcharging of sewer pipes by keeping the rainwater where it falls. Additionally, it can provide critical rainwater harvesting services for urban agriculture, reducing the need of hydrant water access and promotes the re-use of stormwater as a resource. Lastly, as Milwaukee sits on rich water resources that require care and consideration. To better meet EPA Clean Water Act Standards stormwater should be better managed on site to reduce the amount of pollution that makes its way to local water sources.

In Milwaukee, the Menomonee Valley is home to a large stormwater park integrated with

walking and biking trails.

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nAtIVe plAnt selectIon

Habitat restoration/creation, polluted stormwater capture, and the removal of invasive species are essential to maintaining urban ecosystems health. Native plants are a cost effective and efficient means of improving habitat, air quality, water quality and are relatively low maintenance (after a 2 year establishment period). Native plants have deep root systems helping them to channel stormwater and be more drought tolerant. Native plants should be considered for all site landscaping because of their hardiness, low maintenance needs and numerous benefits.

locAtIonAl consIderAtIons

Special districts, tax increment finance districts (TIFs), business improvement districts (BIDs), historic districts, and the like need to be taken into consideration when choosing repurposing strategies. Each of these designations has specific goals that they are trying to reach and have zoning and ordinance guidelines that need to be met. For example, historic districts have permitted architectural styles and in some cases may restrict what a property owner can do on a parcel. Reuse strategies need to be considerate of these locational needs.

sIte consIderAtIons

Native plantings were used in area green space designs at Pabst Brewery (bottom) and

Erie Street Plaza (top).


lot MAnAGeMent

Using vacant lots for productive purposes turns each parcel into an asset to the City, but it is important to remember that these solutions require responsible management and often cooperation to undertake. These treatments require varying amounts of equipment, maintenance, and length of commitment. It is important to realize the demands of each undertaking before implementation is attempted. Most cities with successful vacant lot programs have a shared management structure. This type of structure is the most successful at making these programs work. Various groups bring different strengths to the table, and these partnerships contribute to strong and beneficial programs. This allows for reuse to breathe new life into neighborhoods and sustain the efforts community groups undertake when turning these vacant lots into assets.

15sIte consIderAtIons


Simple Solutions

Simple solutions are treatments that can be done to vacant lots quickly, without great capital investment, to beautify and repurpose vacant spaces.

These treatments vary in intensity and implementation, but all of them provide simple but useful improvements to previously unused parcels.

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Implementing a simple solution, even the most basic, can improve a block and neighborhood, prevent mistreatment of vacant lots, and can act as the first step to future development. Simple solutions might also be a more permanent answer for vacant lots of unusual shapes and sizes that might not be ideal for other situations, such as infill development.

Green infrastructure such as native landscaping, rain gardens and stormwater trees are components of simple solutions. These strategies are cost effective and low maintenance. They serve a dual purpose on vacant lots by providing a cared for appearance on vacant lots as well as being able to capture stormwater from nearby impervious surfaces (roofs, streets, alleys, parking lots). Native landscaping and rain gardens require regular weeding maintenance, but do not need to be regularly mowed like traditional grass.

sIMple solutIons


Landscaping and fencing are treatments that should be considered and included in many reuse treatments. Landscaping can range in intensity but should always consider native plantings before non-native. Landscaping can range from a simple manicured lawn to intensive gardens, including trees, flowers, shrubs, and hedges. Landscaping increases the attractiveness of an area and helps to stabilize a previously vacant lot.

Fencing can help to secure and beautify a property. Appropriate fencing should be chosen, as some fencing types are more desirable than others. Chain link fence, for example, is a popular choice for security, but is not recommended due to its deterioration over time and eventual detraction from visual appeal of the area. Various combinations of fencing and landscaping exist, making these treatments a feasible simple solution in many situations.

LANDSCAPING & FENCING

19sIMple solutIons

Benefits of landscaping and fencing:

• Improved street-edge• Beautifies the surrounding neighborhood• Prevents dumping and mistreatments of lots• Provides security• Stimulates new investment• Encourages development and promotes neighborhood wealth• Promotes green infrastructure

Above: Simple landscaping and corner maker treatments on a vacant residential lot.


One of the most basic simple solutions is to sell a vacant lot to the owner of an adjoining property for yard expansion or for the development of an accessory unit such as a garage. This includes splitting a lot and selling half to each adjoining owner, on both sides of the lot, for side yard expansions, or the sale of the entire lot to one adjacent owner. These adjoining lots can be landscaped and fenced in order to improve the streetscaping in a neighborhood. Maintenance of these lots would be the responsibility of the new owner.

SIDE LOT EXPANSION & ADJOINING LOT SALE

Benefits of side lot expansion and adjoining lot sales:

• Improve streetscaping• Returns lot to a productive use• Useful solution for irregular shaped lots• Creates private outdoor space for residential homeowners with children or pets• Create more desirable housing market with larger yards• Returns maintenance and upkeep to area resident

Side lot expansion in Milwaukee

21sIMple solutIons

Street view rendering for a side yard expansion for a Milwaukee home.

NATIVE PLANTS

Native plants are a cost effective and efficient means of improving a vacant lot with landscaping.

Native plants should be considered for all site landscaping because of their hardiness, low

maintenance needs and numerous benefits. These plants provide natural habitat, improve air quality,

improve water quality and are relatively low maintenance (after a 2 year establishment period).

Their have deep root systems helping them to channel stormwater and be more drought tolerant.


A vacant lot, or a series of lots, can be used to create a pedestrian linkage from one part of a neighborhood to another. This linkage would create a neighborhood pathway that could be especially desirable in neighborhoods that would benefit from increased walkability, or where a more direct path from one area to another would be appropriate. These neighborhood pathway lots would require little investment and could include green infrastructure and stormwater management practices.

Benefits of neighborhood pathways:

• Can connect neighborhoods to areas not previously easily accessed

• Provides green open space opportunities• Encourages walkability in neighborhoods• Low maintenance• Promotes green infrastructure techniques

NEIGHBORHOOD PATHWAY

Above: Eastside neighborhood in Bloomington, Indiana has a great example of a neighborhood

pathway converted from a vacant lot.This neighborhood pathway in the City of Shoreline, Washington shows excellent

landscaping techniques.

23sIMple solutIons

SHORT-TERMLEASING

Already a common practice in Milwaukee is the short-term leasing of a vacant lot by the City to an individual or community group. A vacant lot, or a series of lots, can be used to activate a neighborhood for an interim period. Short-term leasing is common for urban agriculture or public art installations. The short-term lease would benefit area residents and productive an interim productive use in what would be a vacant parcel. Installations would need to be temporary on parcels that are planned for long-term development.

Benefits of short-term leasing:

• Activates a vacant parcel for an interim use• Provides green open space opportunities• Provides area attractions to local residents• Brings beauty to a once vacant lot

All People’s Church in Harambee leases this community garden lot from the City of

Milwaukee.This temporary art installation called “On and

Off Capitol” was facilitated by IN:SITE.


Capital Investment

There are a variety of types of new development, but each one takes a capital investment to put a vacant lot back into productive use. New development includes commercial, residential, and structural neighborhood needs (parks, plazas, and parking lots).

New development helps strengthen neighborhoods and cities by increasing the tax base, creating dense and walkable neighborhoods, and promoting job growth.

A temporary development for a vacant lot can bring business and activity into commercial corridors.

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Development corporations, community groups, or individuals can implement new development. Development and community spaces such as parks, parking lots, pathways, and art spaces can be complemented by green infrastructure. Stormwater management through bioswales, native landscaping, stormwater trees, and porous pavements can be easily incorporated into community spaces. These strategies can be integrated into the design of these sites because these sites typically include landscaping features that are similar to these. Implementing green infrastructure on these sites creates a dual and higher purpose for them by providing a community and stormwater management.

In addition to community spaces all other forms of development opportunities should include green infrastructure strategies within their design. It is important to manage stormwater on site and reduce the development’s impact on the environment and the residents. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advocated for development and redevelopment to follow low impact development (LID) standards for managing stormwater on-site. The EPA defines LID as “an approach to land development (or redevelopment) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. LID employs principles such as preserving and recreating natural landscape features, minimizing effective imperviousness to create functional and appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product.” LID includes green infrastructure such as, rain gardens, cisterns, permeable pavement, bioretention, and green roofs. These strategies can be applied in areas of all densities and different land uses.

cApItAl InVestMent

Bayview Commons

Fond du Lac Center

Brewer’s Hill Commons


Infill development can happen in different districts, and takes different forms. Commercial area infill fills in vacant parcels in commercial and mixed-use areas. Residential area infill includes building new single family, multi-family, and affordable housing units on vacant lots in existing residential areas. Infill should take priority on parcels that are in strong market areas that will sell and should be saved for development, and is viable on buildable lots only.

INFILL DEVELOPMENT

Benefits of infill development:

• Increases tax base• Creates more dense, walkable neighborhoods• Fights blight• Creates job growth• Affordable housing options, community stabilization• Provides new amenities, goods, and services to residents in commercial areas

Residential infill housing in Milwaukee.

NYPD Restaurant on North Avenue

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Privately owned parking lots are an option for development in commercial areas. Off-street parking lots can be beneficial to businesses, can generate revenue, and can be designed using green techniques for stormwater management. In order to avoid adding to the amount of impervious ground cover in the city, any off-street parking lot should incorporate permeable surfaces, bioswales or native plantings.

cApItAl InVestMent

OFF-STREETPARKING LOT

Benefits of off-street parking lot:

• Provides a service to customers visiting a commercial area• Provides green infrastructure• Well-landscaped parking lots add to streetscaping• Beautifies surrounding neighborhood

While not very commonplace yet, pervious parking lots are very beneficial to urban environments as they allow stormwater to filtrate into the ground. This off-street pervious

parking lot was developed by Milwaukee School of Engineering and is used by students, staff, and faculty in downtown Milwaukee.


Benefits of active parks:

• Creates open space• Provides opportunities for individuals to

become active• Can become a space for neighborhood

socialization• Will add to the attractiveness of the area

for future development and residential infill• Can add the city’s green infrastructure• Provides safe and constructive activities for

children• Increases opportunities for “eyes on the

street” which can add to the safety and security of an area

An active park is a highly programmed park that requires capital investment to create. These parks can have a variety of uses and can target a range of ages. An active park could be developed by the city, county, or by private individuals or groups. These groups would purchase the vacant lot(s) to develop the park, and would then be responsible for creating and maintaining the space. An active park could not be placed on a leased lot because it would require permanent structures to be placed on the vacant lot, making it harder to develop in the future. Ideally, any park would incorporate green infrastructure and stormwater management techniques.

ACTIVE PARKS

Above is a rendering where area children could play in an active park.

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This type of park is privately owned and can serve as open space and be used as a park with varying amounts of programming. Privately owned parks can be located in any type of district, but would serve areas with higher residential density particularly well. The amount of investment a privately owned park requires depends upon the type of space that is to be created, and the desired amount of programming. Privately owned parks can range from simple landscaped open space to highly programed active parks. Maintenance of these parks would be the responsibility of the private owner(s). Many times larger developments may incorporate parks into their site design for those utilizing the site.

cApItAl InVestMent

PRIVATE PARKS

Benefits of private parks:

• Create opportunities for residents to be active• Provides beauty and investment in the surrounding community• Provide a neighborhood with open space• Can add to the city’s green infrastructure• Maintenance and management is handled by a private entity

In Downtown Milwaukee, Red Arrow Park leases space to Starbucks which helps fund the park.


Public art can be an asset to a community as it can strengthen a neighborhood’s identity and can beautify a vacant lot. A community group can lease the vacant for public art. This public art would need to be temporary so the lot can be saved for development in the future. Maintenance of the lot while it is leased and used as the site for public art would be the responsibility of the individual or group holding the lease. Public art can be easily mixed with various green infrastructure and stormwater management techniques, or other solutions for vacant lots such as parks or urban agriculture.

PUBLIC ART

Benefits of public art:

• Provides platform for expression• Can add beauty and interest to a

neighborhood • Strengthens community and neighborhood

identity• Can be mixed with other vacant lot

strategies to optimize use of vacant parcelsMade by linking together recycled scraps of vinyl, this On and Off Capitol art project was designed to represent the strength that lies

within Milwaukee’s diversity.

Snail’s Crossing, a pocket park in Riverwest, features colorful and fun public art that is enjoyed by all ages.

31cApItAl InVestMent

This Milwaukee example of public art on Lisbon and 33rd shows how public art can strengthen and beautify community lots that would otherwise be vacant.

This mural in the Lindsay Heights neighbor near the Walnut Way community center shows show public art can take the form of wall murals.


Urban Agriculture

Urban agriculture is use of urban land for growing, processing, and distributing food. It can also involve raising animals for food, aquaculture, and agroforestry (orchards).

Urban agriculture is important because it provides a local source of fresh food locally and cuts down on transportation costs and pollution associated with moving food around.

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Volunteers help tend at Alice’s Garden, a two-acre urban community garden, in Milwaukee’s

north side.

urbAn AGrIculture

Urban agriculture is a natural fit with environmental solutions such as green infrastructure. There is a need for providing an inexpensive water supply for community gardens, harvesting stormwater that falls on site can provide a free supply of water for gardening. Harvesting stormwater from buildings on-site or adjacent to gardens with cistern systems (above and below ground) and rain barrels provide benefits for gardeners, the sewer systems and area waterways. If possible, rainwater should be harvested and used on urban agriculture sites.

Urban agriculture helps to keep fresh foods and affordable for people living in cities. It is important because it can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses that are released into the atmosphere through transportation of food from far away and it can help to sequester carbon through the growing process.

Crews at Walnut Way

Thurston Woods Community Garden


COMMUNITY GARDEN

Community gardens are pieces of land that are collectively gardened by many people and are typically managed by a community group or individual. Community gardens can be used to grow flowers, vegetables or build community involvement. They can be one large garden plot or a series of individual plots. Many times they are dedicated to urban agriculture where gardeners can grow their own food or produce food for local markets.

Community gardens are often a great opportunity for exercise and outdoor activity in an urban area. With little to no green or open space in some communities, vacant lots offer great potential for collective gardening areas. With proper management and oversight, a well-cared for community garden can stimulate neighborhood social interaction and increase residents quality of life.

Above is a rendering of community garden situated on a vacant residential lot.

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Benefits of community gardens: • Stimulates social interaction within a neighborhood• Improves neighborhood aesthetics• Improves the quality of life for those who garden there and those in the immediate area• Can stimulate neighborhood and community development• Produces food• Creates opportunity for exercise and education• Reduces crime, increases “eyes on the street”• Preserves green space• Opens the door for economic development opportunities

urbAn AGrIculture

In recent years, the City of Milwaukee has joined a movement of major cities in allowing residents to keep bees and raise chickens. In 2010, the City passed a honey ordinance allowing city residents to keep up to two colonies of honeybees on private property given they have the proper knowledge and equipment to care for bees. The next year, the “eggs ordinance” was passed allowing a city resident to keep up to four chickens on a residential lot. The City of Milwaukee offers more information online or at the Department of Neighborhood Services on how to get started or how to obtain a permit to have bees or chickens on your own property.

Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment to grow plants. Backyard or onsite composting can be conducted by residents or community organizations that generate organic waste on their own property. By composting these materials onsite, homeowners, businesses, or organizations can significantly reduce the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of and thereby save money from avoided disposal costs. Materials that can be composted include vegetable or fruit peeling, coffee grounds, paper, manure, grass clippings, fallen leaves, egg shells, and any other organic material.

(Source: epa.gov


HOOP HOUSES & GREENHOUSESHoop houses and greenhouses are structures that gardeners use to grow plants. They can be a more temporary solution, such as hoop houses, which are typically smaller and have a plastic roof wrapped over flexible piping. Greenhouses and hoop houses both rely on solar radiation to heat and grow plants. They can be used to protect sensitive crops from the outside environment (extreme heat/cold, wind, and intense sunlight).

Benefits of hoop houses and greenhouses: • Lengthened growing seasons• Protection from elements and animals• More control over growing schedules• Increase community understanding of different growing techniques• Hoop houses can be relatively inexpensive• Ability to grow a wider range of plants due to lengthened growing seasons and controlled

conditions

Above: Groundworks Milwaukee, a grassroots organization focused on improving Milwaukee’s

communities, builds hoop houses across the city. Groundworks Milwaukee provides regular demonstrations on how to build hoop houses in locations where they have community gardens.

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URBANFARM

Urban farms are not simply just gardens for many reasons. First, many urban farms also cultivate animals such as chickens, bees or fish. Second, urban farms typically feed more than one household, so rather than being a collection of smaller individually managed plots, farms produce much more and either sell or donate large amounts of what is grown.

Benefits of urban farms:

• Reducing food transportation time• Reducing carbon footprint of food• Increase fresh food on local tables• Promote community collaboration• Can add large areas of greenspace in areas that suffer from the urban heat island effect• Provide jobs for local residents

Above: Will Allen, Director of the urban agriculture organization Growing Power, nets tilapia at the Growing Power urban farm on Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee, WI.

urbAn AGrIculture


Urban orchards are places where fruit and nut trees have been planted to provide a food source for local residents. Many urban orchards are incorporated as a part of an urban garden or an urban farm. These areas provide carbon sequestering and stormwater capturing trees that can help to reduce stormwater runoff and decrease the urban heat island effect by providing shaded green space.

Vineyards are farms that grow grapes for the purpose of producing wine. The conditions of soils and the environment affect the types of grapes that can be grown and the flavor of the grapes that are used in wine making.

ORCHARDS &VINEYARDS

Benefits of orchards and vineyards:

• Provide fresh foods that improve nutrition and health.

• Reducing urban heat• Increases green space• Absorbing carbon emissions• Filter and reduce stormwater runoff• Increase neighborhood aesthetics• Can increase jobs or economic opportunities• Increase food security

Walnut Way is home to a peach orchard.

39urbAn AGrIculture

A seasonal marketplace can return a vacant lot to productive use by providing space for the sale or trade of locally grown produce or local arts and crafts. Marketplaces can be temporary, seasonal, or permanent, but all will need management by an involved community group or leader. Christmas tree lots and pumpkin sale areas are examples of seasonal market uses. Permanent structures will need extra permitting and may not be allowed on leased sites. A marketplace has the potential to activate a vacant lot in all seasons and could work well in both commercial and residential areas.

Benefits of seasonal marketplaces:

• Activates vacant lots• Can provide a source of revenue for local

merchants• Can be a source of locally grown healthy

produce • Becomes an outlet to complement community

gardens or farm• Provides area residents with a local source

of seasonal goods

SEASONAL MARKETPLACE

Seasonal Christmas tree markets can provide a temporary use for vacant lots.

This spring market provides downtown residents with plants and flowers.


Dedicated Environmental Strategies

Dedicated Environmental strategies are ones that increase greenspace, habitat and protect natural resources within a city.

Dedicated environmental strategies can take many forms; one that Milwaukee is particularly interested in, because of the abundant local water resources, is green infrastructure (GI).

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Additionally, Milwaukee has been pursuing the use of alternative energy. This is another environmental solution that can assist in being adaptable to changing climate conditions and help to reduce the local carbon footprint, by providing energy uses that do not require fossil fuels.

Green infrastructure is defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as “an approach to wet weather management that is cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. Green infrastructure management approaches and technologies infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies.” This means that GI is used to capture and convey stormwater runoff by mimicking more natural like ways and it can help Milwaukee be more adaptable to changing climate.

Environmental strategies can be incorporated into any land use; however, vacant lots offer the potential to pursue dedicated uses for entire lots such as the example above.

dedIcAted enVIronMentAl strAteGIes


A rain garden is a garden that contains native plants, adapted to the local climate. Rain gardens are shallow depressions, designed to hold and infiltrate stormwater into the ground. The native plants within rain gardens have deep root systems that create channels for stormwater to infiltrate, which is really important in clayey soils like those found in southeastern Wisconsin. Rain gardens are effective in removing significant amounts of pollutants from stormwater. They can be placed near downspouts on homes (although away from building foundations and sewer laterals), or in areas where stormwater pools.

RAIN GARDENBenefits of rain gardens:

• Improves neighborhood aesthetics• Preserves Green Space• Sequesters carbon emissions• Reduces stormwater runoff• Increases water quality• Reduces urban heat island effect• Provides habitat for native animals (birds,

bees)

This rain garden in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood provides residents with a beautify garden and reduces stormwater runoff.

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Alternative energy sources can take many forms, such as solar, wind, water. It can also include collecting resources such as methane gas from activities like composting or farming waste. Vacant lots pose significant opportunity for alternative energy collection. The city of Milwaukee has many goals related to decreasing traditional energy use and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Vacant lots contain ideal conditions to harvest wind or solar power since vacant parcels have a clean palette. Renewable energy systems offer a great opportunity to be used as teaching tools for the public.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Benefits of alternative energy:

• Decreases fossil fuel dependency• Increases the use of sustainable energy

sources• Decreases production of carbon emissions• Meet local, state, and national goals for

alternative energy use and production

Jones Island Water Reclamation FacilitySolar Panels at Olga Village

Located in Bayview on Milwaukee’s south side, this small wind turbine generates more than 100% of the City of Milwaukee’s Port of

Administration building’s energy needs.



Tree canopies are useful for several reasons, they can reduce the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and sequester carbon emissions. Urban trees are extremely important to Milwaukee, as the city has a goal of increasing tree canopy to 40% coverage by 2035. In terms of stormwater management, trees are useful because they capture rainwater on their leaves and branches, allow pathways for stormwater to infiltrate it into the ground and absorb it through root systems and then evapotranspire it to the atmosphere. Trees are also useful to improve air quality by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They also provide shade from the sun and through evapotranspiration can reduce the urban heat island effect and can help to reduce cooling costs.

TREE CANOPY

Benefits of tree canopy:

• Improves neighborhood aesthetics• Sequesters carbon emissions• Reduces stormwater runoff• Increases air and water quality• Reduces urban heat island effect• Provides habitat for native animals• Helps reduce energy use (cooling costs)

Downer Avenue is lined with Thornless Honeylocust trees to provide shade and reduce

heat in the residential neighborhood.

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Bioswales are landscape features that capture and infiltrate stormwater runoff. These features are helpful for removal of pollutants picked up by stormwater, therefore improving water quality by removing pollutants such as oils, grits, chlorides and other chemicals that may make their way into storm drains and area waterways. They are depressed catchment areas planted with vegetation, they can be used along transportation corridors or parking lots, but may also be located in areas where stormwater ponds. Bioswales can sometimes be fitted with engineered soils and native plants to maximize the cleaning effect they have on stormwater.

BIOSWALESBenefits of bioswales:

• Improves neighborhood aesthetics• Sequesters carbon emissions• Reduces stormwater runoff• Increases water quality• Reduces urban heat island effect

Grange Avenue in Greendale is lined with bioswales that infiltrate stormwater and

beautify the roadway.

27th in Milwaukee is home to many bioswales treatments such as the example below.



Soils in Milwaukee are very clayey meaning; they are made up of fine-grained minerals with small pore spaces. This makes for very slow stormwater infiltration rates. Soil amendments such as increasing the top organic layer of soil with compost can help to increase soil’s water holding capacity. Additionally, compost with worms can be a double benefit. Worms build small channels in the soils and like the deep roots of native plants these channels allow areas for stormwater to quickly infiltrate into the ground.

SOILAMENDMENTS

Benefits of soil amendments:

• Improves soil conditions• Reduces stormwater runoff• Increases water quality• Reduction of yard and food waste• Can be used as an alternative heating source• Possibly methane production

Organic compost material at Growing Power.

Kompost Kids is an organization in Milwaukee that has a mission to “educate the public about the benefits of compost and to reclaim organic

materials from landfills to create soil for community-based agriculture projects.”

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Greenseams is an innovative flood management program, started by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, that permanently protects key lands containing water absorbing soils. Currently, the program makes voluntary purchases of undeveloped privately owned properties in riparian areas, wetlands, and areas expected to have major growth in the next 20 years. It is possible to modify this type of program to work with vacant lots and create either stormwater management or conservation opportunities within the city. Programs like this incorporate deed restrictions to keep this land from being developed in the future in order to preserve stormwater storage ability. Additionally, these properties serve as wildlife habitat and recreation for residents.

GREENSEAMS

Benefits of greenseams:

• Reduce stormwater runoff• Increase habitat• Sequesters carbon• Provides recreational opportunities such as hiking, bird watching, and passive recreation

A greenseams location is nearby Commerce Street in Milwaukee which has been developed by a non-profit foundation to create accessible green space on the banks of the Milwaukee river. This site

includes extensive habitat restoration, including the planting of native plants and trees, the better creation of a wildlife habitats, and access to nearby trails.


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