Milwaukee Riverwalk

Map

The Milwaukee Riverwalk is a continuous pedestrian walkway along the Milwaukee River in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Description

Conceived in the 1990s to increase public access to the waterway, the Milwaukee Riverwalk has grown to include art displays called RiverSculpture!, the RiverSplash! festival (which ended a 20-year run in 2009), Riverwalk Park, water taxi landings, and other venues such as cafés, and brewpubs.^[1]^[2]

The Milwaukee Riverwalk extends from the Historic Third Ward district to Caesars Park near Brady Street. It also links to the Hank Aaron State Trail, Lakeshore State Park, and Erie Street Plaza. There are three segments of the Milwaukee Riverwalk: the Beerline B, East Town (Juneautown) & Westown (Kilbourntown), and the 3rd & 5th Ward.^[3] The Beerline B runs from McKinley Avenue to Caesars Park, the East Town (Juneautown) & Westown (Kilbourntown) section from Juneau Avenue to I-794, and the 3rd & 5th Ward section from I-794 to Lake Michigan.

Cemented in to the walkways are 18 bronze medallions drawn by elementary school children, depicting how they see the Milwaukee River.^[4] In 1995, students were invited to examine artifacts from the Milwaukee County Historical Society and walk the river. Among drawings submitted by over 200 students from Milwaukee Public Schools, 18 were selected to be cast by artist Peter Flanary. Imagery varies from whimsical fish and downtown buildings to ducks and Native Americans.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "The Milwaukee RiverWalk". Visit Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
^ Geller, Alyson L. (September 2003). "Smart Growth: A Prescription for Livable Cities". American Journal of Public Health. 93 (9): 1410–1415. doi:10.2105/ajph.93.9.1410. PMC 1447984. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023. Milwaukee's RiverWalk project, launched in 1994, transformed a heavily industrialized and isolated riverfront area. A partnership between the city and downtown property owners turned the river into a city hub that has fueled a housing boom, spawned a number of new restaurants, shops, and green space, and in the process created a broader constituency for cleaning up the Milwaukee River.
^ "Milwaukee RiverWalk". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
^ Maynard, Michael (1997). "A Waterfront for Walking". Landscape Architecture. 87 (5): 34–39. ISSN 0023-8031. JSTOR 44681383. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-03-11.