Placemaking

In 2018 and 2019, former Mayor Tom Barrett and the Milwaukee Common Council, created and funded the Neighborhood Improvement Beautification initiative, providing funding for numerous beautification, pocket parks, neighborhood branding, signage, greenscaping, trash cleanup and art projects across Milwaukee. The largest project is the renovation of the City's Victory over Violence Park on MLK Drive, just south of Center Street, begun in 2018. The Neighborhood Improvement Beautification initiative began in 2018 and will continue through 2020, working with agencies and neighborhood groups across Milwaukee. The project is managed by the City's Environmental Collaboration Office's HOME GR/OWN inititiative.

Make Your Community an ECO-Neighborhood 

Our Mission: Concentrating enough eco-activities in a neighborhood to inspire neighbors to continuously practice ecologically friendly behaviors, while creating a lasting visible impact.

Background: The ECO-Neighborhood Initiative was developed to support the amazing community organizers who are already making an impact on their communities. The Environmental Collaboration Office understands that community collaboration is key to achieving its sustainability goals, which led us to developing the ECO-Neighborhood Toolkit. This resource functions as a catalyst for community organizers to drive collective green actions in their communities. 

The Process:

1. Assemble a team of four community members committed to being Sustainability Ambassadors.

2. Complete three neighborhood beautification projects with your neighborhood community (examples include: community garden installation, rain garden installation, tree planting day, rain barrel painting & installation event, etc.).

3. Host two Me² information sessions and two Me² house parties in your neighborhood.

4. Host three sustainable community events (refer to ECO-Neighborhood Toolkit for ideas).

5. Complete these previously listed requirements over the span of a year.

Reasons to Get Involved:

• An environmentally friendly neighborhood!

• Recognition by the city that you are an ECO-Neighborhood (which could give your neighborhood leverage for future city projects).

• Signage displaying that you are an environmentally conscious neighborhood making your neighborhood an ideal space to move to.

• Improved condition of your neighborhood and deeper engagement with your neighbors.

• An increase in community assets available to you.

• The committed support of ECO staff throughout the process.​