The Beerline Trail Neighborhood Development Project hosted the final webinar of its series celebrating the Beerline Trail on May 25, 2021. Keynote speakers Mark Treskon and Kimberly Burrowes, researchers at the Urban Institute, discussed their newest report, “Embedding Equity into Placemaking: An Examination of the ‘Milwaukee Method’ of Creative Placemaking in Practice.” Efforts to build equitable creative-placemaking approaches are underway across the country. This report examines two creative-placemaking efforts in Milwaukee: the Beerline Trail and the Night Market. For both efforts, stakeholders in the city are building a practice to change how people see and experience the places around them. This “Milwaukee Method” of creative placemaking informs and shapes distinct creative-placemaking projects in the city to model a broader approach to place-based investing. The creative-placemaking projects were examined through a lens of inclusive, community-oriented development, with the goal of helping local stakeholders more effectively communicate the benefits and effects of placemaking in their work. This lens shows that how people feel about where they live, visit, and work affects their feelings of belonging, social cohesion, and identity. In addition to using the inclusive, community-oriented development lens, we determine how the lessons from the planning and implementation of these projects shape efforts to strengthen equity in the city and region. The findings capture takeaways to advance the creative-placemaking sector and drive future equitable investments. The webinar featured a panel of local officials and stakeholders talking about the impact of the Beerline Trail and the Night Market locally.
