Mind the Gap: Bridging a Community Bisected by an Interstate

Abstract

As a result of discrimination in urban design, many communities of color have been forced to pick up the pieces of their neighborhood after they have been paved through by major interstate developments. Among these communities is the historical neighborhood of Bronzeville, Milwaukee, which was destroyed in the 1950s by discriminative urban planning and the development of Interstate 43. In recent years, there has been an uptake in restoration to these communities. Urban design factors such as land caps or land bridges over freeways have been proven successful in reconnecting the communities that have been bisected by interstates. In this context, this thesis focuses on implementing a freeway cap park to address issues of community fragmentation, pedestrian and bicycle safe circulation, missing amenities, shortage of green spaces for passive and active use, and new and restored housing developments.