Sportlight Lecture Response Assignment 1
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Apr 3, 2024
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Spotlight Lecture Response Assignment- Nick DeMarsh
Nick DeMarsh’s research paper discusses Parkwest Freeway Revolt in Milwaukee and its
significant impacts on urban agriculture and community development. At first, he defines
freeways as designed to enhance transportation but inadvertently dividing communities. He then
mentions about Congressman Reuss to bring the discussion about freeway revolt. Reuss
proposed building community gardens as an alternative proposal to call out environmental
inequity and even promised to secure funding if Parkwest freeways program was canceled. In
1978, Parkwest is officially removed from the map. Parkwest Redevelopment Task Force
(PWRTF) was then formed and led by Reuss to plan for reuse of the land. Although $3 million
funding was already received from USDA by a County-wide community garden program called
Shoos n’ Roots, community gardens were not built as the PWRTF focused more on economic
benefits rather than healing the community itself. The PWRTF supported a farmer’s market
which is the Fondy Market as they saw its potential to expand the economic development.
However, Shoots ‘n Roots successfully secured garden space at another site around the area. The
Fondy Market and the Shoots ‘n Roots has significantly impacted the future growth of the
agriculture movement in Milwaukee and across the US. In the 1950s, there was mass production and mass consumption of automobile such as Model T.
(Knox & Pinch, 2020). The surge in automobile usage led to severe traffic congestion in
Milwaukee and eventually gave rise to the program of building Parkwest freeways which results
in dividing the communities. The prioritization of solely car movement over the preservation of
homes disrupted immeasurable social patterns in the Parkwest area. There is a scar left on the
area which remain undeveloped to this day. Besides that, the concept of economic imaginaries is
prevalent in the decision made by the Parkwest Redevelopment Task Force (PWRTF). The
PWRTF chose to focus on the farmer’s market instead of community gardens as economic
development has influenced their decisions. Additionally, the rushed decision made by PWRTF
also highlighted the concept of economic imaginaries. Lastly, the concept of urban renewal is
observed in the redevelopment of the Sears Building. According to Moore (2023), urban renewal
refers to process of solving early suburbanization problems by appreciating land values in CBDs.
The Sears Building was converted to Milwaukee Mall until 2018 and recently there is a proposal
to convert the building to hotel which already received the funding.
References:
Knox & Pinch (2010) Fordism. https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/365467/files/34011666/download?download_frd=1
Moore, S, A. (2023). Lecture 7: Urban Renewal
[PowerPoint slides]. University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of Geography. https://canvas.wisc.edu/courses/365467/files/34807441?wrap=1
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