ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the case of Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, formerly known as “the machine shop of the world.” A massive dividing swath through the centre of the city, with the onset of deindustrialization, evolved into a highly toxic and virtually inaccessible eyesore. Both sides of the Valley are lined with historically marginalized communities, and these communities were particularly impaired by job loss, economic decline and the toxicity of the local environment. Milwaukee is a blue-collar city with a diversified manufacturing base, and this formed the cornerstone of a revitalization strategy for the Menomonee Valley. A coalition that included the local community health centre, the Forest County Potawatomi Native American tribe, resident groups, local businesses and civic agencies formed to develop a strategy that created thousands of family-supporting manufacturing jobs, cleaned the notoriously contaminated valley, created vast new greenspace and tackled persistent local health problems. Meanwhile, revitalization of the Menomonee Valley enabled the Forest County Potawatomi to achieve economic self-determination and prevail in a long-standing battle to block mining operations and attain enormous environmental justice accomplishments within their communities hundreds of kilometres away. The community-defined sustainable design guidelines have steered a substantial new industry with family-supporting jobs, and the Valley is now a verdant and accessible greenspace. However, persistent challenges remain to ensure local communities thrive.
