While we all want to see more retail in greater Downtown, how about more opportunities to play?
Pop up retail stores have hit Milwaukee, but not in the quantities that these mini, short term lease stores have in other markets. So, why not embrace temporary parks and play areas?
This pop up playground concept is somewhat new and meant to increase creativity in public spaces while also offering development and play options like huge tinker toys, sandboxes, over-sized Jenga games, mini soccer fields or even sets of bats and balls that inspire pick up baseball games.
How hard can this be? Costs are low and implementation easy. And, really, do you ever sit at benches at your local park? A bit of an aside, but benches are kinda lame. Give me a table and a chair. Benches look nice, but are rarely used.
Anyway, consider this a call to action. Let's start a few temporary playgrounds/areas in Downtown Milwaukee. Pere Marquette Park, Juneau Park, Catalano Square, Zeidler Union Square, Burns Common, MacArthur Square or even in areas under the freeways.
There are several dull and under-used spaces in greater Downtown. Let's pop up some playgrounds.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
