We recently attended a RiverWest Neighborhood Association forum with the challengers for Milwaukee County Executive (Jeff Stone was a no-show). Among the many topics debated by the candidates one statement made us sit up straight in our chairs.
When asked by the moderator how each candidate would grow jobs in Milwaukee, Chris Abele stated that, among other things, his vision is to market Milwaukee as a destination city. We are very excited that someone is talking about ‘Milwaukee’ and ‘Destination City’ in the same breath. Though we’re not quite clear on the specifics. Milwaukee as a Destination City for Business? For College Graduates? For Start-ups? For job seekers & professionals looking for quality of life jobs? Please don’t say it…for conventions?
NewFitness Milwaukee was created to encourage individuals, businesses and foundations to support the health infrastructure of this city, and if Mr. Abele sees Milwaukee as a Destination City for business, NewFitness Milwaukee would like to see Milwaukee develop as a destination city for its resources related to recreation.
Milwaukee has a very poor record when it comes to the health of its residents. One aspect of this statistic is the lack of recreational opportunities for all residents, regardless of zip code, who reside here.
Bicycle lanes are now just beginning to emerge in some areas, but the motorists in this city are behind the times when it comes to sharing the roads with bicycles. Another glaring example of reduced recreation is the previous county executive’s shuttering of public pools due to budget constraints.
One reason Madison keeps passing us by like a jaguar racing a turtle, on list after list of desirable places to live, is the availability of recreational resources available to its residents. If we were on Mr. Abele’s Planning & development board, we would stress the importance of making Milwaukee a destination city in terms of the recreational opportunities that already exist here. And to find stimulative ways to integrate Milwaukee County’s natural resources with recreation and make it; a). accessible to all residents, b).exciting & new for the younger generation, and c).incentivised for all age groups.
How do we incentivise recreation?
By having races and contests for recreation’s sake alone. Races for charities are a great development in the last 40 years, and one that we support, but in an effort to raise monies for this and that cause, we lose an essential focus on fitness. The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is a good start, as are the beach volleyball tournaments, but we need to offer other, more unique and stimulating opportunities for athletes to thrive here. Of course this is a worldview and once we start to talk about fitness for fitness sake, we must talk about quality of air and water resources and the importance of keeping these clean. That our Parks, falling victim to lack of maintenance, should be beautified by a volunteer workforce made up of high-schoolers on extra credit projects is a good start. Parks that again provide a landscape that evoke vision & possibility in it’s residents. Maintained properly, broad landscapes are worth their weight in recreational gold. Rivers become more attractive and obvious as recreational opportunities. Canoeing on the Menomonee? Let’s make it a civic reality. Skateboarding X games on the Lakefront? Got it. Kayaking and canoeing regattas on Lake Michigan? We’re on it.
Recreation opportunities need to be expanded beyond the typical baseball diamonds, basketball courts and football fields. Let’s be creative Milwaukee in developing our natural resources and incentivising them to promote & stimulate recreation. It’s the healthy thing to do.
