MKEparks is a City of Milwaukee, Department of Public Works, neighborhood park system. MKE Parks, a City of Milwaukee neighborhood park system, provides outdoor play opportunities in over 60 locations across the City of Milwaukee.
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MKE Parks are funded through the City of Milwaukee and private donations. In collaboration with neighborhood partners, we empower residents to re-create public spaces that reflect local needs, interests, and identity. In doing so, previously underutilized parks are transformed into enriching play environments which provide positive physical, social and economic impact to the areas they serve. All kids deserve quality play opportunities and we work to ensure that is the case in Milwaukee.
Mission: 1. To provide residents with safely walkable community spaces that reflect their recreational needs, interests, identity.
2. To improve community health by encouraging physical activity, interaction with nature, and positive social interaction.
3. To transform underutilized public spaces into high-quality neighborhood parks with unique opportunities for physical activity and play.
Operating as usual
01/15/2021
The Gardner Park Community Gathering Space, made possible via a grant from AARP, is coming together! Here are some progress pics! Tables with game boards, benches, a neighborhood information kiosk, and flower plantings will be arriving later this year!
Killiebrew Court, an amazing collaborative project by MKE Parks, Activate MKE, Artists Working in Education, Inc., lead designer Jonathan Holt, and a host of other volunteers from the Rufus King Neighborhood, came to fruition several months ago at Gore Park. Be sure to check out this excellent video from Tankthink detailing how the process came together and visit the court to see it for yourself!
This is "Killiebrew Court" by TankThink on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
PHOTOS: The new and improved Pulaski Park, generations in the making
In this photo gallery, Travis Hope of KK River Neighbors in Action explores the newly renovated Pulaski Park.
12/10/2020
Milwaukee Recreation
Winter registration is now open for city of Milwaukee residents! Many classes fill quickly, so sign up today to guarantee your spot. To view the full winter guide online and for more information on registration and safety measures, please visit our website: mkerec.net/guide!
We are working hard to best serve our community while ensuring the safety of our customers and staff. Any schedule changes or cancelations will be communicated to you as soon as possible. Visit mkerec.net/CanceledPrograms for an updated list of canceled winter programs.
Please note that there will be no in-person registration this season.
Viewing green space in urban landscapes elicits substantial activity in key areas of the brain related to attention and stress regulation, according to ...
12/04/2020
Check out these amazing parks from around the world!
We are delighted to announce the 2020 Large Urban Parks Awards - recognizing the quality of the Parks, the skills of the people who manage them, and the value they bring to the cities they serve.
đ żď¸Reminder: Winter Parking rules are in effect.đ żď¸
â Please read the street signs for winter parking instructions BEFORE YOU PARK.
â NO PARKING is allowed on through highways and bus routes from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
11/19/2020
Milwaukee Public Schools
REMINDER: MPS continues to distribute packaged breakfasts and lunches to children age 18 and under at 50 Stop, Grab, & Go sites.
Infrastructure improvements on Fratney Street aim to accommodate everyone
11/12/2020
Coming soon to Gardner Park: a new community gathering space and flower plantings! Check out this amazing design from The Green Team (of Wisconsin, Inc.)! This project was made possible via a Community Challenge Grant from AARP Wisconsin.
Crisol Corridor Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - MMSD
10/15/2020
Bublr Bikes
"A fantastic health benefit to a senior citizen. This will encourage me to get out and exercise more."
- Marsha, August 2020
The FREE Bublr Access Annual Pass, presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, gives you unlimited 60-minute rides for an entire year. Making Bublr Bikes the most affordable way to get around the city. Riding a Bublr is a great way to exercise and spend time with your loved ones.
Milwaukee County residents who receive FoodShare, WIC, Medicaid, or SSI benefits or are residents of HACM, can apply for a FREE Bublr Bikes Access Pass membership, sponsored by Anthem, through October 31, 2020.
For fall and winter, Milwaukeeâs COVID-19 community testing locations will be changing. We will now offer free, no-barrier testing at three drive-thru locations around the city.
We will maintain our current testing capacity of 2,000 tests a day at a main testing hub located at Miller Park. And, to provide greater access, we will also test at the City of Milwaukee Health Departmentâs Northwest and Southside Health Centers. All are welcome.
An excellent read on the need to avoid "eco-gentrification" when creating new green spaces. https://t.co/XC3U8Kbg1T?amp=1
The High Line in New York City shows that the answer can be the wealthy, who flock to live nearby, driving up property values and driving out long-term, low-income residents
10/06/2020
Mayor Barrett has presented his proposed 2021 City of MKE budget! Residents are invited to virtually join the Joint Public Hearing at 6:30pm, Tue, Oct. 6. Video stream: https://buff.ly/3d4ONcz. Residents can register to speak: https://buff.ly/3jwDlck. Budget details here: https://buff.ly/36DeNdV
10/01/2020
Mayor Tom Barrett
October 18-November 15, DPW Milwaukee will perform its fall leaf collection. Starting today, residents are encouraged to begin raking leaves into curb lanes.
In order to ensure a successful fall leaf collection, DPW asks that all leaves be piled loosely, not bagged or placed in garbage carts. Leaf piles are to be kept away from storm drains and sewer grates, and additional garden debris should be left on top of piles.
Look up your estimated leaf collection at milwaukee.gov/leaves.
09/29/2020
BE COUNTED and complete the #2020Census today at 2020census.gov. Itâs quick & easy, important, confidential and helps fund community services. Please don't wait, as the deadline is TOMORROW! #milwaukee #togetherwecount
How Cities Can Add Accessible Green Space in a Post-Coronavirus World â Living Architecture Monitor
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to weigh the benefits of keeping green spaces open against the public health concerns that come from their use.
09/22/2020
Urban Ecology Center
Did you know that HKE MKE, presented by Rotary Club of Milwaukee, isn't just one day this year? We have an entire week of guided hikes you can enjoy from September 27-October 3! Grab the kids for a family-friendly activity-filled hike or a loved one for a beautiful sunset hike. Support the Urban Ecology Center and sign up here: urbanecologycenter.org/hkemke.
Please come join us on Saturday, September 19th for a socially distanced cleanup and scavenger hunt at Hartung Park! PPE, water, snacks, and cleanup equipment will be provided.
These are some of Americaâs most beautiful urban parks
See the nationâs geographical diversity, history, and grandeurâwithout leaving the city.
09/01/2020
Urban Ecology Center
Did you know that some of the scheduled HKE MKE hikes are family adventures led by our Environmental Educators? Turn your hike into a scavenger hunt with Erin Whitney, an insect adventure with Alex Labonte, or an exploration of Menomonee Valley with Miguel Ăngel Santos! Register today and sign up for a family hike here â https://bit.ly/HKEMKEhikes
The majority of the nationâs schoolyards are empty expanses of asphalt, baking under the hot sunâcreating their own âheat islands.â Vibrant, green, cool community schoolyards should be the national standardâboth to provide options for outdoor learning during the pandemic, and community resiliency during the climate crisis. Learn more about the value of outdoor space at schools, and new data on heat, in our report: https://bit.ly/31sORi9
08/25/2020
We are a 2020 #AARPCommunityChallenge grantee! We are very excited to get started on our âquick actionâ project funded by https://www.facebook.com/AARPLivableCommunities and AARP Wisconsin that will involve the installation of an intergenerational community gathering space at Gardner Park! aarp.org/CommunityChallenge
Resident Involvement with Pulaski Park Flood Management Project | MMSD
MMSD recognizes that engaging the community in collaborative decision making improves the connections between land, water and people. From the beginning, res...
Join local community members and leaders for a conversation about the long history of community struggles around housing and food justice in Milwaukee neighborhoods! Taking Back Our Worlds: Conversations During Times of Social Distancing is a project that explores the historical and contemporary conditions of social and environmental injustice in the city of Milwaukee. More details here: https://mkeejlab.weebly.com/
Social isolation and health concerns due to COVID 19 have negatively impacted networks around caring and human relationships â the core strength of our communities. In order to respond to this...
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We are a 2020 #AARPCommunityChallenge grantee! We are very excited to get started on our âquick actionâ project funded by https://www.facebook.com/AARPLivableCommunities and AARP Wisconsin that will involve the installation of an intergenerational community gathering space at Gardner Park! aarp.org/CommunityChallenge
MKE Parks, a City of Milwaukee neighborhood park system, provides outdoor play opportunities in over 60 locations across the City of Milwaukee. MKE Parks are funded through the City of Milwaukee and private donations. In collaboration with neighborhood partners, we empower residents to re-create public spaces that reflect local needs, interests, and identity. In doing so, previously underutilized parks are transformed into enriching play environments which provide positive physical, social and economic impact to the areas they serve. All kids deserve quality play opportunities and we work to ensure that is the case in Milwaukee.
The MKE Plays Initiative: Play is an important component of the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual well-being of all people. Parks provide urban residents with opportunities for play. However, without adequate funding for the maintenance of these spaces, and a lack of resident engagement in their design, parks become deteriorated and underutilized.
By 2015, this had become the norm for many Milwaukee parks. They were no longer serving to enhance the quality of life for residents, but rather were burdening them with the violence, substance abuse, and vandalism they attracted.
In response to this growing problem, Milwaukee 10th District Alderman Michael Murphy created the MKE Plays initiative to re-establish parks as a priority for local government and transform the cityâs most underutilized parks into enriching play environments. With the help of engaged residents and partner organizations, MKE Plays reconstructed 13 parks over 3 years.
The City of Milwaukee now looks to build on this success and implement the MKE Plays model at 26 parks over the next 6 years, putting the city back on track to sustainable management by 2025. With the continued leadership of Alderman Murphy, we seek to accomplish this vision by:
Matching private contributions with public funds
Involving local residents in the design and construction process
Encouraging the use of innovative park and play features
Activating reconstructed spaces through collaborative programming
Assessing the impacts of program activities on the lives of residents
Gathering park-level data to support efficient and equitable facility management
Restoring these parks brings much-needed improvement - both structural and intrinsic - to many of the cityâs most disadvantaged neighborhoods. By creating fun, safe, and attractive places for communities to play, we encourage physical activity, engaged citizenship, and local investment. Involving area residents in the rehabilitation of park space offers further benefits by providing opportunities for people to build relationships and strengthen ownership in their community. This social capital is as much an asset as the necessary financial capital, and is likely to overflow into additional community action. Given their potential, the systematic improvement of Milwaukee parks cannot be underestimated.
The MKE Plays framework represents a new paradigm in the improvement and management of Milwaukee parks. By adopting it as part of the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, the City of Milwaukee has renewed its commitment to providing park services as part of a larger approach to enhance the quality of living for Milwaukee residents. We now look to secure similar commitment from our private-sector partners, with a goal of raising $8 million over the next 6 years, from 2019-2025.