Milwaukee Gains 7,500 Residents: A Real Urban Agenda Would Accelerate This Trend

Census officials say Milwaukee has added 7,500 residents since the 2000 count, and having been involved in that count as the city's liaison to the federal effort, I can tell you that the true increment will be even higher when the 2010 count is completed.

Even in recessionary times, cities expand because that is where the greatest concentration of options and choices and opportunities are presented to the widest diversity of resident.

Even in recessionary times, cities provide housing, culture, energy, creativity and connections that are far more extensive that smaller communities, whether towns, villages or traditional suburbs.

A city like Milwaukee has to continue to take maximum advantage of its resources and advantages - - existing infrastructure, bountiful water, walkable neighborhoods - - and not get dragged down by negatives.

Milwaukee has stopped years of population loss through strategic reinvestments in the Menomonee Valley, along King Drive, in the Third and Fifth Wards, throughout the downtown, and with infill and small-lot development, city-wide.

It needs to keep on this path, and focus on more improvements to transit because gasoline and vehicle costs will continue to encourage more people to embrace city living, where car ownership is less essential.

That means politicians like Gov. Jim Doyle, County Executive Scott Walker and others who are using transit in Milwaukee as a political football have to stop the game-playing and put transit sustainability back at the top of the urban policy list.

Along with that, the city's legislative delegation has to move forward restructuring or rebuilding from scratch a regional planning commission that puts Milwaukee and an urban agenda first.

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, which includes Milwaukee but gives a majority of its commission votes to Walworth, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha Counties, is a culpable party to the institutional dismissal of Milwaukee and its opportunities.

The stronger is Milwaukee, the better is the state.