The Street: From Rust Belt to Green Belt

Dave Steele writes in the Street blog about the reinvention of Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley from a decaying industrial wasteland to an environmentally sensitive greenbelt with bike paths, parks, and light industrial buildings.

Achieving this took a lot of hard work by the local residents and companies that still called the valley's neighborhoods home.

The description of the valley before the redevelopment sounds a lot like our own Mill Creek Valley - vacant or under-utilized industrial buildings, rail yards, and dense housing that is no longer near the local plant.

Perhaps our local leaders should take some cues from what Milwaukee has been able to accomplish.