UW–Madison student presents downtown placemaking concepts for New London

Milo Augusto, a UW–Madison landscape architecture student, presented conceptual placemaking plans for parts of downtown New London on Jan. 7, proposing added pocket parks, expanded riverwalk connections and a small outdoor beer‑garden adjacent to a new apartment development.

The presentation matters because it lays out early design options that could shape redevelopment of North Water Street, parts of Pearl Street and the nearby Wolf River riverwalk — areas the committee and local stakeholders have identified for revitalization.

Augusto told the committee his project boundary includes North Water Street, parts of Pearl Street and the Bernega/Wolf River riverwalk extension. He said he developed two framework plans: a naturalistic option that adds trees, pocket parks and roughly 6% more green space while reducing parking by about 21%, and a historic‑preservation option that emphasizes signage, plaques and rustic materials. He said the designs respond to a downtown with mostly commercial uses along the corridor and a median resident age near 40, with nearly 20% of residents under 18 and roughly 20% over 65.

Committee members praised the work as “very impressive” and asked for the full materials for review. Belinda, identified in the meeting as chair of the Economic Development Committee, said she wanted the digital file and a booklet version that Augustus provided; Ginger said she had already received a booklet copy and would share it with the economic development committee. Committee members noted the presentation expanded the study boundary beyond the area originally discussed to give the student more coverage for a class project.

Augusto showed flood‑plain and land‑type mapping for the site (a 1% annual chance flood area and a 2% annual chance flood area were included on his maps) and said soil drainage is “moderate” in parts of the project area. He flagged one vacant historic building that, he said, “is slated to be demolished to my knowledge” if no investor appears; committee members cautioned that the comment reflected a classroom exploration rather than an announced city action and urged members not to publicize demolition as a certainty.

Several members suggested additional study of the riverboardwalk behind Hilger Trucking and noted past engineering work that raised the Toronto Street bridge to allow a possible future boardwalk beneath it. Belinda and other members asked that the student materials be distributed to the economic development committee for more detailed feedback.

The committee did not take any formal action on the concepts; members directed staff to share the student’s booklet and digital files with the Economic Development Committee for review and future discussion.