Rethink 794, a group advocating for removal of the I-794 freeway between downtown Milwaukee and the Historic Third Ward, today unveiled augmented reality renderings to show their vision of how the freeway corridor could be developed after it was torn down.
The augmented reality renderings were created in collaboration with Milwaukee architect John Everitt.
The augmented reality renderings show the Rethink 794 vision of replacing I-794 with a boulevard and development. People with a mobile device can stand in the I-794 corridor and use the augmented reality renderings to compare the current landscape to the Rethink 794 group’s vision for the area.
“If Milwaukee knows what we could have had, it will be harder to deny rethinking 794,” said Everitt. “This can be a very real future for Milwaukee. I am trying to get the public excited about the possibilities and to inspire other concerned residents to do their own dreaming. Since nearly everyone has a smartphone, they can walk to these exact spots on the map and transport themselves to this possible future in the same perspective as they stand. Like a LIVE before and after photo.”
“Standing under the freeway and viewing these alternative renderings through your phone turns this idea into a real possibility,” said Taylor Korslin, a Milwaukee architect and a Rethink 794 organizer. “These visualization tools are really at the cutting edge of what is possible today. We know what the future holds if we just replace the I-794 infrastructure. But what’s exciting is the possibility of what comes along if given the opportunity to rebuild a whole new neighborhood in this corridor.”
The augmented reality renderings can be viewed at i794.com.
