About Climate Safe Neighborhoods

The climate crisis threatens to make our communities hotter and wetter than they have ever been before, but not all neighborhoods within a city will suffer the social, health, and financial consequences equally. Many neighborhoods subjected to government-sanctioned racist housing practices in the past are most at risk today for experiencing extreme heat and flooding. The Climate Safe Neighborhoods partnership brings together Groundwork Trusts to explore the relationship between historical race-based housing segregation and the current and predicted impacts of climate change.

Climate Safe Neighborhoods is one of Groundwork Milwaukee's most significant community engagement programs. Through this initiative, we explore the impacts of historic policies that created disparities in how residents are affected by climate change. With Metcalfe Park being our priority neighborhood, we partner strongly with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, which is a resident-focused community empowerment and mobilizing organization. It has been through our partnership that we were able to create, and establish, our Metcalfe Park Climate Action Group. Our hope for this group is that we can not only inform residents about the climate challenges in Metcalfe Park, but create an avenue to advocate for solutions and see them through. 

Our Vision

By addressing the history and effects of housing discrimination in Milwaukee, we envision a future where:

• All neighborhoods in Milwaukee are resilient to extreme weather conditions caused by climate change

• Residents are empowered to advocate for and bring about change to public policy

• Residents are educated and informed about climate solutions to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change

• Intentional harm done to communities is addressed and systems are in place to prevent additional harm in the future

our Team

Metcalfe Park Climate Action Group

A group of engaged residents dedicated to enacting positive climate action in the Metcalfe Park neighborhood.

Climate Action Group Mission

As climate resilience leaders, we intend to educate, inform and engage community members, city officials and relevant stakeholders to positively influence relationships between the natural environment and Metcalfe Park residents. We plan to achieve this by exploring and studying the history of inequality, segregation and redlining in Milwaukee and its impact on today’s natural and built environment.

Upcoming events