Each year our BLA capstones span a diverse set of community design and planning projects. Students take the Wisconsin Idea to all regions of the state by working with a variety of municipalities, non-profits, and public agencies while gaining the experience they need in the practice of landscape architecture. Capstones provide the students with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and ability to resolve “real-world” design challenges. Since the 1980s, our students’ have addressed the needs of more than 290 clients and have occurred in more than 80% of Wisconsin’s counties.
Most projects fall within community design/placemaking, urban redevelopment, waterfronts, and park/open space planning. Each capstone addresses design issues at three scales: the site scale (about 2-3 city blocks), the neighborhood/community scale (about 6 to 20 city blocks) and the regional scale (about the scale of a city to a county). Keep in mind these scales are flexible. Projects take place from September to May and supervised by faculty.
If you wish to apply for consideration or are interested in learning more about our design and planning services, please contact Eric Schuchardt (ejschuchardt@wisc.edu).
Applications are due by August 9th
- Project Timeline
- Project Types
- Recent Project Locations
- Sample Student Documents
- Contour Publication
Fall Semester (September – December): Goal Setting, Program Development, Research, and Analysis
During the first semester students work with a client and develop a comprehensive design proposal that helps refine the client’s needs, goals, and objectives from a regional to site scale. Throughout the semester students make several site visits to gain a better understanding of local conditions and the community. In December, the students present a preliminary proposal that defines the overall project goals, and is grounded in research, literature reviews, precedent studies, inventory and analysis mappings, and programmatic development studies.
Spring Semester (January – May): Framework Planning and Site Design
The second semester is less about research and analysis, and more about executing the design of the previous semester’s proposal research. Students continue to work with their clients while creating a framework plan that includes detailed enlargement plans focused on site design, planting and ecology, grading, stormwater management, and construction details. The final designs are presented to the public and clients during the month of May. Upon completion of the project, each client receives a comprehensive Capstone document of design and planning recommendations, which has the potential to support future comprehensive design, planning, grant writing, and other fundraising efforts.
Capstone projects address a variety of community design and physical planning issues, including:
- Mixed-use, residential, industrial, and commercial districts
- Placemaking and neighborhood redevelopment (streetscapes, plazas, parking, downtown plans)
- Public parks, open space, recreation, and trail systems
- Industrial and brownfield redevelopments
- Waterfront redevelopments
- Educational, arts, and cultural institutions campuses and parks
- Historic and cultural resources
- Green infrastructure and stormwater management
- Ecologically sensitive areas, such as wetlands, stream corridors, woodlands, and prairies
*This list is by no means complete.
Recent Capstone Locations in Wisconsin
Altoona, Appleton, Aztalan State Park, Baraboo, Bass Lake, Boscobel, Boulder Junction, Brillion, Brodhead, Brookfield, Buchanan, Campbellsport, Cambridge, Cashton, Cassville, Cedarburg, Chippewa Falls, Clintonville, Columbus, Cottage Grove, Cuba City, DeForest, De Pere, Devil’s Lake State Park, Eau Claire, Fitchburg, Fox Lake, Grantsburg, Green Bay, Hollandale, Hortonville, Hurley, Hustisford, Janesville, Kaukauna, Kenosha, La Crosse, Ladysmith, Lake Geneva, Lena, Lodi, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marshfield, Mauston, Mazomanie, Menomonee Falls, Merton, Middleton, Milwaukee, Minocqua, Mishicot, Monona, Monroe, Mount Horeb, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Ontario, Oshkosh, Pewaukee, Phelps, Pleasant Prairie, Port Washington, Racine, Reedsburg, River Falls, Rock Springs, Sauk City, Shorewood Hills, Stevens Point, Stoughton, Sturgeon Bay, Sun Prairie, Superior, Verona, Wabeno, Waterloo, Watertown, Wausau, Whitewater
Recent Capstone Projects in Other States
- Illinois: Chicago, Dekalb, Wilmette
- Minnesota: Anoka, Rochester, Minneapolis, Marine on St. Croix
- Missouri: St. Louis
- Virginia: Idylwood
- Colorado: Denver
2024-JaySullivan-StateStreetCorridor
2024-KyraFlynn-GreenBayWaterfront
2023-WillemBos-DowntownManitowoc
2022, , Kohl Park Framework Plan
2022, Emma Wenman, Campbellsport Downtown Framework Plan
2021, Billy Acheson, Grindstone Lake Cranberry Bog
2021, MacKenzie Keen, Kinnickinnic Cooridor
2021, Martin Rose, Ashland Ave Rail Yard District
2020, Willa DeBoom, Art on the River
2020, Paige Bernhardt, Mill City
2020, Leah Stoltz, Chiwaukee Prairie West
2019, Krista Farrell, Patrick Marsh Wildlife Area
2019, Eric Marshall, Rethinking Duncan Creek
2018, Jules West, North Riverfront Development
2018, Brandi Backus, Community Connections
2017, Daniel Beavers, Developing a Downtown Core
2017, Eric Koberle, Boulder Junction & Minocqua Parks Plan
2017, Bobby Lor, Fox Lake Downtown Plan
2017, Joseph O’brien, Gillson Park
2017, Michael Kenyon, Milwaukee Public Schools Playfields
2016, Chris Jansen, East Gateway Fab District
2016, Sarah Kotnik, Devil’s Lake State Park Gateway Interpretive Center
2015, William Collins, Fox River Connection
2015, Julia Schilling, Rethinking Our Food Systems
2015, Peter Clark, Wingra Creek Master Plan
2014, Jacob Wievel, The 30th Street Industrial Corridor
2014, Parker Jones, Garver Park
2014, Stefan Golos, Rock River Water Trail Corridor
2013, Zach Small, Langdon & Mansion Hill Waterfront Development
BLA Capstone Project Spotlight
Central Yards Framework Plan
Student: Martin Rose
Location: Green Bay, WI
Client: Green Bay Community Planning
Year Completed: 2021
To fulfill the requirements of the senior capstone project, I investigated how ideas of post-industrial remediation and communal identity may inform the design of a brownfield redevelopment plan in Green Bay, WI.
Project Goals
- Create a safe and legible connection between local and state trails
- Provide park and public open space for community gatherings in order to bolster social connections
- Diversify Green Bay’s housing stock by implementing more affordable and market rate units at higher densities
- Improve ecological value of the post-industrial sites through restorative plantings and remediation
- Support the habitat of rare and endangered species
Depot Hill Neighborhood Plan
Student: Lydia DeBauche
Location: Stoughton, WI
Client: Stoughton Redevelopment Authority
Year Completed: 2023
To fulfill the requirements of the senior capstone project, I investigated how ideas of historic and cultural preservation may inform the redevelopment of the historic Depot Hill district in Stoughton, WI.
Project Goals
- Increase public spaces throughout the district
- Highlight the unique site and community culture and history
- Improve local and regional trail and open space connectivity
- Provide new mix-use spaces to support growth
State Street Pedestrian Mall
Student: Jay Sullivan
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Client: Downtown Madison, Inc.
Year Completed: 2024
To fulfill the requirements of the senior capstone project, I investigated how ideas of tactical urbanism may inform the design of a pedestrian mall on three blocks of State Street in Madison, Wisconsin.
Project Goals
- Ensure existing corridor uses can coexist with a pedestrian mall
- Accommodate public buses on the upper 100-300 blocks in the short-term
- Enhance tree canopy throughout the corridor
- Design for flexibility, future change, and public expression
- Ensure the corridor remains recognizably State Street
CLIENT EXPERIENCES
Hailey did a great job of understanding what we were asking of her, and gave us something we can use to look forward to what the Village could be. That is something sorely needed at this point as we continue to clean up mud and silt and wait for FEMA to help with destroyed buildings. She gave us ideas to make better use of our best resource – the Kickapoo River, and she gave us ideas for all of the green space that will be left after many buildings are taken down.
Hailey met with our steering committee a couple of times last winter and she even met with me on a weekend. She was a joy to work with and so bright. I think she will be very successful in her chosen career. This is a great program that helps communities and I hope I have an opportunity to work with you in the future.
Sue Blanchard,
Economic Development Committee Chair
City of Ontario, WI
Our experience with the capstone project and with Jules specifically was tremendous. Jules was very knowledgeable about design and his knowledge showed throughout the process. Through our conversations with Jules, he was able to focus on his interests with the project while doing a great job integrating the feedback we provided based on our knowledge of the local conditions.
Jules also went beyond the requirements of the project and attended an open house to discuss his project with officials and citizens of Wausau. He discussed his project with the local media, residents, and plan commission and council members. Jules did an excellent job with all of these challenges and his ideas were received well by the people he spoke with.
We hope to have more of our projects as part of the capstone program at UW – Madison in the future. Our experience was excellent, and this certainly provided valuable work for the City of Wausau.
Brad Sippel
Assistant Planner
Department of Planning, Community and Economic Development
City of Wausau