Catching the Small Waves of Change in Sheboygan, WI

A small town known for its surfing, beaches and local shops, Sheboygan is the kind of place through which you might envision yourself meandering on a breezy Saturday afternoon in the summer. But unfortunately — thanks to car-oriented design, an overabundance of parking lots and fast drivers — the streets of this small city are dangerous for pedestrians and bikers. 

Everyday, long-time Sheboygan resident Kate Krause sees drivers speeding through the stop sign outside the coffee shop she owns. When an employee rented an apartment across the street, she warned him: “You now have a more dangerous commute crossing this intersection.”  

Several years ago, there was no central person, process or department dedicated to receiving complaints about pedestrian and bike safety and proposing solutions. So Krause and several other residents came together to start an effort to bring awareness to biking and pedestrian safety issues. That eventually became Sheboygan Active Transportation, a Strong Towns Local Conversation group that has been advocating for safety ever since.

The group does this in a variety of ways, from hosting a monthly book club and critical mass rides to showing up to give comments in support of various initiatives. They’ve presented amendments to Department of Transportation plans and built a parklet that hosts hundreds of people every week for summer concerts.  

Building the parklet in particular took patience, creativity and a willingness to iterate over time. Finding the right person on city staff to speak with wasn’t easy and the design went through several edits, but working with materials they had (like cement barriers and old bleachers from a former armory) they were able to bring it to life, sparking more creative ideas. Shortly after its launch, a donor stepped up to sponsor summer music shows. The city lists it on their Park and Rec website as a site reservable for events and, when the local farmer’s market outgrew its space, the example of the parklet helped the city more quickly embrace street closures as part of the expansion plan. 

These outcomes are inspiring, but in some ways, the local advocates' work is less about achieving certain outcomes and more about helping the city embrace a more incremental attitude towards change. “The city government is not set up to do these trial projects,” Local Conversation leader Bryan Kelly explained in an interview, reflecting on a failed attempt to get a bike lane installed. “Everything is set up to do everything all at once as a completed project.” 

Working with the city can be difficult, but he’s encouraged by recent signs of receptivity. The city is currently working through its zoning code to allow ADUs and cottage courts and is embracing parking maximums. “We’re making some steps in the right direction.”  

Ultimately, steering Sheboygan toward a stronger future will require leadership that can see the value of taking a more experiential approach. This is why Kelly ran for a seat on the Common Council on a platform of “safe streets, strong community and responsible spending.” As of earlier this month, he’s now representing District 8 and after years of being an engaged citizen. 

The changes unfolding in Sheboygan are small. Shifts in processes, leadership and mindset will take time. But Sheboygan is a surfing town and all surfers know that many good swells start small: the key is knowing how to catch and ride them well. If town leadership and citizens can keep taking these small steps towards a stronger future, who knows what’s possible.