How one Milwaukee neighborhood united to drive community investments

Grasslyn Manor residents faced stormwater issues in isolation

For years, residents of Grasslyn Manor in Milwaukee have waged a quiet battle against stormwater and flooding. Overflowing backyards, frequent basement backups and constant dampness aren’t just occasional inconveniences — they are an everyday reality that shape how families live.

Nestled on a historic waterway and wetlands, the neighborhood’s geography makes it especially vulnerable.

“Water follows the path of least resistance. When we develop over historic waterways and wetlands, we’re essentially asking water to forget thousands of years of natural flow patterns. But water doesn’t work that way — it wants to go where it's always gone,” said Hannah Kacprzak, Greenprint’s lead engineer on the project.

Despite widespread stormwater issues, many residents suffered in isolation, unaware that their neighbors faced the same problems or that help was available beyond their community. Over the past 13 years, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District received only 12 calls reporting backups from the greater Grasslyn Manor area — a strikingly low number that concealed the true scope of the crisis.

Behind those numbers were stories of financial strain, property damage and serious health concerns from mold and contaminants. Residents lived with constant anxiety every time storm clouds gathered, knowing each downpour could bring costly, stressful flooding that would disrupt their lives. As one resident put it, “The problem was invisible to those who could help solve it.”

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Solidarity is built through shared experiences

In July 2023, everything began to shift. Greenprint was connected to residents in Grasslyn Manor through their neighborhood’s environmental group, and those neighbors had stories to tell — stories of flooding, frustration and a community that had been struggling in isolation for too long.

After learning about the neighborhood’s persistent stormwater challenges, Greenprint secured philanthropic funding to support the community’s efforts. This funding made possible what became a turning point: the first “Help Build the Ark” meeting.

For many residents, this gathering marked the first time they had shared their water stories with neighbors. As voices filled the room — recounting flooded basements, ruined belongings and years of feeling helpless — something powerful emerged: the realization that they weren’t alone. A walking tour of affected homes that followed the meeting illustrated the neighborhood’s shared struggle in vivid detail, transforming individual frustrations into collective understanding and sparking a sense of unified action.

Recognizing that real solutions start with those who know the neighborhood best, Greenprint helped convene an advisory group of residents. Over 12 meetings during the course of a year, this group did what traditional planning processes often skip: slowed down, listened deeply and co-created solutions rooted in lived experience.

Local knowledge becomes powerful data

In September 2023, the advisory group transformed resident experiences into powerful data through a community flood mapping exercise. Using large printed maps and door-to-door surveys, the team collected neighbors’ firsthand accounts of flooding throughout the area. While topographic data reveals which locations are most vulnerable to flooding, this grassroots approach provided crucial insights into the frequency and lived reality of flood impacts that topographic data alone couldn’t capture.

“Nobody knows this neighborhood’s water better than the people who live here,” said Sydney VanKuren, director of planning at Greenprint.

These efforts made the stormwater challenges visible — not just to the city, but to residents themselves. As neighbors shared and mapped their experiences, they discovered patterns they’d never noticed in isolation. Individual struggles became collective knowledge, transforming vulnerability into strength and creating a foundation for strategic action.

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A community vision emerges

The process shifted from stories to strategies during an April 2024 workshop, where the advisory group reviewed survey results, discussed solutions and clarified resident roles. They also identified the support needed from partners and local government to move forward.

Residents named connection, mental health and learning as core community values. Guided by these priorities, the advisory group set overarching goals to shape short- and long-term solutions to key stormwater issues, including street and alley flooding, yard flooding and basement backups. For each goal, they worked with Greenprint to explore potential strategies.

In May 2024, residents gathered again to democratically prioritize stormwater strategies through voting and ranking exercises, ensuring every voice helped guide the community’s direction. The results revealed a dual focus: addressing urgent flooding concerns while pushing for systemic changes, such as expanding Neighborhood Improvement District boundaries and investing in citywide stormwater infrastructure. Through determination and collaboration, residents turned personal hardships into tangible, community-driven solutions.

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Tools developed to guide solutions

These engagement efforts produced practical resources designed to serve both immediate needs and long-term goals. The advisory group co-developed a residential handbook — complete with a refrigerator magnet listing emergency contacts — to help households act quickly and confidently during flooding events. This wasn’t just information sharing; it was community members teaching each other how to protect what matters most.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive planning document outlined implementation-ready projects like green alleys and right-of-way improvements. This plan captured community priorities and translated them into language and concepts that resonated with city leaders, external partners and funders. A robust resource directory further equipped residents and advocates for the long journey ahead, ensuring the community could continue advocating effectively even as leadership and circumstances change.

Strategies turn into action

Building on this momentum, Greenprint connected the advisory group with Sweet Water, a trusted partner from previous Milwaukee initiatives. This partnership quickly produced the Adopt-Your-Drain event in June 2024, where neighbors rolled up their sleeves to clean and maintain storm drains throughout the community. More than routine maintenance, this effort demonstrated shared stewardship while directly addressing street flooding concerns and signaling to partners that the community was ready to lead.

The City of Milwaukee responded to this commitment by investing in resident-identified priorities. Officials selected two alleys in Grasslyn Manor to become the city’s newest green alleys, replacing deteriorating pavement with permeable pavers that allow stormwater to infiltrate naturally. This innovation directly tackled chronic alley flooding while reducing strain on overwhelmed storm sewers.

Old and new partners also provided support. Over the last 10 years, the Community Connections Small Grants Program and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation have helped fund at least six grants for creative projects like building berms around houses, installing backyard gardens and painting 85 rain barrels that were installed in neighbors’ yards. WaterMark, which provides a community-selected public art beacon that illuminates when a storm event is coming, became a new partner in helping protect the community from storms and rising water. 

Residents escalated their advocacy by enlisting their alderman to champion their priorities. In a pivotal meeting between the city, Alderman Jackson, resident leaders and Greenprint, basement backups emerged as a critical issue that the city had been unaware of. Equipped with survey data from sustained community engagement, officials designated Grasslyn Manor as a pilot for the city’s new Private Property Inflow and Infiltration program, partnering with Greenprint to provide residents with free lateral replacements, sump pumps and other home-based solutions.

This collaborative approach embodied the project’s core philosophy: no single organization could tackle these complex challenges alone. Together — combining residents’ neighborhood insights, Greenprint’s engagement expertise, Sweet Water’s partnership, and government investment — the work created three targeted programs that directly addressed each resident-identified priority.

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An empowered community looks to a more resilient future

As Grasslyn Manor approaches its 120th anniversary, the community envisions a neighborhood defined not by flooding but by pride, diversity and resilience. Success looks like dry basements, managed stormwater and an empowered, connected community where neighbors know they can count on each other.

The lessons are clear for other neighborhoods: resident-led planning isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential for creating solutions that actually work. Paying and empowering community experts, honoring local knowledge and weaving storytelling into policy can transform how cities approach infrastructure challenges.

Grasslyn Manor’s journey shows that when residents lead with their full expertise and partners listen with genuine respect, they can build the ark long before the storm arrives, together. The neighborhood’s transformation from isolated struggle to collective power offers a blueprint for communities everywhere facing similar challenges.