1000 Friends of Wisconsin advocates for stronger land-use planning and transportation policies for a more climate-resilient future. Founded in 1996, 1000 Friends was formed from a taskforce convened to pass legislation requiring every Wisconsin community to build a comprehensive land use plan by 2010 — a first-of-its-kind law now considered one of the best comprehensive planning laws in the country. Since then, 1000 Friends has fought for good land use to promote transit options beyond cars, increased urban density and affordable housing. It is part of a coalition that mounted a lawsuit challenging the expansion of Milwaukee’s I-94 highway from six to eight lanes on the grounds that authorities did not consider a reasonable alternative or potential disproportionate harm to Black and Latino communities. Through its “Rethink 794” campaign, it also advocates replacing the elevated portion of I-794 with a street grid that would reconnect downtown Milwaukee with the Historic Third Ward.
The organization has four staff members, three full-time and one part-time, plus nine board members. Beyond public advocacy efforts, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin is also a collaborator and educator. Currently it operates Active Wisconsin, a network of local leaders and advocates committed to better infrastructure and policies for walking, biking and public transportation, and Community Transportation Academy, a free 9-10-week course that has educated people about public transportation planning through guest speakers, local tours and an optional final project that allows participants to propose solutions to transit problems plaguing their communities. So far, the Community Transportation Academy has trained about 100 people in La Crosse, Stevens Point, Beloit and Kenosha, and has held trainings to replicate the academy model across the Midwest to Kansas City, Detroit, Des Moines, Minneapolis and Cleveland, with more trainings to come in Grand Rapids, Duluth and Cedar Rapids.
Kenosha participants of the Community Transportation Academy take the bus during a tour on October 16, 2024. Photo: Susan Gaeddert