Healthy Neighborhoods for a Healthy Economy
March 9, 2026
@ American Family Field

​

Healthy neighborhoods are foundational to Milwaukee’s economic growth, shaping the city’s ability to attract and retain talent, maintain a stable workforce, and foster business investment. Safe streets, quality affordable housing, strong schools, accessible transit, and vibrant commercial corridors create the kinds of communities where professionals and families choose to live, and businesses choose to invest. For Milwaukee to compete regionally and grow its population, neighborhood vitality must be viewed not simply as a social priority but as an economic strategy.

Building healthy communities requires more than infrastructure development; It requires trust, engagement, and neighborhood voices. The March meeting will explore how community reporting and inclusive journalism strengthen trust between residents, institutions, and investors while directly contributing to meaningful community development outcomes. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s newly launched Neighborhood Dispatch is committed to amplifying community perspectives by centering residents as experts of their own neighborhoods. Over the past decade, efforts such as those led by Near West Side Partners have demonstrated how lifting up community-driven solutions can advance neighborhood development, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and build momentum for equitable investment.

​

To represent how this all works together, at the March meeting, we will hear from:

• Steve Radke, President, Northwestern Mutual Foundation

• Kynala Phillips, Neighborhood Dispatch Editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, Executive Director, Near West Side Partners

When residents’ lived experiences inform public dialogue, they help to shape policy priorities, guide equitable investment, and spotlight community-driven solutions. This meeting will highlight how community-centered journalism, trust-building, and strategic investment work together to support equitable development and create stronger, more connected neighborhoods across Milwaukee.