Lake Monona Waterfront | Friends of Nolen Waterfront | Madison, WI
The Design Challenge
The Lake Monona Waterfront Design Challenge is a once-in-a generation opportunity to shape the future of Madison’s urban waterfront. This is a competition to create a visionary, inclusive, and environmentally focused master plan for Madison’s foremost public lakefront comprising 1.7 miles of shoreline and 17 total acres. The intent of the design challenge is to attract regional and national planning expertise to the planning area.
The deadline for team submissions was May 2, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. CDT, and the RFQ is now closed. National and local consultant teams submitted responses: Agency Landscape + Planning; Civitas; Coen + Partners; Confluence; Edgewater Resources; James Corner Field Operations; OLIN; PORT; RDG Planning and Design; Rogers Partners; Sasaki; SmithGroup; Saiki + SWA; W Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Visionary, Inclusive, Environmentally Healthy
The Friends of Nolen Waterfront imagines the waterfront as a welcoming destination for all Madison residents and visitors. A waterfront destination that connects Downtown Madison to Lake Monona, enhances community connections, increases physical and visual access to the lake, improves Lake Monona’s water quality and aquatic habitat, celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy in Madison, and recognizes Lake Monona’s cultural history from the Ho-Chunk people to the present day.
Join us as we move toward a beautiful, activity-rich signature park that embodies the character and values of the city, incorporating innovative and iconic features that are regional attractions and provide an indelible experience unique to Madison.
The Groundwork
2008–2015: An all-volunteer group of community members and Madison-area design professionals gather to envision potential transformational projects to enhance downtown Madison’s unique isthmus geography, including the Lake Monona waterfront.
2016–2018: Ad Hoc committee of community members and Madison-area design professionals meet to support the Lake Monona Waterfront. Formation of Friends of Nolen Waterfront, Inc. non-profit.
2018: City approved funding for development of signature park master plan.
2019: Parks Division Preliminary Report for the Lake Monona Waterfront corridor.
2022: Launch of the Design Challenge
Friends of Nolen Waterfront Board Members
- Claire Schaefer Oleksiak, President of FNW, Sustain Dane
- Tim Anderson, Vice President of FNW, Architect – Retired
- Allen Arntsen, Secretary of FNW, Foley & Lardner – Retired
- Jim Bradley, Treasurer of FNW, Home Savings Bank
- Jason Ilstrup, At-Large Executive Committee of FNW, Downtown Madison Inc.
- Jon Warner, Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison
- Pam Christenson, MGE
- Brenda Baker, Madison Children’s Museum
- Tyler Leeper, Madison Boats
- Sarah Neujahr, New Year Investments
- Raj Shukla, The Nature Conservancy
- Deb Archer, Archer Strategic Partners
- Jamie Patrick, Destination Madison & Madison Area Sports Commission
- Strategic Advisory Committee: George Austin, Alan Fish, Fred Klancnik, Doug Kozel, Dave Mollenhoff, Carol Richard, James Tye, and other members
