Land Use - Brookfield

 

Brookfield, WI was originally home to the Sac and Potawatomi tribes. They were first ruled by the French and eventually by the English after the French and Indian War. William Howe arrived in 1820 and the city of Brookfield began to grow. The land was mostly used for agricultural purposes. They have good soil for growing fruits. With being around Milwaukee, farmers were able to achieve the highest cash market prices for their produce. For a while, agriculture was the main industry supporting their economy and their society grew slowly. After World War 2, the founders of Brookfield thought it’d be important to build a strong industrial and commercial base. They did this by encouraging the development of offices and industrial areas. Brookfield is now a major business, retail, and industrial hub. Two of the largest companies located in Brookfield is Fiserv and Milwaukee Tool. The agricultural land in Brookfield has decreased significantly and no longer a large contributor of the economy. Some of the ecological issues that Brookfield tends to face these days is flooding due to the poor draining. With increasing precipitation overall in Wisconsin, Brookfield faces heavy flooding problems affecting buildings and homes. The flooding is also damaging critical habitat and food sources for local animals. This is leading to diminishing species in Brookfield.

https://www.ci.brookfield.wi.us/59/About-Brookfield

https://wicci.wisc.edu/2021-assessment-report/built-environment/back-to-back-flooding-events-in-the-city-of-brookfield/

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/documents/1805Ch18.pdf

https://www.wpr.org/sites/default/files/wicci_2021_assessment_report-compressed.pdf