Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Milwaukee

The “Elite Eight” of Parking Madness: Milwaukee vs. Columbia

So far, Texas is really dominating our Parking Madness tournament. The two Final Four spots awarded so far have gone to Lone Star heavyweights Dallas and Houston. We might have an all-Texas final.

But there are still two remaining spots in the Final Four of terrible downtown parking craters. One of those spots is going to go to either Milwaukee or Columbia, South Carolina -- today's Elite Eight match-up.

Let's refresh ourselves with the Milwaukee parking crater:

Submitted by reader Aaron from Milwaukee, this one is not a crater so much as a lunar landscape bereft of human life forms.

The area is between Milwaukee's Third Ward -- a rather hip area -- and the lakefront. Aaron tells us they occasionally hold summer festivals on part of this lot -- so a few times a year, at least, this place has people in it. One thing's for sure, though: parking lots so close to the waterfront are even sadder then regular parking lots.

Here's a wider view where you can see the parking/freeway complex divide the Third Ward from the lake:

Now, let's look at Columbia, South Carolina, which beat out Minneapolis in a squeaker in the first round:

This whole scene is adjacent to the South Carolina Statehouse, whose grounds you can see in the right bottom corner.

The most remarkable thing about this photo, in my opinion, is the almost total lack of cars.

Here's a wider view:

So, the only remaining question is, which one of these spaces deserves to be shamed in the Final Four?

[poll id="40"]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Shoveling a Snowy Sidewalk Is An Act of Resistance

Shoveling a sidewalk in winter is always a critical act of community care — but in an era of government assault on civil liberties, it's also an act of resistance.

February 2, 2026

Monday’s Headlines Are for Alex Pretti

Cyclists banded together in cities across the country to honor the ICE victim.

February 2, 2026

Friday Video: Should We Stop Calling Them ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’?

Is it time for London's game-changing urban design concept to get a rebrand?

January 30, 2026

Friday’s Headlines Yearn to Breathe Free

While EVs aren't the be-all end-all, especially when it comes to traffic safety, they do make the air cleaner. Most of the U.S. is falling behind on their adoption, though.

January 30, 2026

Talking Headways Podcast: One Year of Congestion Pricing

Danny Pearlstein of New York City's Riders Alliance breaks down how advocates made congestion pricing happen in the Big Apple.

January 29, 2026

Improving Road Safety Is A Win For The Climate, Too

Closing the notorious "fatality target" loophole wouldn't just save lives — it'd help save the human species from climate catastrophe, too.

January 29, 2026
See all posts