John Nolen - Impact On Wisconsin

Impact On Wisconsin

Nolen developed plans for the University of Wisconsin, the city of Madison, and the state park system. His comprehensive approach blended social, economic, and physical aspects of urban life with the preservation of natural beauty. He felt strongly that:

...simple recreation in the open air amid beautiful surroundings contributes to physical and moral health, to a saner and happier life...

His plan for the city of Madison is considered a preeminent example of the urban landscape movement. Nolen later cited the grounds surrounding Worcester College as an inspiration for his plans for Madison.

In 1908, John Olin of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association contacted Nolen for advice in laying out Madison city parks. Without the money to pay Nolen, Olin enlisted the support of the city, the University of Wisconsin, and the state. Together, they devised a contract to have Nolen make recommendations for the beautification of each.

Perhaps Nolen’s most important contribution, though, was his plan for a state park system. Having seen the rapid deforestation of northern Wisconsin, the depletion of mineral resources in the southwest, and increasing urban development, Nolen was hired not only to find locations for parks but also to provide a reason for their existence. He recommended the creation of four state parks and provided guidelines for the establishment of a state park system.

Nolen's legacy lives on in Madison. Nolen Shore, a twelve-story, 145-foot-tall (44 m) high-rise building named after him, was completed in 2006. One of Madison's main thoroughfares, John Nolen Drive, is also named after him.