Grief and healing are not linear experiences. Like gardens, healing requires attention and tending, growth and care. Plants, stone, water, and light are representative of strength and healing, showing the capacity to grow together. Waukesha’s springs have long been a destination for healing, including at Grede Park, making this an instinctual place for the community to collectively heal after the enormous trauma experienced together. 

The design proposal reconsiders the memorial tradition toward a more active and restorative approach. This memorial suggests that memorializing does not require a static or singular site but rather can invite visitors to honor the victims of this tragedy by walking, planting, gathering, engaging, and reflecting across the city of Waukesha.  

The Confluence: The Healing Walk begins at the start of the parade route at the Five Points intersection. At the Confluence, a series of catenary lights suspended over the intersection at Main Street and West Broadway indicate the significance of this space. Lighting and expanded pedestrian crossings extend along the parade route towards the memorial gardens. On important anniversaries and special events, the lights shine blue to honor the victims.

The Gardens: At the terminus of the Healing Walk is a series of memorial gardens located at Grede Park. A series of meandering garden paths and a boardwalk following the new naturalized edge of the Fox River all lead to a sunken circular Healing Garden at the center of the park. Within the sunken Healing Garden, a cluster of six evergreen trees honor the six victims. The surrounding planting is a community-led healing garden of grasses and perennials. Six memorial benches honor the victims, Tamara, Jane, Wilhelm, Leanna, Virginia, and Jackson. On the north side of the sunken garden, a water wall retains the slope. Water runs down the face of the wall, providing a calming sound and cooling presence. The names of the victims are etched into the walls surface, washed by the water.