A Creational Trail.
Matireal demonstrates that a simple idea can transform a local problem into a network of new possibilities.
Environmental architect Keith Hayes began his project with a nearly unlimited resource: used tires. The goal is to connect two neighborhoods that are currently divided by a disused railroad and a six-lane road, while reusing discarded tires that litter both neighborhoods and breed those infamous Wisconsin mosquitos.
By transforming trashed tires into matireal — a geotextile infilled with gravel and sod — Hayes hopes to build an art corridor along an abandoned industrial route and connect communities together. Residents benefit; trash is recycled; private land becomes public; economic opportunties are created; and the model is proven, clearing a path for similar projects in other cities.
How’s that for a win-win-win-win-win?
