Kohler through the lens of city planning

The planned village of Kohler has long been of interest to me, given my graduate education in City Planning. The tour of Kohler Company's manufacturing facility and Design Center provided an opportunity to spend some time getting reacquainted with Kohler as a place.

Walter J. Kohler Sr., after moving the company from nearby Sheboygan, sought to assure that the surrounding community would grow in an orderly fashion. He traveled to England in 1913 to meet with Sir Ebenezer Howard, who had established his authority on the development of what he called Garden Cities. Howard's book Garden Cities of Tomorrow was an early reading assignment in grad school. His vision of the good city was one in which industrial uses were isolated from residential and commercial uses; trees and grassy boulevards served as boundaries for these areas and a green belt buffered the community from its surroundings.

After visiting Howard, Kohler hired the Olmstead Brothers of Boston to create the first plan for the community. The Olmstead Brothers had previously designed Central Park in New York and the Harvard University campus, among other accomplishments. In 1917 the Olmsteads' initial 50-year plan for the Village of Kohler was adopted The plan guided development until 1977, when the Kohler plan was updated with help from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The current plan emphasizes environmental sensitivity, encourages the planting of trees, and preserves wetlands and woodlands.

Today, the village of Kohler is a charming and appealing place to live. Sculptures created by former artists-in-residence are integrated into the beautiful landscaping. The town, which benefits from its location at the north end of Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine, is defined on the south end by one of Kohler’s world-class golf courses, Black Wolf Run.

As a kid I had the impression that Kohler was a company town, with all of the negatives suggested by that label. In retrospect, that was probably unfair. After all, the Kohler Improvement Company was formed in 1917 to build homes that were sold to employees at cost. Middle and upper management have always been precluded from running for Village governing positions to assure an independent voice for the community.

Though unrelated to the planning of the village, Kohler Company's approach in the early 1900's to dealing with immigrant workers is worth noting and considering in the context of the contemporary debate on the subject. The company sponsored Americanization Day in early April. Immigrant employees were taken to the County Courthouse to file papers to become U.S. citizens. Employees prepared for the citizenship test by attending classes in English and American Government that were offered by the company.