Bayview Townhouses | Feb 7, 2025

I first noticed this neighborhood during an early bike ride to work in the summer of 2024. It sits just off my daily bike path, yet I had never paid attention to it before. What caught my eye that morning was the warm orange glow from a window in a light blue building contrasting against the deep blue sky as night gave way to morning. Intrigued, I took a small detour to check out the area.

When I walked around, I learned that the neighborhood was a new development of townhouses, with still even under construction. The grass hadn't fully grown in, fencing restricted access to many of the homes, and construction equipment was scattered around. Still, some areas were completed, allowing me to wander a bit. Despite the colorful facades and a central play area designed to bring life to the space, the neighborhood felt sterile and cold. Perhaps it was the ongoing construction, but I also felt that the uniformity of the townhouses played a role; they were clearly built in bulk, as quickly and cheaply as possible. It felt like something more sinister was hidden behind the vibrant facades.

The city of Madison has grown rapidly over the past few decades, with housing supply struggling to keep up. Factors range from increasing UW-Madison enrollment to an influx of tech professionals and outdated zoning laws that remain unaddressed. The result has been a pretty severe housing shortage, often leading to redevelopment, sometimes displacing longtime residents in favor of those who can afford higher rents. I believe that this underlying tension contributed to my sense that something wasn't quite right with this development. Even the apartment buildings just to the west, old and well past their prime, offered a small glimpse into what once stood where these new homes now rise. Therefore, I initially saw this new development as just another case of pushing out residents to make way for those who could pay more.

However, that feeling began to fade as I delved deeper into the neighborhood and noticed some smaller details. On the porches of the completed homes was one of those bitchin', tiny plastic “Hummers” like the ones we all wanted as kids, as well as some scattered toys, and strollers. Furthermore, in the center of it all, there was a large open grassy area (well, dirt at the time) with a wooden playset reminiscent of something I'd seen in a baboon exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. Beyond that, a sizable community center and a colorful basketball court. All of these signs pointed to families living here and an effort to foster a strong sense of community. I left feeling hopeful and made a mental note to return and photograph the area.

At home, I did some research on the neighborhood. I learned that these new townhouses are part of the Bayview district in “The Triangle” neighborhood:

The Triangle has a rich history that I am unable to do justice here. (I recommend reading this article from the Isthmus to learn more). In short, the area was once a marsh, and was developed in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants who built homes, shops, and parks. Later, many African-American migrants fleeing the South settled here, apparently with little to no choice due to segregation laws. However, major redevelopment from the 1950s to 1970s replaced most of the original structures, while also displacing hundreds of families, similar to many other poorer neighborhoods in America at the time. To make things worse, after many of the original structures were knocked down, many plots remained empty for years, making the destruction feel even more senseless.

Since then, the neighborhood has remained largely low-income and diverse. And thanks to organizations like the Bayview Foundation, future plans aim to preserve that status. The recently redeveloped Bayview district was done so in stages, rather than a full tear-down and rebuild, to minimize the amount of displacement. Furthermore, most of units (ten of the 130) are subsidized by the federal government, allowing for lower-income families to stay in the neighborhood. Finally, one major concern of the residents before the redevelopment was that the new community would be much larger, thereby losing some sense of a smaller community. They were heard, and the overall district only grew by 28 units.

Most of the rest buildings in the Triangle Neighborhood are aging and, like the Bayview district, are set for another round of redevelopment in the 2020s. Much of the transition is already underway, as seen in my images, but one goal of mine is to document this moment of change. I want these images to evoke hope, as most of redevelopment plans appear thoughtful rather than recklessly displacing previous community for higher income transplants. However, only time will tell whether the city of Madison is able to accomplish this.

Capturing the Image

This image features the building that first caught my eye. I was drawn to the warm orange glow from the window, contrasting beautifully with the cool blue tones of the building and sky. I also appreciated the symmetry between the rows of townhouses, highlighting their cookie-cutter nature. The green house framed in the left gap hints that this style extends far beyond the visible frame.

That said, there are a few things I would improve. The left side of the frame feels visually heavy, with the bright streetlamp, green house, and median adding weight that the right side doesn't balance. Beyond composition, my camera's limitations were a challenge—this would have been an ideal situation for a shift lens. The left gap appears larger than the right due to my positioning constraints, as I had to keep adjusting my tripod in a semi-busy driveway. Finally, I wish I had shot this slightly earlier to capture an even deeper blue sky, which would have also helped minimize disruptions from passing cars.

Overall, I like this image, but it's not my favorite from the series. That brings us to the title image.

I originally envisioned this image set in deep winter, with fresh snow covering the ground and rooftops. The clean lines of snow would emphasize the newness of this development. I also wanted to shoot just before sunrise, with a soft cotton-candy sky complementing the colorful townhouses, symbolizing hope for the families moving in—despite the buildings' obvious cost-cutting construction.

Side-note: Construction was not fully completed for these units in the fall, so I had to wait until winter anyway in order to get the scene that I wanted.

However, this winter has been dry and gray, making ideal conditions rare. Here's a frame from one of the few snowy nights, though overcast skies gave it a much gloomier feel than I had hoped:

About a week later, the forecast looked more promising, so I returned. That day, I arrived to the area early, and decided to take two versions of the same composition—one well before sunrise and one just before. Here's the earlier shot:

I like the contrast here—the deep blue sky against the warm orange glow of the house lights and streetlamp. However, I feel that this strong contract takes away from the primary subject here. So, I prefer the simplicity of the title frame:

The colors of the buildings shine as the soft morning light enhances their vibrancy. Though the sky’s hues are a bit muted—likely due to clouds filtering the sunrise (I have no idea if this is an actual effect the clouds can have)—I can still see hints of the pastel tones I envisioned. Maybe I could go back for another attempt, but I actually like it as it is.

I also love how the old apartment building in the background—a subsidized senior housing unit built between the 1950s and 1970s—is subtly framed. It also framed a bit better in this second shot, as I moved the camera to the right just a bit. And just like the townhouses in the foreground, this building is set for redevelopment, continuing the story of transformation in this neighborhood. Therefore, its presence demonstrates that while the area remains affordable housing, its design has drastically evolved over 60–70 years—from dull brick structures to vibrant facades. Yet, one thing remains consistent: both were built with the speed and affordability in mind to provide housing for those less fortunate in the city. 

One final detail I love: the snow on the roofs isn’t uniform. The exposed black adds contrast, making the colorful homes pop even more compared to the version with fully snow-covered roofs.

Overall, I really enjoy this image—not just for its composition but for the story of redevelopment it tells.