This is the inaugural forum in The Kathryn J. Lincoln Series, a new annual series being presented in partnership with Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.\r\n\r\nFor the last several years, LAND studio, in collaboration with the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC), has attempted to pin down an elusive solution that connects the city to its lakefront. Announced in 2023, the North Coast master plan was developed after numerous workshops, public forums, and community input. This summer, the project secured $960,000 from the Department of Transportation\'s BUILD program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\r\n\r\nNow, the project has wrapped the planning phase and is firmly entering the next era-it\'s time to do the work. Looking at peer cities that are further along in their own waterfront projects, what best practices can we learn, how were they successful, and how can we all prepare to get the job done?