evidence: Throughout his campaign, and since he's taken office, Mayor Cavalier Johnson has touted an audacious idea: He wants to grow the city's population to a million. [...] Meanwhile, the population is growing on Milwaukee's east side and downtown. New housing, new entertainment venues and new jobs have drawn people in. Apartments are rising up to meet demand. This growth didn't happen by accident, said Rocky Marcoux, former commissioner of the Department of City development. The city made strategic investments, most notably in the Milwaukee Riverwalk and the Third Ward.