MADISON, Wis. — The City of Madison is beginning work on its new Downtown Area Plan in conjunction with Downtown Madison Inc.’s Greater Downtown Economic Investment Strategy as part of Envision Downtown Madison.
The last time the city created a plan was in 2012, and the new plan will continue to build off of its success. City officials said at the first meeting on Tuesday, that the plan looks to provide a vision for the future of the city.
“Envision downtown Madison is really an opportunity for us to build on the last downtown, plan to envision the future and to strengthen our relationships downtown and to collaborate even better than we already do,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.
According to the Planning Department, Madison is projected to grow by 100,000 people in the next 20-25 years with a high concentration in the downtown area. And with 43 percent of downtown residents spending more than half of their income on rent, community members shared concerns over the housing crisis.
President of Downtown Madison Inc. Jason Ilstrup said they are taking housing concerns into account while creating the plan.
“What I think is really important about this is we have national consultants that have seen work in other cities, and if we can take some of those ideas and run with it, I think we can create our own Madison,” Ilstrup said.
The plan is made up of two parts. The Downtown Area Plan will guide future growth, including land use, transportation systems, city design and the overall uniqueness of the city. The Downtown Strategy will focus on opportunities for long-term investment, focusing on economic growth and supporting existing industries and businesses while bringing new ones in.
“This is about hope, right? What does the future of downtown look like?” Ilstrup said. “The future of downtown is going to look a lot brighter with the public and private sectors, the residents, the nonprofits, the businesses all working together to create a strategic plan and the vision we all want to see.”
The first phase of the plan will begin this spring with ongoing engagement with the community and foundational analysis. The final review and approval is expected in early 2027.
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