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HideCity of Madison Comprehensive Plan
Madison, Wisconsin is a growing and changing city with a rich history behind us and a bright future ahead. Together, over 18 months, we collectively created this Comprehensive Plan to prioritize our values and map out our future. Adopted by the City of Madison Common Council, the Comprehensive Plan is a statement of where the community wants to go and how it will get there.
This Plan will guide the City of Madison’s policies, budgets, growth, and direction for the next generation and beyond.
Land Use and Transportation
Goal: Madison will be a safe and welcoming city of strong and complete neighborhoods that meet the needs of all residents.
Goal: Madison will have a full range of quality and affordable housing opportunities throughout the City.
Strategy 1: Improve transit service, especially to peripheral employment and residential locations, with a focus on reducing the travel time for transit dependent populations.
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Actions
a. Pursue improvements to transit service in peripheral areas and adjacent municipalities.
b. Consider implementing additional Madison Metro routes that more directly connect peripheral areas without traveling through Downtown.
c. Prioritize improved service for transit-dependent populations when integrating Madison Metro routes and schedules with BRT.
Strategy 2: Implement bus rapid transit (BRT) to improve travel times, enhance reliability, and increase ridership.
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Actions
a. Build a new bus storage and maintenance facility to support an expanded bus fleet.
b. Prepare detailed plans for BRT corridors to guide redevelopment and improve pedestrian and bicycle linkages.
c. Integrate BRT-supportive features into street reconstruction and development projects along BRT corridors wherever feasible.
d. Explore opportunities to use alternative methods to fund BRT infrastructure
Strategy 3: Ensure all populations benefit from the City's transportation investments.
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Actions
a. Use the City’s Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI) tools to inform major transportation projects.
b. Partner with businesses and governmental entities to expand access to various money-saving transit pass programs.
c. Pursue equitable distribution of amenities and traffic calming measures in street reconstruction projects throughout the city.
Strategy 4: Improve access to transit service to nearby cities, such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
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Actions
a. Support construction of an intercity bus terminal that is well-integrated with Madison Metro and future BRT.
b. Work with WisDOT and local railroad operators to maintain the viability of existing rail corridors for future passenger rail operations both within the city and to adjoining metro areas.
c. Continue to advocate for high speed rail connections to nearby metro areas with state officials.
Strategy 5: Concentrate the highest intensity development along transit corridors, downtown, and at Activity Centers.
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Actions
a. Implement Transit Oriented Development (TOD) overlay zoning along BRT and other existing and planned high-frequency transit service corridors to create development intensity minimums, reduce parking requirements, and support transit use.
b. Ensure that redevelopment is well-integrated into adjacent low density residential areas.
c. Facilitate the creation of Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) and implementation of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies to serve high-intensity development at Activity Centers and along major transit corridors.
d. Prepare plans to transition auto-oriented commercial areas into mixed-use Activity Centers.
Strategy 6: Facilitate compact growth to reduce the development of farmland.
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Actions
a. Continue to update peripheral neighborhood development plans to increase allowable development intensity and create density minimums.
b. Steer peripheral growth towards priority areas, with a focus on land already served by utilities.
c. Accommodate a majority of growth through infill and redevelopment.
Strategy 7: Maintain downtown Madison as a major Activity Center for the region while improving access and inclusivity.
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Actions
a. Continue to use the City’s Affordable Housing Fund to support construction of affordable housing in and near downtown.
b. Facilitate partnerships with community organizations to host more downtown events that attract a wider variety of demographic groups.
c. Improve transit service to and from downtown outside of standard commuting hours.
d. Develop and implement a park-and-ride plan to increase accessibility to downtown and the UW-Madison campus.
Strategy 8: Expand and improve the city’s pedestrian and bicycle networks to enable safe and convenient active transportation.
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Actions
a. Proactively fill gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle network.
b. Continue to integrate pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements and amenities into new and reconstructed streets.
c. Update the subdivision ordinance to ensure that new developments incorporate the City's planned shared-use path network.
d. Develop and adopt a citywide pedestrian and bicycle plan that advocates for implementation of modern design principles while also moving towards a financially sustainable maintenance program.
Strategy 9: Implement new technologies to more efficiently use existing transportation infrastructure.
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Actions
a. Work with the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (MATPB) and other entities to implement the Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Plan for the Madison Metropolitan Area.
b. Partner with UW-Madison and other entities to safely test and build transportation infrastructure that supports connected and autonomous vehicles.
c. Use technology to enhance parking management systems.
d. Evaluate emerging technologies for use in bridging “first mile/last mile” gaps in the transit system.
Neighborhoods and Housing
Goal: Madison will be a safe and welcoming city of strong and complete neighborhoods that meet the needs of all residents.
Goal: Madison will have a full range of quality and affordable housing opportunities throughout the City.
Strategy 1: Create complete neighborhoods across the city where residents have access to transportation options and resources needed for daily living.
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Actions
a. Plan for and facilitate mixed-use neighborhood centers featuring shops, services, employment, and a mix of housing types within and near single-use neighborhoods as identified in the Growth Priority Areas map.
b. Plan for complete neighborhoods in developing areas on the city’s periphery to avoid the need to retrofit them in the future.
c. Support the integration of a mix of housing types and neighborhood amenities near existing transit corridors and shared use paths.
d. Ensure that existing and future neighborhoods are well served by transit, shared use paths, and sidewalks.
Strategy 2: Support development of a wider mix of housing types, sizes, and costs throughout the city.
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Actions
a. Include “Missing Middle” housing types within detailed sub-area plans.
b. Encourage provision of life cycle housing choices by supporting lower priced or lower maintenance accessible housing options integrated into places with convenient transportation options.
c. Continue to enable and encourage a variety of ownership and occupancy structures including co-housing, condominiums, and owner-occupied rentals.
Strategy 3: Increase the amount of available housing.
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Actions
a. Support substantial new housing opportunities by prioritizing planning efforts to transition underutilized, automobile-dominated commercial areas into complete neighborhoods and mixed-use Activity Centers.
b. Explore adjustments to the number of dwelling units, building size, and height thresholds between permitted and conditional uses to increase the allowable density for residential buildings in mixed-use zoning districts and select residential zoning districts.
c. Take a proactive approach to finding and marketing housing development opportunities to development partners.
d. Explore the widespread replacement of residential density maximums with building height maximums outside of the downtown area.
Strategy 4: Integrate lower priced housing, including subsidized housing, into complete neighborhoods.
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Actions
a. Support the distribution of affordable housing throughout the city.
b. Explore how TIF could be better utilized to fund affordable housing.
c. Continue allocating money to the City’s Affordable Housing Fund.
d. Continue to pursue a variety of county, state, and federal funding and public-private partnerships to support the development of affordable housing.
e. Support and partner with non-profit organizations to preserve affordable housing for the long term.
Strategy 5: Provide housing options with health and social services for residents who need it most, including residents experiencing homelessness.
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Actions
a. Through partnerships, support organizations that provide temporary shelter and access to a full range of supportive services in or near affordable housing.
b. Continue to support the provision of tenant resources and information about housing rights and options, especially for low-income households.
c. Continue the permanent supportive housing program and monitor the success of the program in meeting the challenges of homelessness.
Strategy 6: Support the rehabilitation of existing housing stock, particularly for first-time homebuyers and people living with lower incomes.
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Actions
a. Increase programmed building inspections and enforcement activities for rental housing maintenance, prioritizing areas with vulnerable residents.
b. Partner with MGE, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, the Madison Water Utility, and others to provide incentives for rehabilitation, maintenance, and enhanced accessibility and sustainability of housing.
c. Review the use of first time homeowner assistance programs, small cap tax incremental financing, and other similar rehabilitation and ownership programs.
Strategy 7: Support neighborhood-scaled schools that offer amenities and services to the surrounding area.
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Actions
a. Support development of neighborhood-scaled schools that serve the community while fitting within the context of the neighborhood.
b. Ensure that Madison’s existing schools can remain strong and viable by supporting housing for families with children near existing and planned schools.
c. Work with Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) and surrounding school districts to ensure school attendance areas reflect development patterns and account for planned growth areas.
d. Support expansion of the MMSD “Community School” program.
Strategy 8: Ensure access to food that is affordable, nutritious, and culturally specific.
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Actions
a. Continue initiatives to support the introduction of neighborhood-serving grocery stores into under-served established neighborhoods.
b. Identify public and private spaces suitable for community gardens and explore expansion of existing gardens to meet demand.
c. Improve access to fresh foods by encouraging and facilitating the equitable distribution of farmers markets and farm stands.
d. Encourage initiatives that support the emergency food system and facilitate donation of near-expired, but high-quality, foods.
Economy and Opportunity
Goal: Madison will have a growing, diversified economy that offers opportunity for businesses and residents to prosper.
Goal: Madison will have equitable education and advancement opportunities that meet the needs of each resident.
Strategy 1: Retain existing employers and attract new employers to ensure residents have access to jobs.
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Actions
a. Target Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) efforts toward our competitive advantage.
b. Continue the Business Walk program.
c. Support the siting of state government facilities within the City.
d. Expand the City's TIF program to keep Madison regionally competitive and support small businesses.
Strategy 2: Ensure an adequate supply of sites for a wide variety of employers to operate and grow.
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Actions
a. Reserve sites for employment uses in City land use plans.
b. Layer tools and incentives in specific geographic areas.
c. Facilitate the reuse of Brownfield sites.
d. Participate in site selection and site certification programs.
Strategy 3: Support more jobs that pay a family-supporting living wage.
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Actions
a. Continue the living wage for City employees and contractors.
b. Leverage the Jobs TIF program to support living wage jobs.
c. Pursue increases to Wisconsin's minimum wage.
Strategy 4: Close the educational opportunity gap.
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Actions
a. Continue to improve access to quality child care with an emphasis on underrepresented groups.
b. Continue support for out of school time programming.
c. Align City internships and initiatives with work-based learning opportunities for youth and young adults.
d. Expand access to low-cost, high-speed internet service.
Strategy 5: Remove barriers to achieving economic stability.
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Actions
a. Continue support for neighborhood centers.
b. Work with partners to better align efforts in job training and placement programs.
c. Increase awareness of programs that build residents' financial capability.
Strategy 6: Support small businesses and cultivate entrepreneurship, especially businesses owned by underrepresented groups.
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Actions
a. Continue the Business Assistance Team.
b. Continue development of underrepresented contractors.
c. Continue support for business incubators.
d. Establish a Kiva City crowdfunding program.
Strategy 7: Support efforts for businesses and consumers to produce and buy local food, products, and services.
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Actions
a. Foster a Northside Food Innovation District.
b. Continue implementation of the Madison Public Market and MarketReady program.
c. Expand the Street Vending program.
Strategy 8: City government should lead and encourage other employers to develop a diverse workforce best able to serve an increasingly diverse population.
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Actions
a. Continue the City’s Equitable Workforce program.0
b. Support community efforts to diversify Madison's workforce.
Culture and Character
Goal: Madison will be a vibrant and creative city that values and builds upon its cultural and historic assets.
Goal: Madison will have a unique character and strong sense of place in its neighborhoods and the city as a whole.
Strategy 1: Create vibrant and inviting places through creative architecture and urban design.
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Actions
a. Prioritize placemaking as a way to focus on who and how public spaces will be used and designed throughout the city.
b. Emphasize high quality human-scaled design in new buildings and public spaces.
c. Use the City’s development review standards and processes to ensure that redevelopment and infill projects result in interesting, high-quality buildings and spaces and harmonious design relationships with older buildings.
d. Update Urban Design Districts 1-6 and consider expanding urban design districts to redeveloping corridors.
Strategy 2: Preserve historic and special places that tell the story of Madison and reflect racially and ethnically diverse cultures and histories.
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Actions
a. Complete, adopt, and implement a Historic Preservation Plan as a framework for the future of Madison’s historic preservation program.
b. Finish updating the Historic Preservation Ordinance by revising the standards for each of the local historic districts.
c. Identify ways to retain older buildings that contribute to the special character of an area, or are associated with diverse cultures, through the adoption of sub-area plans prior to redevelopment pressures.
d. Update the zoning code and height maps to better link the code with the City’s historic preservation plan and ordinance.
Strategy 3: Create safe and affirming community spaces that bring people together and provide social outlets for underrepresented groups.
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Actions
a. Identify existing underutilized spaces, both public and private, and help facilitate their increased usage and activation.
b. Design a wide variety of new parks and public spaces in developing parts of the city for enjoyment by a broad range of users.
c. Engage artists and talent to find positive ways for the City to improve its support of concerts, events, and gatherings, including encouraging music venues for a wider range of audiences.
Strategy 4: Balance the concentration of cultural and entertainment venues between the downtown and other areas of the city.
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Actions
a. Continue to implement Madison’s Cultural Plan and regularly update it to ensure it reflects Madison’s changing population.
b. Promote cultural and music events in diverse neighborhoods where the whole community is welcome.
c. Develop a streamlined protocol to set up temporary spaces for smaller events.
Strategy 5: Preserve defining views of the lakes, downtown skyline, and Capitol from publicly accessible locations.
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Actions
a. Adhere to the Maximum Building Heights Map and Views and Vistas Maps in the Downtown Plan.
b. Conduct a viewshed study of the lakes, downtown skyline, and Capitol from vantage points within the city and beyond its borders and implement zoning restrictions to preserve these views.
Strategy 6: Integrate public art throughout the city.
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Actions
a. Continue to implement recommendations in the Public Art Framework and schedule a comprehensive revision of that plan to ensure it represents all segments of the community.
b. Emphasize the equitable geographic distribution of City investment in public art.
c. Incorporate art and the work of artists that reflects Madison’s cultural diversity and heritage at City facilities.
d. Work with community partners to integrate art into their buildings and spaces.
Strategy 7: Provide opportunities to learn about, create, collaborate, and enjoy the arts.
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Actions
a. Promote and support a diverse array of local artists to increase their ability to flourish as creative professionals.
b. Support the efforts of community partners to identify and implement art and creative activities that are open and accessible to the public.
c. Work with educational institutions and community organizations to provide culturally relevant arts education for all groups and age ranges.
d. Utilize artists in planning and other City processes to highlight the value of art as a cross-cultural communication tool.
Green and Resilient
Goal: Madison will be a leader in stewardship of our land, air, and water resources.
Goal: Madison will have a model park and open space system that preserves our significant natural features and offers spaces for recreation and bringing residents together.
Strategy 1: Protect Madison's water supply and infrastructure to provide safe, clean drinking water.
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Actions
a. Continue the accelerated water main replacement program and infrastructure renewal program.
b. Expand education programs related to appropriate salt application.
c. Pursue updates to the building code to expand use of rainwater harvesting and use of graywater for water conservation.
d. Continue to partner with Project Home to help homeowners make water conservation upgrades.
Strategy 2: Improve lake and stream water quality.
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Actions
a. Partner with other entities to keep phosphorus and other pollutants out of the lakes.
b. Increase frequency and efficiency of leaf collection and street sweeping to reduce phosphorus runoff.
c. Further incentivize rain gardens and other types of green infrastructure.
d. Continue adaptive stormwater management and erosion control to prepare for more intense rain events.
Strategy 3: Increase the use and accessibility of energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy.
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Actions
a. Implement the Energy Plan to reach the goal of 100% renewable and zero-net carbon emissions.
b. Promote various financing tools to fund energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy.
c. Partner with electrical utilities to increase renewable energy and provide education on the cost savings.
d. Support infrastructure to expand the use of electric vehicles and other eco-friendly fuel sources.
Strategy 4: Acquire parkland and upgrade park facilities to accommodate more diverse activities and gatherings.
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Actions
a. Incorporate preferences specific to different cultures, age groups, and abilities in parks and open spaces.
b. Pursue acquisition of parkland in areas planned for or which have had significant redevelopment.
c. Increase connectivity between parks and open spaces through greenways and trails.
Strategy 5: Improve and preserve urban biodiversity through an interconnected greenway and habitat system.
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Actions
a. Enhance the capability of greenways and open spaces to support natural habitats.
b. Integrate vegetation into the built environment, such as terrace plantings, living walls, and green roofs.
Strategy 6: Develop a healthy and diverse urban tree canopy.
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Actions
a. Continue to prioritize tree species diversity to create a resilient tree canopy.
b. Work across agencies to increase the tree canopy.
c. Review and update City policies, practices, and programs, and operations that impact the urban tree canopy.
Strategy 7: Improve public access to the lakes.
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Actions
a. Expand protected shoreline through the purchase of property or easements.
b. Provide additional connections to and along the lakes.
c. Prioritize water quality improvements at public beaches.
Strategy 8: Reduce landfilled waste.
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Actions
a. Establish a new westside full-service drop-off site for recyclables, hazardous materials, and yard waste.
b. Establish a citywide food scrap recycling program.
c. Create multi-lingual educational information about recycling and composting.
Strategy 9: Support sustainable farming and gardening practices that protect the ecosystem and public health.
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Actions
a. Work with partners to continue to support community gardens and associated infrastructure.
b. Identify opportunities to support local food production within the City.
c. Establish guidelines for sustainable agricultural best practices.
Effective Government
Goal: Madison will have efficient and reliable public utilities, facilities, and services that support all residents.
Goal: Madison will collaborate with other governmental and non-governmental entities to improve efficiency and achieve shared goals.
Strategy 1: Pursue regional solutions to regional issues.
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Actions
a. Strengthen the capacity of regional agencies to foster collaboration and consensus.
b. Work with Dane County and adjacent communities to improve the quality of area lakes and preserve other natural resources and facilities.
c. Work with Dane County and other municipalities to develop a regional food systems plan.
Strategy 2: Collaborate with State and local officials to create a regional transit authority to enhance public transit in the Madison area.
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Action
a. Collaborate with area municipalities and businesses to make the case for the creation of a regional transit authority.
Strategy 3: Locate community facilities to provide a high level of service to all neighborhoods.
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Actions
a. Create a long-range facilities plan to guide the siting of City facilities.
b. Co-locate community facilities to improve service provision and reduce capital and operating costs.
c. Establish partnerships with other entities to improve service delivery and reduce duplicative services.
Strategy 4: Work with area municipalities and regional entities to preserve long-term options for efficient City expansion.
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Actions
a. Meet with area municipalities to share and discuss community goals and growth plans.
b. Work closely with Capital Area Regional Planning Commission and Dane County on regional planning.
c. Continue to enter into intergovernmental plans and agreements with neighboring municipalities when it is beneficial to do so.
d. Continue to use the City’s extraterritorial review authority to limit unsewered, low density development on the City’s periphery.
Strategy 5: Ensure that new development occurs in locations that can be efficiently served to minimize costs on the community as a whole.
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Actions
a. Use the Comprehensive Plan and sub-area plans to guide development towards areas that can be efficiently served.
b. Use the urban service area process to guide development to areas that can be served best.
c. Be judicious with outward expansion of utilities and community facilities.
Strategy 6: Improve accessibility to government agencies and services.
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Actions
a. Provide language translation and interpretation to meet the needs of residents.
b. Consider new technology and systems, such as a 311 system for people to efficiently communicate with the City.
c. Explore expanded office hours and satellite facilities to accommodate customers with varying work schedules or those who rely on transit.
Strategy 7: Ensure that the City of Madison government is transparent and accountable.
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Actions
a. Provide information on City operations and initiatives through Results Madison and other mechanisms.
b. Use customer satisfaction surveys to gain feedback on City services.
c. Engage city residents by providing meaningful opportunities for participation in decisions that affect their neighborhoods and the city as a whole.
d. Provide a wide range of opportunities for involvement in planning and decision making, with targeted access and inclusion of underrepresented populations.
Strategy 8: Continue to build better relationships between police officers and the diverse communities they serve.
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Actions
a. Continue outreach programs that develop connections with individual residents and the community.
b. Increase avenues for community feedback and influence in police practices.
c. Continue Madison Police Department training in cultural competency.
Strategy 9: Ensure all neighborhoods are clean and safe through the provision of quality non-emergency services.
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Actions
a. Raise awareness of the City's Report-a-Problem service to increase use and quickly address resident concerns.
b. Continue to pursue innovation and efficiency in the provision of core city services.
Guided Tour
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