Accessory Dwelling Unit: A second dwelling unit con-tained within a single-family dwelling or within a detached building located on the same lot as a single-family dwelling. This definition includes accessory buildings constructed in connection with a private garage or a private garage con-verted into a dwelling unit.Activity Center: An intensively developed area that is the visual and/or functional center of a neighborhood(s) or a district. Activity centers are typically comprised of a mix of land uses developed at a higher intensity than the sur-rounding area including residential, commercial, employ-ment, civic, institutional, and parks and open space uses. Affordable Housing Fund: A City of Madison program to provide loans and grants to for-profit and non-profit housing developers for the construction of new affordable rental housing.Agrihood: A neighborhood with a working farm inte-grated into its urban or suburban surroundings that pro-vides or sells its crops and other agricultural products to neighborhood residents and the surrounding community through farm stands, CSA shares, local retailers, and farm-ers' markets.Anaerobic Digester: The built system where anaero-bic digestion takes place. Anaerobic digestion is the natu-ral process in which microorganisms break down natural materials. (Source: U.S. EPA)Artificial Intelligence: A branch of computer sci-ence dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers or the capability of a machine to imitate intel-ligent human behavior. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictio-nary)AI: A branch of computer sci-ence dealing with the simulation of intelligent behavior in computers or the capability of a machine to imitate intel-ligent human behavior. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictio-nary)Autonomous Vehicles: Vehicles that can drive them-selves from a starting point to a predetermined destination in "autopilot” mode using various in-vehicle technologies and sensors, including adaptive cruise control, active steering (steer by wire), anti-lock braking systems (brake by wire), GPS navigation technology, lasers and radar. (Source: Gartner)Beach Exclosure: A treatment system that pumps water from inside a closed off area of a beach through filtration, UV disinfection, then releases treated water back into the swimming area. (Source: INFOS Yahara Lakes)Biodiversity: The variety of life in a particular habitat, including plants, trees, and animals. (Source: Oxford Dic-tionaries)Biogas: A gaseous fuel, primarily methane, produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.(Sources: Dictionary.com, Wikipedia)BRT: A high-capacity bus system with features that are similar to a light rail system, such as frequent service, dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare collection, fewer stops, and traffic signal priority. (Source: Institute for Transportation and Development Policy)Bus Rapid Transit: A high-capacity bus system with features that are similar to a light rail system, such as frequent service, dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare collection, fewer stops, and traffic signal priority. (Source: Institute for Transportation and Development Policy)Capital Area Regional Planning Commission: One of nine commissions in Wisconsin estab-lished to coordinate planning and development among area municipalities. CARPC develops and promotes regional plans, provides objective information and pro-fessional planning services, and focuses local attention on issues of regional importance.CARPC carries out land use planning and areawide water quality management planning for the greater Madison region. State statutes charge it with the duty of prepar-ing and adopting a master plan for the physical develop-ment of the region. The Department of Natural Resources contracts with the Commission to maintain a continuing areawide water quality management planning process to manage, protect, and enhance the water resources of the region. (Source: CARPC)CARPC: One of nine commissions in Wisconsin estab-lished to coordinate planning and development among area municipalities. CARPC develops and promotes regional plans, provides objective information and pro-fessional planning services, and focuses local attention on issues of regional importance.CARPC carries out land use planning and areawide water quality management planning for the greater Madison region. State statutes charge it with the duty of prepar-ing and adopting a master plan for the physical develop-ment of the region. The Department of Natural Resources contracts with the Commission to maintain a continuing areawide water quality management planning process to manage, protect, and enhance the water resources of the region. (Source: CARPC)Capital Costs: The capital costs are expenses associated with purchasing assets such as land, buildings, and equip-ment. (Source: Investopedia)Capital Budgeting: A plan for what assets (such as land, buildings, construction, and equipment) will be purchased over a year or more time. City Expansion Areas: Portions of the City that are expected to have future development, including housing, businesses, and more.City Fees: Costs paid by developers or users of City ser-vices, such as building permits, development review fees, and parkland dedication fees. City Home Rehabilitation Loans: Financial incentives to invest in housing units in need of rehabilitation, result-ing in an improved housing stock.Competitive Advantage: When a city, business, or other entity is able to produce a good or service at a lower price or in a more desirable fashion for customers or cus-tomers when compared to competing municipalities or region. (Source: Investopedia)Complete Street: Streets that are designed and oper-ated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestri-ans, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. (Source: Smart Growth America)Complete Neighborhood: A neighborhood where a mix of residential and non-residential buildings are in close proximity to each other with multiple transportation options. This enables community members to reach desti-nations needed for daily living (like grocery stores, schools, banks, and more) quickly, conveniently, and safely. Connected Vehicle: A car or other vehicle that com-municates with the internet, infrastructure, and/or other vehicles. This can allow a car to estimate the cost of a trip, be alerted to traffic, and perform many other activities. (Source: Center for Advanced Automotive Technology)Context-Sensitive Design: Development that is well-in-tegrated into the character of the surrounding neighbor-hood, and including considerations such as height and bulk, setback from the street, width along the street front-age, and site infrastructure, among others.Development District: Key areas identified to target employment and housing growth within mixed-use, tran-sit-oriented development. These are areas where City economic development tools can be aligned, removing barri-ers to quality development.Double Dollars Program: A program for FoodShare (Wisconsin's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) users in Dane County, offering a dol-lar-for-dollar match for purchases at participating farmers' markets, farm stands, and food retail locations. The pro-gram is available year-round at sites throughout the Mad-ison areaEasement: A legal tool that grants one party the right to use property that another party owns and possesses. (Source: Investopedia, Merriam-Webster DictionaryE-Commerce: Activities that relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary)Edge Development: Also known as greenfield devel-opment: development of vacant, agricultural, or forested land on the periphery of the city that has not been previ-ously developed.Equitable Hiring Initiative: A checklist and guide to ensure each hiring decision for the City of Madison is as equitable as possible. Equity Review: A series of questions to ask to ensure that the impacts on all community members, especially communities of color and low-income populations, are being considered when making decisions. Extraterritorial Plat Approval Jurisdiction: A stat-utory tool to review land divisions outside city and village boundaries in anticipation of urban development.Floor Area Ratio: The measurement of a build-ing's floor area in relation to the size of the building's lot or parcel. FAR is an effective way to calculate the bulk or mass of building volume on a development site, and is often used in conjunction with other development standards such as building heights, lot coverage, and lot area to encourage a community's desired arrangement and form of develop-ment. (Source: Metropolitan Council (MN))Focus on Energy Program: Wisconsin's energy effi-ciency and renewable resource program that partners 108 Wisconsin electric and natural gas utilities with homeown-ers, business owners, local governments, and others to install energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. (Source: Focus on Energy)Geothermal: Heat derived below the earth's surface that is harnessed to generate clean, renewable energy. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)Graywater: Wastewater gathered from sinks, bathtubs, and washing machines (but not wastewater from toilets). (Source: APA, A Planners Dictionary)Greenfield Development: Also known as edge devel-opment: development of vacant, agricultural, or forested land on the periphery of the city that has not been previ-ously developed.Greenhouse Gas: Gases that trap heat in the atmo-sphere. Common greenhouse gases include carbon diox-ide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Live-stock, heavy industry, and burning of fossil fuels are top producers of greenhouse gases. (Source: U.S. EPA)Green Infrastructure: A method of treating, infiltrating, and/or reducing stormwater through the use of permeable pavement, bioswales, raingardens, green roofs, and other methods that retain or infiltrate water on-site, rather than send it into the storm sewer and on to streams and lakes.Green Roofs: A roof covered with soil (or other growing media) and vegetation that retains, then evaporates water. (Source: U.S. EPA)Greenway: Linear corridors of land and water and the natural, cultural, and recreational resources they link together. (Source: Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs)Gross Domestic Product: A major indicator used to gauge the health of a region or country's economy. It represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period, often referred to as the size of the economy. (Source: Investopedia)GDP: A major indicator used to gauge the health of a region or country's economy. It represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period, often referred to as the size of the economy. (Source: Investopedia)Healthy Retail Access Program: A program created by Madison's Food Policy Council that provides funds for healthy retail projects that aim to improve access to afford-able, healthy, and culturally appropriate food and retail within underserved areas.Historic District: A significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical develop-ment. A local, state, or the federal government can officially recognize districts. (Source: U.S. National Park Service)Historic Landmark: Any improvement which has architectural, cultural, or historic character or value reflecting the development, heritage or cultural character-istics of the City, state, or nation; or land of historic signif-icance due to a substantial value in tracing the history of humankind, or upon which an historic event has occurred, and which has been designated as a landmark.Historic Preservation Plan: A plan to provide a frame-work for future preservation that goes beyond the City's current, primarily regulatory, role. It will recommend strat-egies to more effectively integrate historic preservation into public policy, explore zoning and land use tools, capi-talize on economic development and financial incentives, and encourage heritage tourism.Human-Scaled Design: The perceived size of a build-ing relative to a human being. A building is considered to have good human scale if there is an expression of human activity or use that indicates the building's size. For exam-ple, traditionally sized doors, windows, and balconies are elements that respond to the size of the human body, so these elements in a building indicate the building's overall size. (Source: Burien, WA)Infill Development: Development of vacant or underused lots that are surrounded by developed areas.Invasive Species: A living organism that is not native to an ecosystem, spreads/reproduces rapidly, and causes harm to the environment, the economy, or human health.Jobs TIF Program: The use of tax increment financing to provide assistance to employers for the purpose of cre-ating or retaining jobs within the City.Leapfrog Development: New development separated from existing development by substantial vacant or agri-cultural land.LEED: An acronym for "Leadership in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design.” LEED is a certification system adminis-tered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) for buildings that integrate environmentally friendly com-ponents and construction techniques to improve things like energy efficiency and air quality. Buildings receive points based on the number and quality of environmen-tally friendly features. There are four levels of LEED, based on the number of points earned: certified, silver, gold, and platinum. (Source: USGBC)Legacy Phosphorus: Accumulation of phosphorus in soil or sediment, generally due to the over-application of fertilizers on agricultural fields.Living Wage: A wage at which a person who works one full-time job can afford the basics for modern living, includ-ing food, shelter, utilities, transportation, and health care.Living Wall: Also known as green walls: self-sufficient vertical gardens that are attached to the exterior or interior of a building. (Source: Green over Grey - Living Walls and Design Inc.)MadiSUN: A City of Madison initiative, administered by local nonprofit RENEW Wisconsin, to expand solar energy installations on homes and commercial properties. Mad-iSUN offers group buys of rooftop solar for homeowners, a solar loan program for residents, and rebates for busi-nesses. (Source: MadiSUN)Master Plan for City Facilities: A document stating goals and actions to maintain and update City buildings and infrastructure.Missing Middle Housing: A range of smaller multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with sin-gle-family homes. (Source: Opticos Design, Inc.)Natural Soil Amendments: Substances used to improve the physical nature of soil by adding nutrients to the soil and helping retain moisture. (Source: Lowes)Neighborhood Development Plan: A plan prepared for largely undeveloped land on the city's edge. NDPs are adopted as supplements of the Comprehensive Plan and include recommendations for land use, transpor-tation, parks and open space, and utilities.NDP: A plan prepared for largely undeveloped land on the city's edge. NDPs are adopted as supplements of the Comprehensive Plan and include recommendations for land use, transpor-tation, parks and open space, and utilities.Neighborhood Plan: A plan prepared for an already-de-veloped area of the city that includes recommendations for land use, urban design, transportation, parks, place-making, and other improvements/investments/changes to a given area. Neighborhood plans can encompass more than one neighborhood, and are generally adopted as sup-plements to the Comprehensive Plan.Neighborhood Police Officers: Police Officers that are assigned to specific areas of the City. The neighborhoods are geographically small, and typically have a high need for police services.Neighborhood Resource Teams: A citywide effort to coordinate and improve the delivery of City ser-vices to Madison's neighborhoods. NRTs provide a regular forum for City employees to meet, discuss, and support each other's efforts in delivering excellent City services. NRT membership can include alderpersons, City staff and non-City staff participants.NRTs: A citywide effort to coordinate and improve the delivery of City ser-vices to Madison's neighborhoods. NRTs provide a regular forum for City employees to meet, discuss, and support each other's efforts in delivering excellent City services. NRT membership can include alderpersons, City staff and non-City staff participants.Neighborhood-Scaled Schools: Schools that are designed and built to become a center for interaction and are embedded within a neighborhood, not isolated on large sites surrounded by parking and large swaths of underutilized or unprogrammed greenspace.Operating Costs: Expenses associated with the mainte-nance and administration of a business or government on a day-to-day basis, such as salaries.(Source: Investopedia)Percent for the Arts: A requirement that 1% of public building project costs, for projects with an adopted budget of $5 million or more, be used for public art.Permanent Supportive Housing: Housing that has social services and counseling programs to assist people with housing, mental health, drug, or other challenges, in the transition to self-sufficiency through gaining a stable income and other skills. (Source: APA, A Planners Dictio-nary)Phytoremediation: The treatment of pollutants or waste (as in contaminated soil or groundwater) by the use of green plants that remove, degrade, or stabilize the unde-sirable substances (such as toxic metals). (Source: Merri-am-Webster Dictionary)Placemaking: Creation of an environment that fosters community, stimulates interaction, encourages entrepre-neurship, generates innovation, and nurtures humanity. (Source: Project for Public Spaces)Pollinators: Animals that assist plants in their repro-duction. Species include ants, bats, bees, beetles, birds, butterflies, flies, moths, wasps, and others. (Source: USDA Forest Service)Property Assessed Clean Energy: Financing for energy improvements that addresses some of the eco-nomic barriers that have prevented the widespread adop-tion of home energy upgrades, including access to capital and efficient financing mechanisms for upgrades to exist-ing homes. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)Public Housing: Decent and safe rental housing for low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabili-ties that is owned by a government or government agency.Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high-rise apartments. (Source: HUD)Rain Gardens: Gardens are specially designed to collect and infiltrate stormwater from impervious areas such as roofs, driveways, and heavily compacted lawns.PLAN179Recyclopedia: An annual City guide that provides infor-mation on trash collection, recycling "dos and don'ts,” large item collection, and more.Redevelopment: Construction of a new building where a building already exists.Regional Agency: An organization whose interest extends beyond municipal boundaries.Regional Transit Authority: An entity created for providing organized, effective public transportation across municipal boundaries.RTA: An entity created for providing organized, effective public transportation across municipal boundaries.Report a Problem: A City program and website where community members can provide information on non-emergency issues typically related to public safety, including pothole concerns, snow removal, animal control, and stolen bicycles.Resident Panels: A cornerstone of the Imagine Madison public engagement process. Formed through a partnership between the City of Madison and community-based orga-nizations that have connections to Madison's communi-ties of color, lower-income residents, and other residents whose voices are often missing from planning processes, the Resident Panels meant that the voices heard in the Imagine Madison process to be more representative of the city's population.Results Madison: An effort by the City of Madison to coordinate actions as the City works on implementing var-ious services. Results Madison also gathers and analyzes data to help provide information that can be used by City service providers.Road Diet: Reducing the number of lanes dedicated for car travel on an underutilized road in favor of other fea-tures, such as bicycle lanes, turn lanes, or wider terraces.SEED Program: A City of Madison program administered by the Madison Food Policy Council that provides grants to improve the local food system and make food more acces-sible to Madison residents.Sense of Place: The characteristics of a location that make it readily recognizable as being unique and differ-ent from its surroundings and that provides a feeling of belonging to or being identified with that particular place. (Source: Scottsdale, AZ)Shared Solar: A business model that allows multiple participants to benefit directly from the energy produced by a solar array. Participants typically own or lease a system or portion of a system or purchase kilowatt-hour blocks of renewable energy generation. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)Social Practice Artists: Artists who focus on social engagement, inviting collaboration with individuals, com-munities, and institutions in a dialog about community issues.Step Backs: A building design where there are fewer sto-ries closer to the lot line (for example, near sidewalks and adjacent properties) than the rest of the building. Stormwater: Untreated runoff from rainfall and snow-melt. It flows across impervious surfaces, through fields and over construction sites, crossing municipal boundaries and can carry contaminants to lakes and streams. (Source: Dane County Office of Lakes & Watersheds)Sub-Area Plan: A plan that covers an area smaller than the city as a whole. An umbrella term that encompasses "Neighborhood Development Plans,” "Neighborhood Plans,” and other types of plans, such as corridor plans (for major streets and the properties surrounding them) and special area plans (generally small areas of a few blocks).Subdivision Ordinance: An ordinance adopted by the City Council that sets standards for the division of land/property.Sustainable Agriculture: An integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term: satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole. (Source: USDA)Tax Increment Financing: A governmental finance tool to provide funds to construct public infrastruc-ture, promote development opportunities, and expand the tax base.TIF: A governmental finance tool to provide funds to construct public infrastruc-ture, promote development opportunities, and expand the tax base.Terrace: The space between the sidewalk and the curb along a street.Traditional Neighborhood Development: Development of a complete neighborhood using tra-ditional town planning principles, such as provision of a range of housing types, a network of connected streets, a variety of public spaces, and a variety of destinations (such as schools, shops, offices, and places of worship) within walking distance.TND: Development of a complete neighborhood using tra-ditional town planning principles, such as provision of a range of housing types, a network of connected streets, a variety of public spaces, and a variety of destinations (such as schools, shops, offices, and places of worship) within walking distance.Transit-Oriented Development: Compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development that is centered around a high-quality transit line or sys-tem to encourage transit use and reduce car traffic gener-ated by development.TOD: Compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development that is centered around a high-quality transit line or sys-tem to encourage transit use and reduce car traffic gener-ated by development.Transportation Demand Management: A program of information, encouragement, and incentives provided by companies and local or regional governments to help people know about and use transportation options beyond single-occupancy vehicles. It is used to optimize mobility by publicizing non-car options and to counterbal-ance the built-in government subsidization of parking and roads. (Source: Mobility Lab)TDM: A program of information, encouragement, and incentives provided by companies and local or regional governments to help people know about and use transportation options beyond single-occupancy vehicles. It is used to optimize mobility by publicizing non-car options and to counterbal-ance the built-in government subsidization of parking and roads. (Source: Mobility Lab)Transportation Management Association: A nonprofit, member-controlled organization that provides transportation services in a particular area, such as a com-mercial district, mall, medical center or industrial park. TMAs are generally public-private partnerships, consisting primarily of area businesses with local government sup-port. (Source: TDM Encyclopedia)TMA: A nonprofit, member-controlled organization that provides transportation services in a particular area, such as a com-mercial district, mall, medical center or industrial park. TMAs are generally public-private partnerships, consisting primarily of area businesses with local government sup-port. (Source: TDM Encyclopedia)Tree Canopy: The layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that obscure the ground when viewed from above. (Source: Center for Watershed Protection)Tier 1 Sidewalks: Sidewalks that should be added along streets that are close to schools, transit routes, or other fea-tures that attract pedestriansTuj Lub: A top spinning game that is popular in the Hmong community and is played on a specialized court.Underrepresented Groups: Groups of people with a common race, ethnicity, immigration status, age, income level, gender identity, or sexual orientation who have not typically participated in City decision-making processes commensurate with the proportion of the population they comprise. These groups have often experienced discrimi-nation or marginalization based on their identity.Urban Agriculture: The production of food for personal consumption, market sale, donation, or educational pur-poses within cities and suburbs.Urban Biodiversity: The variety and variability among living organisms found in a city and the ecological systems in which they occur. (Source: "Urban Biodiversity and Cli-mate Change” by Jose Antonio Puppim de Oliveira, Chris-topher N. H. Doll, Raquel Moreno-Peñaranda, and Osman Balaban)Water Quality: The condition of water, including its chemical, physical, and biological characteristics with respect to its expected use (i.e., drinking, swimming, fish-ing, etc.). (Source: Florida Brooks National Marine Sanctu-ary, Key West, Florida.)Watershed: An area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel. (Source: USGS)Wisconsin Shares: A program that supports low-income working families by subsidizing a portion of the cost of quality child care while the parents or caregivers are working or participating in another approved activity. Wiscon-sin Shares is implemented locally by counties and tribes. (Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families)YoungStar Rating: Wisconsin's child care quality rating and improvement system. YoungStar Rating objectively measures child care quality, giving parents an easy way to compare child care options. YoungStar also supports child care providers with tools and training. (Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families)Zones of Contribution: The entire land surface area over which water can infiltrate and move toward a well. (Source: WI DNR)Zoning Code: An ordinance that regulates land use, lot size, building placement, building height, and other aspects of the development of land.
Planning Division
Loading Glossary… Summary
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
Read more and explore implementation updates
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.
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