A public meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 9 to kickoff a yearlong process to create a new plan for the future of Madison's downtown. The meeting will be held at the Overture Center's Promenade Hall. Doors will open at 6:00 PM for an informal "open house." A presentation will be given at approximately 7:00 PM and be followed by a series of interactive break out groups on topics, such as: land use and urban design, transportation, housing, economic development, open space and recreation, and civic and cultural amenities.

The last planning effort to look at Madison's downtown in a holistic way was Downtown 2000, which was adopted in 1989. Obviously, much has changed since that time. As the downtown continues to evolve it is important to have a plan in place that will guide individual actions of the City and others so that they work together towards a common desired future.

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz touted the planning process as an important effort for all residents and businesses in the greater Madison area: "A vibrant and active downtown is not only critical for the health of the city, but for the greater metropolitan area as well. Our downtown neighborhoods, businesses, institutions, recreation and entertainment venues, and natural setting are major assets and the new Downtown Plan will provide the framework necessary to ensure that downtown remains a dynamic and engaging place well into the future."

The City's Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2006. As part of that effort, the City commissioned a study called the Downtown Advisory Report to consider some of the broad issues and trends. Preliminary recommendations from the Downtown Advisory Report were used to help develop the Comprehensive Plan's recommendations for the Downtown/Campus area. The general approach is to build on the background, vision, objectives, policies, and recommendations contained in these documents. Together, they represent the starting point for the Downtown Plan.

As defined in the Comprehensive Plan, "Downtown" refers to the intensively developed urban core of the city, where the highest density employment, residential and other uses are located. The boundary is not precise, but a working definition of this downtown core will be the area generally bounded by Park, Regent, Proudfit, and Blair Streets. The Downtown Plan will also consider adjacent areas of influence-- those areas that functionally and/or aesthetically are inextricably connected to the downtown core (such as the UW campus)-- and develop a unifying vision of how all of these areas relate, but will focus on the downtown core.

Additional information can also be found on the project's website: www.cityofmadison.com/downtownplan

Downtown Plan Kickoff Meeting
Wednesday, April 9th
6:00pm - Open House
7:00pm (approx.) - Staff Presentation and Public Discussion
Overture Center, Promenade Hall
201 State Street, Madison

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