State Street Design - Background/Timeframe

The State Street Design Project is a community-wide planning process which will examine potential improvements for Madison’s most identifiable street. The Design Project will cover the length of the Street from Capitol Square to the University of Wisconsin campus. It will consider the design of the public way focusing on streetscape elements such paving, lighting, street furniture, bus shelters and opportunities for public art.

In December 1999, the State Street Strategic Plan was adopted by the Madison Common Council. The Strategic Plan examined a wide array of issues surrounding State Street and made recommendations on how to address them. One of the primary recommendations was that a detailed physical development plan be prepared to improve the 25-year-old transit mall design. Although the present design has served well since it was constructed, it has recently been described as "dated" and "tired".
(to view a copy of the State Street Strategic Plan, click here: www.cityofmadison.com/planning/statest.pdf) .

In the fall of 2000, the City contracted with a design team lead by Wallace, Roberts and Todd of Philadelphia. The Conceptual Design Plan was unanimously adopted by the Madison Common Council in April 2002, after a 1 ½ year community wide Planning process.

The plan describes overall design goals for the State Street District and includes recommendations on design elements to achieve these goals.

Recommendations outlined within the plan serve as the basis for further design development and eventual construction specifications and cost estimates.