Downtown Area Plan
How do you Envision Downtown Madison?
Envision Downtown Madison is a public-private partnership between the City of Madison and Downtown Madison Inc. that will guide the future of downtown. It’s comprised of two separate but coordinated efforts: the City of Madison’s Downtown Area Plan and DMI’s Downtown Strategy. The City’s Downtown Area Plan will guide future growth, public policy and investments, updating those in the 2012 Downtown Plan. DMI’s Downtown Strategy will support private investments and economic development, including opportunities for new industries, and “Big Moves” for the downtown.
Get Engaged
The best way to stay up to date on the Downtown Area Plan is to join the email list. The list is our primary way of announcing meetings and communicating other project updates for the Downtown Area Plan. Note that Downtown Madison Inc maintains a separate email list for their Downtown Strategy.
Do you have an idea for something in the Downtown? Is there an issue that needs to be addressed? Let us know on our Interactive Commenting Map.
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Plan Area and Info
The Downtown Area Plan will cover the area between Park and Blair Streets and Lake Mendota and Monona. Its roughly 700 acres is home to 34,000 residents and over 60,000 jobs.
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Why Plan?
A lot has changed since 2012, when the City last planned for the Downtown. Madison is projected to grow by about 100,000 people in the next 20-25 years and most recent growth was focused on the Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Bus Rapid Transit has made Downtown more accessible to the entire city. A new Amtrak station could be a reality in the coming years. There's a lot of change coming to State of Wisconsin office buildings. And the University of Wisconsin continues to grow.
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Meetings and Events
The first Envision Downtown Madison public meeting will be held on December 2, 2025. Details are still being finalized and will be publicized on the email list once confirmed.
All meeting materials will also be posted here.
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Process and Timing
The plan development process is anticipated to take approximately 18 months and be completed by spring 2027. The plan is anticipated to have three distinct phases. Issues, Opportunities, and Goals is the first phase. Public engagement will focus on understanding perspectives about the future of Downtown. Beginning in Spring of 2026, staff will begin to present Initial Draft Recommendations. Finally, the Draft Plan Review and Approval should occur in early 2027.
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