Imagine Madison - January Update

Happy 2017! We hope you are excited about working with us to create a more equitable, sustainable, healthy, and adaptable Madison for everyone.
 
Issues & Goals Survey – What do you think?
Aaron Rogers hasn’t filled out the Issues and Goals survey yet, probably because he’s busy prepping for the game on Sunday. But we bet that if he had the time (and lived in Madison), that he’d have lots to say about Madison’s future, just like many of your neighbors have already done. See below for some of the comments we’ve received at the December Community Meetings and on the online survey so far. What do you think? Do you agree with these responses or do you want a different direction for our City?
 
Housing
“Homeless shelters & transitional housing. Low-income housing. Downtown and campus area housing that isn't astronomically expensive or falling apart.
“The City needs to loosen development restrictions to allow developers to add the supply necessary to meet demand. The current Downtown Plan is too restrictive, and the current comprehensive plan doesn't allow for the sort of density needed in many outlying neighborhoods to make projects financially feasible.
 
Land Use
“The neighborhoods do have a good sense of character, although this is in danger of being minimized by the mixed use developments that are all clones.”
“I wish neighborhood associations were stronger. I think the influx of out-of-state students and wealthy young professionals is diluting the character of Madison.”
 
Transportation
“More emphasis upon multi-modal and access for all people and all neighborhoods.”
“Madison has its head in the sand and foolishly  believes everyone will take transit or bike.   That is not how people travel, the automobile is not going away. Deal with it.”
 
Economic Development
“More tech jobs are needed; the Madison economy is too dependent on a small number of large companies.”
“Non-technical jobs. If you have a STEM degree, you are set in Madison. If you don't, you're likely to struggle. We need to increase jobs that are paying people a wage they can support their families with.”
 
Parks
“Should the City do its own planning of activities at parks, instead of depending upon the School Board funding?”
“Madison needs to raise the bar with their landscape architecture...it really is lacking and could be amazing!”
 
Natural Resources
“We need a community composting facility where people can bring their compostable materials and then buy compost for a small fee.”
“Water quality of lakes needs to continue to be improved: this should be a top priority.  Madison's lakes are the major natural feature defining the city.”
 
What Goals Did We Miss?
“It seems like health care facilities/access to health care is an important topic. They are mostly private companies, but also crucial for people to access. Considering where to site future clinics, hospitals, urgent care centers, and ERs related to growth of the city seems important.”
“I hope that as the planning gets more detailed, that Education and the facilities for education become more of a focal piece, since they can be neighborhood/community hubs.”
 
These are just a few of the many comments we’ve received so far. You can see more community responses on our website.
 
Imagine Madison Planning Pop-In
Do you, your friends, neighbors, or coworkers want to have a more in-depth discussion about Imagine Madison and the future of our community? City Planning staff are available for a Planning Pop-In with your group. Let us know where and when you’d like to meet and if there are any specific topics concerning Imagine Madison and the City’s Comprehensive Plan Update you’d like to talk about. In the last week, we’ve visited the Latino Support Network (LaSup) and the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin; we’re meeting with the Cherokee Park Neighborhood Association tomorrow.
 
Prize Winners
Congrats to Andy, Daniel, Evie, Kate, and Tim, our five Prize Winners who each won an Imagine Madison travel mug or an Imagine Madison sport water bottle and pen just for filling out an online survey! You too can win a prize; just make sure you provide your email when you complete the Issues and Goals survey.
 
Imagining Madison Mini-Documentary
If you haven’t seen it yet, episode one of the Imagining Madison Mini-Documentary is up on our website. We sat down with eight Madisonians and discussed what kind of issues they have seen in Madison, what their hopes are for the future, and specific things they’d like our community to pursue in the future. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too. How do they compare to the interviews? Are your experiences similar? Totally different? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter (and like/follow us while you’re there).
 
Thank you for helping us plan a better Madison for our future together!