North Area Plan
media release: Work on Madison's next two area plans, the North Area Plan and the Near West Area Plan, is underway and the city of Madison is inviting residents and stakeholders in those areas to get involved with the process with a series of kickoff events in the coming months.
These plans will be the sixth and seventh of 12 Area Plans created under the city's Planning Framework. Work on the North and Near West Area Plans will continue through 2027 and into early 2028. Previous Area Plans approved under this framework are the West Area Plan (2024), Northeast Area Plan (2024), Southwest Area Plan (2026) and Southeast Area Plan (2026). Work on the Downtown Area Plan in conjunction with Downtown Madison, Inc. as part of the Envision Downtown Madison joint effort is ongoing and is expected to be completed in late spring 2027.
Community Participation Opportunities
Public engagement in the North and Near West Area Plan processes will begin with a series of events in November 2026. Both Area Plans offer two virtual kickoff meeting dates in addition to an in-person meeting. The content of these meetings will be the same, but multiple dates, times, and formats are being offered so interested community members can attend the meeting that best fits their schedule.
Interpretation and translation services or other accommodations can be requested by contacting the Planning Division by phone at 608-266-4635 or by emailing the appropriate project team ([email protected] or [email protected]). Childcare will be provided at the in-person meetings for both Area Plans.
North Area Plan Kickoff Events
Monday, November 9, 2026 (Virtual), Noon - 1:00pm Register
Monday, November 16, 2026 (In Person), 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Warner Park Community Recreation Center, 1625 Northport Drive
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 (Virtual), 6:00pm - 7:00pm Register
Near West Area Plan Kickoff Events
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 (Virtual), Noon - 1:00pm Register
Thursday, November 5, 2026 (In Person), 6:00pm - 7:30pm, Madison West High School cafeteria, 30 Ash Street
Monday, November 9, 2026 (Virtual), 6:00pm - 7:00pm Register
Other Ways to Get Involved
Public involvement in this process will not be limited to these meetings, as both Area Plan teams are working on additional outreach efforts. The Near West Area Plan team is looking to hire several Student Outreach Assistants(external) to connect UW-Madison and Edgewood University students with the planning process. The North Area Plan team will hire Community Partners to engage community members who tend to be underrepresented in City processes, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents and people whose primary language is not English.
A pair of interactive commenting maps have also been set up, allowing residents to mark spots on the map they would like to see improved or addressed in the future.
