DOWNTOWN AREA PLAN

The Downtown Area Plan Update was adopted by the Common Council on October 12, 2010. 

Read the Plan 

Read the Executive Summary

Read by chapter:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Plan Context and Process

Chapter 3: Land Use Strategies and Policies

Chapter 4: Districts

Chapter 5: Catalytic Projects

Chapter 6: Implementation

The Downtown Area Plan is an update to the original 1999 Milwaukee Downtown Plan. The updated plan is not intended to replace the 1999 plan, but rather to build on the vision and successful initiatives of that plan. Since the inception of the 1999 plan most of the goals and objectives have been met, and most of the catalytic projects recommended in the 1999 plan are either completed or underway. This includes the creation of the Milwaukee Public Market, the redevelopment of the Park East Freeway Corridor, the re-use of the historic Pabst Brewery Complex, the renovation and expansion of the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, and the construction and expansion of the Milwaukee Riverwalk.  The 2010 Downtown Area Plan is an attempt to build on the momentum created by the policies and projects of the original 1999 plan and to provide a new vision for the future of Downtown Milwaukee.

  READ THE 1999 MILWAUKEE DOWNTOWN PLAN

Park East

RiverWalk

The Brewery

Brighten the Passage

With the approval of the Downtown Area Plan, a number of items remain to be done to implement the plan and carry out its goals. This includes the formation of stakeholder group to carry out the detailed catalytic projects. Policy and regulation changes such as zoning code revisions, design guidelines, and specialized task-forces will be needed in order to implement the concepts adopted by this plan. A continued public-private partnership, with strong involvement of the downtown area BIDs and other organizations will help to ensure their efforts become reality in the upcoming decade and beyond.