One of the ways we track progress toward achieving the goals of the 2050 Regional Development Framework is to measure how much growth occurs in centers and corridors as well as in already developed areas, also known as infill development. This measure is one of the Framework’s performance indicators.
Why measure growth in centers, corridors, and as infill development?
The Regional Development Framework recommends focusing growth in centers and corridors and in already developed areas. Centers are vibrant places where people can live, work, shop, be entertained and meet and connect with others. Corridors connect centers, provide a variety of ways to travel, and offer similar activities found in centers.
Prioritizing this type of development aims to achieve the following Framework objectives:
- Increase the percent of development that is compact, mixed, walkable, and transit supportive
- Increase physical access of residents to jobs and services
- Generate housing supply to meet demand
- Increase density and ensure good connectivity among developments
Accomplishing these objectives, in turn, help the region realize its shared goals to promote development that:
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and fosters resilience to climate change
- Increases access to jobs, housing, and services for all people
- Conserves farmland, water, natural, and fiscal resources
How are we doing so far?
The Regional Development Framework included a 2050 preferred growth scenario that showed where different types of growth would occur if strategies are carried out. The map below shows the centers (circles) and corridors (blue lines) from the preferred scenario. Areas in urban development as of 2020 are depicted in yellow.
The preferred scenario places about 40% of growth between 2020 and 2050 in centers and corridors, and a similar portion as infill development. The map below shows residential development in 2020 through the present overlaying centers, corridors and 2020 developed areas. Blue dots depict lower densities, increasing in density going from red to white. Commercial development data has not yet been processed.
The map shows substantial housing growth since 2020 within already developed areas, within some centers, and along planned corridors. The chart below shows the location of new development by year. Overall, 39% of housing units were located in centers and corridors and 47% in already developed areas.
The charts below show units in centers, corridors, and already developed areas by areas within the region. Within the metro urbanized area, which includes the Cities of Madison, Middleton, Monona, urban portions of the City of Fitchburg, and Villages of Shorewood Hills and Maple Bluff, 66% of dwelling units were in already developed areas and 48% in centers and corridors. The suburbs surrounding the metro area had about a quarter of units as infill and a third within centers and along corridors. A small portion of units in outlying communities (closer to the Dane County borders) and rural areas fell within those areas.
What does this mean?
The quick answer is that the region is meeting the Regional Development Framework target so far for the portion of new growth occurring in centers and corridors and as infill development. This is good news and a testament to the work of communities and private sector participants, with help from market forces. It means more compact, mixed, walkable, and transit supportive development, greater access to jobs and services, more housing to meet rising demand, and higher densities and connectivity among developments.
These outcomes move us towards meeting our shared regional goals, including conservation of farmland, water, and natural and fiscal resources. For example, the data above shows that about 9,500, or 47%, of the 20,060 new housing units in the region occurred in already developed areas. Had only 20% of the units been in already developed areas and the remaining 80%, or 5,464 units, been developed on 10,000 square foot lots on farm fields, it would have resulted in 1,250 acres of farmland being converted to development in just this three-year period. Developing in centers, corridors, and already developed areas also promotes climate resilience and better access to opportunity, making these two of the Framework’s most crucial strategies.
