What is Growing MKE?

The Department of City Development (DCD) is leading an effort called Growing MKE. Growing MKE is a citywide planning effort that is setting a framework for housing growth and choice in Milwaukee. The project will result in a proposed amendment to the Citywide Policy Plan and updates to the City’s Zoning Code.

We didn’t starting from scratch… Growing MKE advances the goals and recommendations from several recent City of Milwaukee planning efforts. These plans were shaped through stakeholder and resident input and include recommendations to increase housing supply within the city of Milwaukee. Goals also include supporting new housing that creates walkable urban neighborhoods, increasing transit options and access to jobs, and providing more quality, affordable housing choices for all Milwaukeeans. This project also advances Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s vision for economic prosperity, which includes updating the City’s Zoning Code to support new development and growth.

In-person Open-house-style Public Meetings were held on December 9th and December 12th to continue hear feedback. A virtual version of these meetings is available. Please take a look and submit your comments! Materials are also available on the Past Events page.

Virtual Information Meetings were held on November 20th and November 21st. While the presentation was the same for both meetings, the Question & Answer portion varied based on questions asked by attendees. Full meeting recordings, with the presentation and Question & Answer portion are available on the Past Events page. Recordings of the presentation are available below in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

If you are unfamiliar with the project, this is great place to start!

July 15, 2024 - Proposed Draft Plan

Thank you to everyone who provided comments on the 4-30-2024 Draft Plan! We appreciate the time and thoughtful comments that Milwaukee community provided throughout this planning process. Planning staff have reviewed the feedback and updated the draft plan. Click on the buttons below to see the proposed Final Draft Plan, the Final Draft Executive Summary, Frequently Asked Questions, and a document summarizing engagement and changes made based on feedback.

A public hearing was held at City Plan Commission on July 29, 2024 to review and receive comments on the July 15, 2024 Proposed Final Draft. Community members requested more time for engagement.

Additional engagement is currently underway. Please take a look at the 7-15-24 Proposed Draft Plan by clicking on the button below. There is a comment form available on the Proposed Plan page.

Adoption Process

The Plan will need to be formally adopted as an ordinance by the Common Council (File No. 240402). That process includes public hearings before City Plan Commission and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development.

• Public review and comment at City Plan Commission (CPC) meeting on Monday, July 29, 2024
  • In response to requests from community members to provide more time for engagement, City staff recommended that CPC hold the public hearing, but not take action on July 29th. The file was held to the call of the chair. This delays the vote to allow for more time for engagement.
  • For more information, please visit Legistar under the Common Council File No. 240402.
• Additional public engagement - Fall and Winter 2024 and Winter 2025
• A hearing at City Plan Commission (CPC) - details pending
• A hearing at Zoning, Neighborhood, and Development Committee (ZND) – details pending
• Adoption by the Common Council – details pending, pending recommendation from CPC and ZND

Click here to view the videos on YouTube.