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Current and Proposed Future Zoning Information

Take a look at this map to compare the housing types that are currently allowed on a property with what Growing MKE recommends.

Graphic Representation of Milwaukee's Housing "Puzzle"

graphic representation Milwaukee's Housing Puzzle

Example of housing diversity on a Milwaukee neighborhood block

Graphic example of housing diversity on a Milwaukee neighborhood block

Zoning Matters: How Land-Use Policies Shape Our Lives - Urban Institute

The Zoning Matters video was created by Housing Matters, an initiative through the Urban Institute. To access the original post and other information from the Housing Matters, visit: urban.org/zoning

What Do Assessors Do - City of Janesville

Staff has received several questions about how assessments and taxes work. This video that the City of Janesville put together illustrates how assessments are carried out in any city. To find out more about assessments in Milwaukee, please visit milwaukee.gov/assessor. Also, the Assessor's Office at the City of Milwaukee has created this Understanding Your Assessment guide to help residents understand their assessments.

Zoning & Development History

Milwaukee's Zoning & Development History

  • Timeline item 1 - incomplete

    1835

    • Land on the east and west sides of the Milwaukee River is divided into blocks and lots, allowing for the European settlement of Milwaukee.
    • Native people had inhabited the area for over 11,000 years.

  • Timeline item 2 - incomplete

    1846

    • Milwaukee is incorporated as a city and begins to grow rapidly.
    • The central area is repeatedly built and rebuilt over time as a compact area and diverse mix of uses.

  • Timeline item 3 - incomplete

    1890s

    • In 1890, Milwaukee’s first streetcar system was introduced, making agricultural land outside the city center accessible for new development.
    • Local shops, often with housing on upper floors, were built along the routes. The blocks in-between were developed with a diverse mix of single-family homes, duplexes, small apartment buildings, and neighborhood-serving businesses.
    • By 1920, much of the area bound by Capitol Drive, Oklahoma Avenue, Sherman Boulevard, and Lake Michigan had developed organically without zoning regulations.

  • Timeline item 4 - incomplete

    1920

    • The first Zoning Code is introduced in Milwaukee and establishes limits on the number of homes that could be built on a lot, based on lot size.
    • It also set standards for height, setbacks, and lot coverage that were inconsistent with the city’s historic development pattern.
    • As a result, existing neighborhoods became mostly non-conforming, while new residential areas became less diverse and less walkable.

  • Timeline item 5 - incomplete

    1930s

    • Housing development ground to a halt during the Great Depression and didn’t pick up again until after World War II. Milwaukee’s growing African American population faced intense housing discrimination, including restrictive covenants, which limited housing options for people of color.
    • In 1938, the Federal Homeowners Loan Corporation released a map used in mortgage underwriting that rated older neighborhoods surrounding downtown as “hazardous”, effectively “redlining” them from access to home loans.
    • This lack of financing, combined with overly restrictive zoning rules, led to a sustained lack of investment in these neighborhoods, perpetuating segregation and inequality that persists to this day.

  • Timeline item 6 - incomplete

    1950s

    • 1951 the City adopted a new Zoning Code that expanded the number of zoning districts and added more regulations. Even though there was a housing shortage at the time, newly developing areas were zoned for very low densities which limited housing types and made walking to services or public transit impractical.
    • In older neighborhoods closer to Downtown, the number of housing units that could be provided on a given lot was cut in half, further limiting housing supply and diversity.
    • These artificial limits on housing supply remain mostly unchanged today.

  • Timeline item 7 - incomplete

    1960s

    • In 1960, Milwaukee hit a peak population of 741,324, after which the population began to decline.
    • The city’s land area had doubled in just 15 years, and newly annexed areas were developed at low densities based on new zoning rules.
    • Federal programs were introduced to increase homeownership and promote the construction of single-family homes, and this encouraged families to move to these newly developed areas or adjacent suburban communities.
    • However, these opportunities were not available to people of color, who were left to compete for homes in older, non-conforming buildings in redlined neighborhoods.

  • Timeline item 8 - incomplete

    1985

    • In 1985, the City’s Zoning Code was updated to include new districts. Residential districts were further divided into single-family, two- family and multi-family districts, but multi- family districts still covered the vast majority of the city.
    • Eight new zoning districts were established for the downtown area. These districts specified the maximum size of new buildings through a complex formula which encouraged large amounts of passive open space.
    • These rules are mostly unchanged today.

  • Timeline item 9 - incomplete

    2002

    • In 2002 Milwaukee’s Zoning Code was completely rewritten. Many areas of the city were rezoned from multi-family to single-family or two-family, prohibiting the construction of multi-family buildings in most of the city for the first time.
    • This preserved the existing scale of neighborhood development, but also limited housing diversity.
    • The new code also updated setback and lot coverage standards which brought most non-conforming buildings into compliance and allowed new traditional neighborhood development in more areas.

  • Timeline item 10 - incomplete

    2018

    • City releases an Anti-Displacement Plan with recommendations for prioritizing choice and equity in neighborhood development. A number of the Plan strategies have been implemented.
    • Indicators are regularly monitored to track neighborhood change and identify neighborhoods at risk for displacement.

  • Timeline item 11 - incomplete

    2021

    • Milwaukee’s Community Development Alliance releases the Collective Affordable Housing Strategic Plan with the goal of advancing racial equity by providing a quality affordable home for every Milwaukeean.

  • Timeline item 12 - incomplete

    2023

    • The City launches Growing MKE initiative to update the Citywide Policy Plan and encourage housing choice and growth through Milwaukee’s Zoning Code.

What is Zoning Video

What is Zoning?

The story of Milwaukee's zoning helps explain our housing choices today and impacts how we will grow in the future. Video is available in English, Spanish and Hmong.

Webinar Recordings

Draft Plan Webinar - May 15, 2024 - English

Draft Plan Webinar - May 15, 2024 - Spanish

Draft Plan Webinar - May 15, 2024 - Hmong

Draft Recommendations Webinar - December 6, 2024 - English

Draft Recommendations Webinar - December 6, 2023 - Spanish

Draft Recommendations Webinar - December 6, 2023 - Hmong

Virtual Kick-off - June 27, 2023 - English

Documents

Helpful Links

The City of Milwaukee has many existing programs and plans with recommendations that impact housing growth and choice. Click the following links to find more information about each initiative:

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Contact Us

Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:

Name Unified Call Center
Phone (414) 286-CITY (2489)
Email UCCWebHelp@milwaukee.gov
Website city.milwaukee.gov