The City of Madison hired Smart Growth America to analyze potential development options in the city’s Pioneer District, a 1,400 acre area that is largely vacant right now.
We evaluated five different scenarios for development: a “base” scenario that reflects the City’s current plan; a “Plus 50” scenario that assumes 50 percent higher density on certain parcels within the District; a “Compact” scenario which assumes the same development program as the base but on 500 fewer acres; a “Compact Plus 50” scenario which assumes the Plus 50 scenario on 500 fewer acres; and a “Low Density” scenario which assumes the same development as the base but on 1,000 more acres. The final scenario is for comparison purposes only, and is not actually possible.