Regional News: Core Habitat Study, Apartments and Mixed-Use Development Takes Off, and Remembering Phil Lewis

July 13th, 2017 Newsletter

Welcome to the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission's bi-weekly roundup of news, trends, and events related to regional planning! To see previous edition of this newsletter, click here.

View Online Version

News Around the Region

Stay up to date with our roundup of planning and development news around the region.

View the map here !

Remembering Phil Lewis

Phil Lewis, nationally known professor of landscape architecture, died earlier this month. Phil’s work had a significant impact on the landscape of the Madison region, and on the field of landscape architecture, as well described in local press here, here and here.

In addition to his notable contributions mentioned in those articles, such as his instrumental role in establishing the Nine Springs E-Way, Phil was also a larger than life figure in the field of regional planning. His work accompanied other great designers – especially Ian McHarg – who pioneered the concepts of designing with nature.

Their method of designing with nature involved cataloguing important natural and cultural resources, connecting them in corridors for preservation and access, and incorporating those corridors into regional plans. Long before GIS computer mapping, he used map “layers” to overlay these resources onto the landscape and show their patterns and relationships. Methods such as these are now part of standard planning practices.

Phil also understood the value of robust public participation. Working for Governor Gaylord Nelson, he enlisted citizens to identify natural and cultural resources statewide. He displayed them on a giant map in the basement of the State Capitol building for anyone to view.

I had the honor of working with Phil later in his career, after he had retired. What was clear to me was that his passion for making a better world never dimmed.

Phil never shied away from big visions or pushing the boundaries of thinking in the name of achieving a sustainable future. He envisioned our region growing in the center and along existing railroad lines that radiate out in a spoke-like pattern from Madison. In this “corridor and wedge” vision, the land between the rail lines – the wedges – would remain mostly undeveloped agriculture and environmental corridors.

He promoted other big ideas such as Madison in the center of a regional “circle city” connected by resources, transportation and development patterns. He advocated for a regional design center as a hub for design professionals to collaborate and serve the region and state. And he envisioned a Personal Rapid Transit system with pods on elevated monorails transporting people efficiently while supporting good development.

As time passed, and growth did not strictly adhere to his visions, Phil’s enthusiasm for regional thinking and planning as key to a sustainable future did not dim. Well into his eighties Phil remained engaged and ready to share his ideas.

Thank you Phil for showing us the value of thinking big, persistence, and for making our region and world a better place. We will miss you.

Steve Steinhoff

Deputy Directory, Capital Area RPC

Biological Diversity and “Core Habitat”

Why did the turtle cross the road? Usually to lay its eggs. While the need for protection of our water resources from the impacts of human activities such as agricultural production and urban development is obvious, it is often less apparent that the terrestrial areas surrounding our surface waters also serve as critical “core habitat” for many semi-aquatic species. These species depend on both the aquatic and terrestrial environments to fulfill their life-cycle requirements – such as feeding, mating, nesting, and over-wintering. Amphibians and reptiles also play a particularly important role because they occupy a middle position in the food web as both predator and prey species. If we cut too deeply into this food base by reducing available habitat for these organisms, these biological systems can become unstable and even collapse.

There are various riparian buffer functions and the ability of buffers to effectively fulfill those functions is largely dependent on width. Determining what buffer widths are needed should be based on what functions are desired, as well as, site conditions. For example, as shown below, water temperature protection generally does not require as wide a buffer as providing habitat for wildlife. Based on the needs of wildlife species found in the scientific literature and in Wisconsin, the minimum core habitat buffer width is about 400 feet and the optimal width for sustaining the majority of wildlife species is about 900 feet. Thus the value of large undisturbed areas along waterways, which are part of and linked to an environmental corridor system, is highly recommended for wildlife protection.

While the adopted policies and criteria for Environmental Corridors in the Dane County Water Quality Management Plan are generally a 75 feet buffer from wetlands for water quality purposes, communities should consider larger buffers for biological considerations or “wildlife movement corridors” along wetlands and streams. Both urban development and biological communities can co-exist, and even thrive! But only if wildlife are given the necessary habitat to satisfy their basic life-cycle needs – both aquatic and terrestrial.

For more information see Managing the Water’s Edge. The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission also has free resources available to assist municipalities or organizations who would like to incorporate core habitat for wildlife protection into plans in their communities.

Apartments and Mixed-Use Development Takes Off

Single-family residential has historically been the dominant mode of living in the greater Madison Region. However, construction trends reflect a notable shift towards multi-family housing. From 1990 to the Great Recession, the number of issued building permits for single- and for multi-family residences were about equal. Since 2010, however, permits for multifamily housing have significantly increased.– As of 2016, this shift is still occurring.

Click here for full article

A Greater Madison Vision Will Exhibit at County Fair

The Greater Madison Vision team will have an exhibition at the Dane County Fair from July 19th to July 23rd at the Aliant Energy Center. Staff and volunteers are seeking your input on a variety of topics from land use, agriculture, environment, community, technology and many more. Each day we will have a fun and innovative way for attendees to participate.

Daily activities include:

Wednesday: Driving Forces Impact and Story Building

Thursday: Community N-Vision Modeling

Friday: iPlan Greater Madison Demo

Saturday: Driving Forces Impact and Story Telling

Sunday: Driving Forces Impact and Story Telling

Events

Next RPC Commission Meeting:
July 13th, 2017 @ 615pm

City County Building Rm 351

210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Madison, WI 53703