Wisconsin Smart Growth Law

Between 1999 and 2001, the state of Wisconsin adopted some of the most significant changes to its planning and land use laws since enabling land use master planning in the early 1940's. The new comprehensive planning law requires that every town, village, city, county and regional planning commission in the state make decisions consistent with an adopted comprehensive plan by 2010.

Although the law requires that a comprehensive plan consider nine main areas, or elements, communities are given wide leeway in drafting plans that meet their individual goals, needs and values. Wisconsin's comprehensive planning process encourages community leaders to join with citizens in exploring the existing condition of their community, imagining the community they want to become in the future, and developing a plan to bring that vision to life.

For more information on the Smart Growth Law, read the actual Wisconsin Statute.

More information in general can be found at the Land Use Resources & Community Planning pages of the Environmental Sciences section, Division of Forestry Web site.