As the city of Madison prepares to update its Comprehensive Plan for the first time since 2006, the city is asking for citizen input through a a public engagement campaign: Imagine Madison.

The Comprehensive Plan provides a framework for city planning activities, initiatives and operations.

Taking into account some of the current conditions and trends, the plan also gives recommendations for land use and development, improving transportation services, bettering public facilities and more, Colin Punt, ‎planner at the city’s planning division, said.

As the city begins the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan, they recognize a lot has changed in the last decade since it was adopted.

With plans to move toward a more equitable and sustainable future, the city will be addressing equity, sustainability, health and adaptability as four key areas of the plan, Punt said.

Imagine Madison will play a vital role in gaining public input in these key areas and more as the city works toward planning the future together, Kirstie Laatsch, urban planner at the city’s planning division, said.

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The public engagement campaign will utilize various methods to gather data from residents, including public forums, residents panels featuring underrepresented communities, online surveys, social media discussions and more.

“We think it’s important to hear from each and every Madisonian,” Laatsch said. “It’s important to engage every resident, hear their voice and plan together for the future of Madison.”

The purpose of having residents give their input on topics like equity and sustainability is to gather feedback for the planning process.

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The public listening campaign will go hand-in-hand with the overall planning process, Punt said. Hopefully, the city will have a draft toward the end of 2017, he added.

The plan itself will be finished and adopted by the City Council in early 2018, Punt said.

The community kickoff meeting for Imagine Madison will be held Dec. 5 at the Central Library on the 3rd floor.