City planners presented the city’s long-term downtown building projects to the Plan Commission Monday, including plans to implement an updated mass transit system, address population density, and maintain and update green spaces throughout Madison.

The Downtown Plan is the latest incarnation in a series of proposals aimed at laying out the future of the atmosphere and structure of the city; other prominent measures have been put into effect beginning with Downtown: Proposals for Central Madison, introduced in 1970.

This plan, like its predecessors, seeks to address the numerous problems and concerns facing Madison and its citizens. Drawing on public input and local professionals, the plan hopes to set the pace for Madison’s long-term development.

Bill Fruhling, the project’s principal planner, said the planners are welcoming recommendations and input. The combined efforts of the planners and commission members will then be brought together to put the plan in place.

Transportation was a central talking point of the meeting, as city planners presented an idea for the development of a terminal and commuter rail system to serve the downtown area. With space being at a premium throughout much of downtown, this raised some issues.

“Many other cities have built around their rail system. Here, we’d be transposing the system onto our city,” said Ald. Julia Kerr, District 13. “I’d like to see what other cities have done.”

Recent controversy regarding the plan has been focused on the possibility of replacing houses on Mifflin Street with apartment complexes. The planners, however, have recently taken a new approach.

Rebecca Cnare, one of the city planners, stressed the planners have taken a step back from the plans to drastically alter Mifflin Street, opting instead to focus on the bigger picture of the Downtown Plan before making any definite decisions.

Housing — most specifically lodgings concerned with students and local employees — was another major facet of the evening’s discussions.

“I believe that [the students] are pretty poorly housed,” Kerr said. “I believe it’s important for the safety of the students and the health of the neighborhoods — not to mention their housing costs as well.”

Kerr’s sentiments were echoed by other members on the Plan Commission.

“One of the issues I’d like to see addressed is housing affordability. Particularly for students, one of the trends we’ve seen over the years is that new housing tends to come at the expense of existing affordable housing,” commission member Michael Basford said. “Replacing affordable housing with market-rate housing puts pressure on students.”

Two proposals met with enthusiasm from commission members included an extension of East Campus Mall from Lake Mendota to Lake Monona and the creation of a finished walking path from James Madison Park to Memorial Union, continuing onward to Picnic Point.

The plan will continue to be reviewed by relevant commissions until it is ultimately presented to the Common Council for approval in the coming months.