Our opinion: What to do for the falling prognosis for the Wisconsin population – Madison.com

The consequences are large for many communities. Still, Madison and Dane County remain engines of growth. Eau Claire and Green Bay also attract more residents.

State leaders should not arrange one region against another. They need to cooperate with broadband, transport, immigration and others in order to prosper the entire Wisconsin.

Rural areas are expected, most cities and the largest city in Milwaukee will lose residents by the middle of the century, according to the latest forecasts by the State Department of the Administration, published in January. Wisconsin’s population of 5.9 million people in 2020 is paid and expected to escape with 200,000 people by 2050, turning more than a century of stable growth.

Couples have less babies -40% decline since 1960. At the same time, the most biggest generation of Wisconsin, Baby Booms, now in the 60s and 70s, will not be replaced in a sufficient number of younger generations , as they die.

Rural areas will be affected most difficult. Counts like Adams, Crawford and Richland are supposed to lose more than a quarter of their population by 2050, according to a DOA report.

One solution is broadband technology. High -speed Internet can help attract remote workers and new businesses in rural areas by connecting them with employers and clients around the world. State and federal governments must continue to invest in broadband so that entrepreneurs in each community can quickly send and receive data that the modern economy requires.

More immigrants will also help stabilize the rural population. Unfortunately, the Trump administration threatens the raids and deportation for undocumented people. This includes many, which is crucial to the three largest industries of Wisconsin: production, agriculture and tourism.

The Wisconsin Congress delegation must advocate for more reactive immigration and visas, so that the lack of labor of the state does not deteriorate, and therefore rural communities can preserve and attract more families. Deportation of violent criminals who should not be here is one thing. But being after hardworking families who reconstruct the smaller cities is a mistake. Many came legally on visas and deserve extensions and paths to citizenship. Others arrived as children, so Wisconsin is the only home they know.

Madison and Dane County face a different challenge from most countries: how to comply with and manage rapid growth. The technology sector in the region attracts thousands of young professionals to profitable jobs in a fun city with beautiful lakes, an abundance of restaurants and clubs.

Dane County is expected to grow by 39% by 2050, DOA projects. This is an increase of 218,000 people, which would raise the population of the county to 780,000. Madison would add nearly 100,000 inhabitants, under forecasts. Fitchburg will add 22,000, Sun Prairie 20,000, Middleton 13,000, Cottage Grove 12 500, Verona 12,000 and Wauunakee 10,000.

This is a lot of new arrivals, requiring many more homes, which is already in shortages. Madison and surrounding communities want tidy growth. But they cannot be picky or cumbersome when reviewing construction proposals. If they are, the cost of living here – $ 457,300 per average home, $ 1,466 for average monthly rent – will only accelerate.

Another challenge is transportation. Madison should avoid the grid, especially in the narrow downtown. The city line of fast bus transit helps to get more people where they have to go, with the city reporting a jump in the rider last week. Express canvases on the Beltline line have improved traffic flow while traveling.

The representatives of Dane County must continue to insist on a regional transit authority to help pay for better relationships. This is not only a priority in progressive Madison. Conservative leaders in the Fox Valley have sought RTA.

GOP legislators must recognize Madison’s key role in economic growth. The more successful Madison is, the more Wisconsin’s population can be filled. Larger investments in growing communities such as Madison can also lead to larger state revenue, which is beneficial to everyone.

One factor that is difficult to predict, according to the DOA report, is “climate -motivated migration”. Can Wisconsin, with its more cool weather and abundant fresh water, become a popular destination for people who avoid hurricanes, heat, drought and fires?

This is not clear, according to state analysts. Still, politicians must be ready for a potential influx. Wisconsin is already winning buzzing among the retirees in the southern states, who flock to the door county for their more permeable, cool summer.

The stabilization of the common population of Wisconsin should be the purpose of everyone. This should increase the performance that technology can maintain. Madison’s growth can lead to transplantation of residents and spinof businesses, which move to other parts of the state that offer lower housing costs and outdoor adventures.

We are all connected with different strengths and challenges in the region. We are all badgers who have to work together for a broader and more sustainable prosperity.