Strong Towns founder urges Kenosha to update comprehensive plan and embrace gentle density

Bryce Mitchell, founder of Strong Towns Kenosha, spoke during the March 16 public-comment period to urge the council to update the city's comprehensive plan, revise zoning, and adopt a citizen participation plan that supports walkable, mixed‑use neighborhoods. "We like neighborhoods where we can live, walk and build community," Mitchell said, adding that such places attract recent graduates and young professionals.

Mitchell said the zoning rewrite and projects such as Uptown redevelopment and new downtown apartments present an opportunity for Kenosha to promote gentle density and reduce car dependency. He told the council his group wants to collaborate as an organizational stakeholder and praised efforts to allow traditional urbanism rather than suburban-style sprawl.

His comments came ahead of council votes later in the meeting on zoning map amendments and rezoning items (H1–H4), which the council approved that night. Mitchell’s remarks were presented as public comment; the council did not take immediate legislative action in response to his specific suggestions during the meeting.