In response to the needs of the City of Portage, several recommendations have been made for population and financial growth. First, a community center should be added, to support and educate new residents, and bring the community together as Portage grows. In response to expected population growth, downtown Portage needs to be enriched, both through nurturing downtown businesses and by creating a more walkable and welcoming downtown area for
residents. The pedestrian safety aspect should be accomplished by renovating streets and sidewalks and adding alternative methods of transportation. To increase tourism, it is recommended that current Portage attractions are identified and preserved, and nearby city attractions should be incentivized to current and future employees. Next, Portage can further utilize and enhance the city’s online/social media presence to generate buzz that attracts
residents. Furthermore, it is suggested that several financial incentives such as promoting payment assistance programs or encouraging property owners to take advantage of CDBG loans can attract residents.
UniverCity Year Contact Info: UniverCityAlliance@wisc.edu