Equity

Equity Across the City

Equity is one of Middleton’s core community values: “We celebrate diversity and strive for fair and just opportunities and outcomes for all people.” (Comprehensive Plan, 2021)

Equity goes beyond equality. Where equality assumes sameness, equity is responsive to difference—it works to remove barriers, repair harms, and ensure everyone can fully participate, prosper, and thrive.

To live up to this value, we must:

• Acknowledge the discriminatory systems of our city’s past and present.
• Ensure that all policies and decisions center on equity and justice.

Equity Goals from the Comprehensive Plan

1. Policy Impact – Use racial equity and social justice assessment tools, along with a Health in All Policies framework, to ensure no neighborhood or group carries disproportionate burdens.
2. Team Commitment – Establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team to guide ongoing progress.
3. Planning & Land Use – Ensure resiliency, equity, and adaptation are embedded in every land use decision.

Accountability & Acknowledgements

Land Acknowledgement

Middleton occupies the ancestral homeland of the Ho-Chunk Nation, who were forcibly removed in 1832. This land was then colonized by white settlers.

Recognizing this truth means:

• Understanding the ongoing impacts of colonialism.
• Supporting and centering Ho-Chunk Nation voices in city policies and decisions.
• Learning about the Ho-Chunk Nation’s present-day government, news, and members on their website.

Racism as a Public Health Crisis

On July 21, 2020, the Mayor and Common Council declared racism a public health crisis. This resolution directed the City Administrator to create a strategic plan to make racial equity a core element of city operations.

Repudiating Racist Housing Covenants

On the same date, the Mayor and Council also repudiated racist housing covenants that excluded anyone who was not white from neighborhoods such as Park Lawn. The resolution committed Middleton to exposing and rooting out systemic racism wherever it exists.

Equity + Sustainability

Equity and sustainability are deeply interconnected. Marginalized communities are often most affected by environmental harm, which means climate justice is inseparable from social justice.

Current city projects that focus on both equity and sustainability include:

• Energy-efficient affordable housing
• Solar energy initiatives
• Land use and zoning updates

Middleton has also achieved LEED Silver for Cities and Communities Certification (USGBC), which includes measuring equity in housing, education, and employment.