Della Mutungi, Planner II, 509.625.6500
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 3:24 p.m.
In the spring, City of Spokane Planning Department began work on the 5th Avenue Community Plan. The Plan builds on a history of previous and ongoing planning efforts, and the project team has facilitated a breadth of engagement activities across every stage of the Plan development process throughout the year. Co-creation, accessibility and creativity have been key elements of the Plan’s engagement approach.
We kicked off engagement with community interviews and listening sessions in the Spring, and created a Community Working Group, that has been the voice of the community as the draft plan has evolved. In April, we launched the Plan idea at Frances Scott Elementary School Art Gala, interacting with both parents and students.
During the Juneteenth weekend, we introduced the Plan to the community, asking residents to dream big, and share what they would want to see the Plan achieve for the neighborhood. Some priorities we heard include expanding commercial places, improving neighborhood walkability, improving food access and making 5th Avenue a destination. We partnered with Carl Maxey Center, New Urban Mobility Alliance and Spokane Public Schools to host a Minecraft student workshop at Frances Scott Elementary School, where 5th grade students re-imagined the schoolyard and area surrounding the school using Minecraft. We also launched our online engagement platform with an interactive map and community discussion board that has allowed for continuous conversations with community.
October, we held a community open house to collect more feedback on people’s lived experiences throughout the community. Themes across responses reflect a deep desire for affordable housing solutions, improved traffic safety, food access and economic and cultural empowerment.
So far, the project team has completed the 5th Avenue Plan Baseline Conditions Report which analyzes the current state of the community, and includes maps and figures about the history, people, environment, transportation, housing, land use and zoning of the area.
What we heard throughout engagement and learned in the Baseline Conditions Report helped define the Plan topics for study and has now become the goal framework of the Plan. The five goals of the Plan are:
Building on what we’ve heard this year, the next step is for the project team to finalize the Draft Plan, which will be the focus of the next series of engagement activities in 2026.You can learn more about what the community has shared so far in the 5th Avenue Plan Engagement Summary.
We look forward to sharing more information as the Plan evolves into its final product!
Send written comments or ask questions to the project team by emailing fifthavenueplan@spokanecity.org. Visit the webpage at 5th Avenue Plan to learn more about the planning process and sign up for updates.
In Spokane
We All Belong
