While there are many studies and projects in progress that will inform Comprehensive Plan updates through PlanSpokane 2046, a big part of any periodic update is a review and assessment of the many existing goals and policies. To this end, the City is undertaking a review of the current Comprehensive Plan, known as the Chapter Review process.
The Plan Commission Chapter Review Subcommittee is currently meeting to discuss three of the Chapter Groups (see below), namely the Community Chapters, Environment Chapters, and "How We Grow" Chapters. Those meetings are set to be completed by August, after which the entire Plan Commission will begin discussing any changes in those chapter groups.
PlanSpokane 2046 will not be creating an entirely new Comprehensive Plan. Rather, the intent is to pay homage to the existing plan and the work and input by so many in the past, while simultaneously making it a plan of today, for tomorrow—one that is easier to read, containing less cumbersome language. The hope is to have a new plan that incorporates the best of the old plan while simultaneously taking advantage of new information, plans, and policies. Specifically, the Chapter Review is being conducted according to the following goals:
To assist in the review of the existing Comprehensive Plan chapters, the chapters have been organized into thematic groups that help community members learn how the various goals and policies affect the City of Spokane. Each group will get a closer look by staff, the Plan Commission, and of course, the public. Additionally, Climate Planning efforts are occurring through a separate process, as funded by the Climate Commitment Act. Policy discussion is expected late 2026 through early 2027, with climate and resiliency related policies being integrated into the overall Comprehensive Plan afterwards.
Some chapter groups will require much more work than others. The Technical Chapters require the heaviest lift this time around, and are likely the last to be updated. In many cases, those chapters must wait while technical and planning studies are completed—such as the Division Transit Oriented Development project or the Hillyard SubArea Plan. These efforts will be wrapping up in the summer of 2025, and then work on the Technical Chapters will begin. The technical chapters will require much more work to update and edits to these chapters aren't likely to be released until Spring 2026.
All of the various efforts related to PlanSpokane 2046 must be woven together into a cohesive group later in the process—so that the City can consider the updated Comprehensive Plan as a whole and not as a collection of disconnected parts. In general, the non-technical chapters and the racially disparate impacts and displacement work will be available as a first public draft in late 2025. Those topics, in addition to the Climate and Resiliency work and technical chapters, will be available as a full public draft in the beginning of 2026, after the Preferred Alternative for Spokane's future growth is selected.
The Community Chapter category includes chapters that help support community connection and collaboration.
The Environmental Chapter category includes chapters that address Spokane’s natural environment and ecosystem.
Shorelines Chapter: While a topic of discussion, no changes to the Shorelines Chapter are currently proposed. The chapter must be updated by 2030 to meet state requirements, at which time the chapter will be updated to the PlanSpokane 2046 template and formatting.
The How We Grow Chapter category includes chapters that inform how Spokane grows and develops.
The Technical Chapter category includes chapters that rely on data analysis and more technical decision making. These chapters also rely on the selection of a Preferred Alternative before policy changes can be considered. Drafts are expected to be available to the public towards the beginning of 2026.
The Functional Chapter category includes chapters that support the rest of the Comprehensive Plan. Edits to these chapters are largely dependent on the rest of the document, with drafts expected to be available to the public towards the beginning of 2026.
As this effort progresses, the most current version of new chapter language will be available here for everyone to read and consider. Any questions or comments about the drafts can be sent to Planning Staff at PlanSpokane@cityofspokane.org.
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City of Spokane
Department of Planning Services
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99201
climateplanning@spokanecity.org
509.625.6500
