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 Draft Non-Technical Chapters are now out for public comment. Edits to the Community, Environment, and How We Grow Chapters have been made based on legislative requirements, direction from the Spokane Plan Commission, and community engagement. The drafts can be found below, under the chapter categories.
All comments and recommendations can be sent to PlanSpokane@spokanecity.org. We encourage the public to include the Chapter name and Goal/Policy number(s) as applicable.
The City’s Comprehensive Plan is its vision for the future – it is a document with goals and policies that help guide future growth and city actions. Chapters such as Land Use, Housing, Neighborhoods, and Economic Development provide direction for programs, policies, and regulations enacted by the City. In general, Goals are broad categories. Policies then provide the “how” of reaching the Goal without being too specific, allowing for flexibility on specific rules or programs. The Goals and Policies then inform detailed plans, programs, and regulations that implement the envisioned future.
More information about the Comprehensive Plan and PlanSpokane 2046 Periodic Update can be found at the PlanSpokane video series webpage.
The vision statement of a Comprehensive Plan creates the roadmap for goals and policies. Currently, there are individual visual statements that guide each chapter. The PlanSpokane 2046 update will include removing individual statements and instead embracing one vision statement to guide the overall document. The draft vision statement below was created through robust engagement with the community and has helped guide proposed goals and policies.
“Spokane aims to foster a vibrant, resilient, and inclusive city by supporting economic growth, environmental stewardship, and the diverse needs of the whole community. The City is dedicated to ensuring access to attainable housing, safe streets, and thriving neighborhoods while inspiring innovation, cultural vitality, and connection for all Spokane residents.”
The Non-Technical Chapter category includes chapters that rely more on community feedback and policy direction than modeling or higher levels of analysis. The chapters are broken into thematic categories – Community (Neighborhoods, Local Governance, and Community Health), Environment (Natural Environment and Parks), and How We Grow (Urban Design and Historic Preservation as Economic Development).
All comments and recommendations can be sent to PlanSpokane@spokanecity.org. We encourage the public to include the Chapter name and Goal/Policy number(s) as applicable.
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 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process and 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 Technical Chapters include Housing, Transportation, Land Use, and Capital Facilities.
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.
The Function Chapters include Introduction and Implementation.
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 2025 through early 2026, 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.
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:
The Spokane Plan Commission Chapter Review Subcommittee was created for the study and consideration of certain proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan as part of the overall PlanSpokane 2046 periodic review process. More information can be found on the Chapter Review Subcommittee webpage.
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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
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