Equitable Community Engagement in Comprehensive Plan Updates

September 21, 2022  by  Rosie Cullen
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Inclusive Communities ,  Guest Author

Many local governments are updating their comprehensive plans, and in doing so, some are looking at how to develop intentional strategies that actively engage underrepresented communities in order to build a more equitable plan update in the process. 

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2022 Growth Management Act-Related Bills

June 30, 2022  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Environmental Policy and Management ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Housing ,  Rural Uses ,  New Legislation and Regulations

New legislation related to the Growth Management Act (GMA) will expand tribal participation, limit appeals for actions to increase housing supply, change periodic update timelines, provide additional options for limited areas of more intense rural development (LAMIRDs), and more.

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Capital Facilities Planning: If There’s No Math, You’re Not Doing It Right

February 10, 2022  by  Ryan Walters
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Guest Author

Guest author Ryan Walters suggests that capital facilities planning is as much about building new facilities as it is about accounting for the substantial expense of maintaining that infrastructure in the future. 

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State Seeks Input on Its Vehicle Miles Traveled Reduction Strategy

January 27, 2022  by  Celeste Gilman
Category:  Climate Change ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Guest Author

The State of Washington is seeking input from local governments across the state as it works to establish reduction targets for local vehicle miles traveled and other proposed programs in order to meet key climate action targets.
 

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What Is a 15-Minute City? (And Why You Should Care)

October 25, 2021  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Cycling and Walking

What types of amenities and services can you get to within 15 minutes of leaving your front door? The 15-Minute City concept encourages the development of walkable neighborhoods where a variety of services are within easy reach. 

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The Importance of Population Forecasts for your Comprehensive Plan

January 26, 2016  by  William Simpson
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Guest Author

Selecting a population forecast is a critical step for communities beginning the review and update of their comprehensive plan. This post provides some answers to common questions for those beginning the update process.

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What’s Next for Planning in Washington?

November 6, 2015  by  Jill Sterrett
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Guest Author

2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Growth Management Act. So let's look ahead to see what's next. What are the emerging issues that urban planning can address?

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GMA at 25: Looking Back, Looking Forward

December 12, 2014  by  Joseph W. Tovar
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Guest Author

The year 2015 will be the 25th anniversary of the adoption of Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA). GMA may be the most important and least understood of state laws from the perspective of today's state, county and city elected officials. Few of them were in office in the 1980's, and therefore understandably lack first-hand knowledge of the serious problems that prompted the 1990 legislature to pass the Act. A 2013 survey of city elected officials revealed that almost none of them had ever received training on the what, why, and how of land use policy-making, much less the GMA.

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It Takes a Community (and Some Smart Investing) to Create the Shining City on a Hill

January 16, 2013  by  Sue Enger
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

To become that shining city (or county) on a hill, or to make that "Best-Places-to-Live" list, communities must successfully implement a vision. This...

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Infill Development in My Back Yard? Strategies for Winning Infill Development Support

June 27, 2012  by  Sue Enger
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

Infill development, by definition, brings change to its neighborhood.  It may be an understatement to say that existing residents often view any proposed changes next door with suspicion.  But a number of...

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