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Posts for Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

2026 Planning Legislation Simplifies Affordable Housing Development, Land Banking, Permitting, and More

May 20, 2026  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Housing ,  Land Use Administration ,  Rural Uses ,  New Legislation and Regulations

New bills from the 2026 state legislative session address local land use and planning by encouraging the development of STEP housing, allowing residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones, establishing a legal framework for land banking authority, and more.

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Your Comp Plan Is Not Your Strategic Plan: Here's Why That Matters

May 18, 2026  by  Una McAlinden
Category:  Guest Author ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

Your agency has just finished a comprehensive plan, so it doesn't need a strategic plan, right? Not so fast, those two plans answer fundamentally different questions and neither should be used as a substitute for the other.

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Expanded Housing Options for Counties Thanks to Two 2026 Bills

May 6, 2026  by  Leonard Bauer
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Housing ,  Rural Uses ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Two new bills make it easier to develop more affordable housing options in rural areas of counties while also protecting rural character and natural resources. Counties should work to ensure that this new housing serves long-term and not short-term rental needs.

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Floor Area Ratio: What It Is and How Local Governments Can Use It

December 3, 2025  by  Noal Leonetti ,  Abby Newbold
Category:  Guest Author ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Housing ,  Transportation and Land Use

Regulations addressing floor area ratio (FAR) can help cities build density and give developers more options. Passed in 2025, HB 1491 requires certain cities use FAR when setting density standards near high-capacity transit stations for rail and/or bus.

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Comprehensive Plans’ Housing Elements Under Increased Scrutiny

October 29, 2025  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Housing

Will the housing element of your comprehensive plan see increased public scrutiny? Legislative changes to the GMA have added new requirements to the housing element, bringing increased public pressure on cities, towns, and counties to faithfully meet these changes.

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2025 Legislation Affecting Local Government Planning

August 5, 2025  by  Leonard Bauer
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Administration ,  Parking ,  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Housing ,  Transportation and Land Use ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Several bills from 2025 will impact local government planning, addressing topics as diverse as periodic update deadlines, local parking requirements, and historic landmark property designation.

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2025 Housing-Related Legislative Outcomes

July 23, 2025  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Housing ,  New Legislation and Regulations

The 2025 state legislative session included bills that encourage the development of more housing as well as the preservation of existing affordable housing, generally by building on legislation from prior sessions. 

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2025 Legislation that Advances Sustainability in Washington Communities

July 7, 2025  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Cycling and Walking ,  Administration ,  Climate and Sustainability ,  Parking ,  Environmental Laws and Regulations ,  Streets and Sidewalks ,  Housing ,  Utilities ,  New Legislation and Regulations

This year's state legislative session passed bills addressing sustainability and climate action, updating the state's Clean Buildings Performance Standard, enacting extended producer responsibility, and encouraging the development of shared streets.

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Adopting SEPA Exemptions May Help Implement Your Comprehensive Plan

June 18, 2025  by  Leonard Bauer
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Environmental Laws and Regulations ,  Housing ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Local governments looking to promote development that implements their comprehensive plans should consider adopting categorical or optional exemptions from the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for certain types of projects. 

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2025 Legislation Promotes the Development of Childcare Facilities

June 12, 2025  by  Lisa Pool ,  Barbara Rosen ,  Maria Tobin
Category:  Guest Author ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Inclusive Communities ,  New Legislation and Regulations

One bill from the 2025 legislative session requires certain localities to update their local codes and make it easier for childcare facilities to be sited in a variety of zones. Another requires local governments remove minimum parking standards for these and other facilities. 

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Updating Your Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code? Consider Corner Stores.

November 7, 2024  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Development Regulations and Zoning

The deployment of corner stores in dense communities can help a local government meet its land use goals as well as provide a neighborhood meeting place and meet the local need for daily essentials like food and conveniences. 

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An older man holds a sign in protest of plans for a new stadium

Dealing with Housing Displacement in Your Comprehensive Plan

May 29, 2024  by  Carson Bridges ,  Steve Butler
Category:  Guest Author ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Housing

Housing displacement brought about by gentrification can severely disrupt existing neighborhoods. Thanks to legislation in 2021, any GMA-planning local government updating a comprehensive plan must also address and include anti-displacement strategies to protect residents.

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A childcare teacher works with 5 young children

Reducing Barriers for Childcare Facilities, Part 1

March 20, 2024  by  Lisa Pool ,  Barbara Rosen
Category:  Guest Author ,  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Development Regulations and Zoning ,  Inclusive Communities

Lack of access to affordable childcare may lead to a parent dropping out of the workforce, while convenient, affordable care creates economic advantages for families and communities. How can local governments support the growth of diverse childcare options in their communities?

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Diverse group of seated people participating in a meeting

Comprehensive Planning Tips, with a Focus on Implementation

November 8, 2023  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management

A successful comprehensive plan will help guide community growth for decades into the future. When updating a plan, a local government should focus on using a strong planning process, conducting robust community engagement, and focusing on plan implementation. 

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Model of a downtown development

How Downtown Plans Can Create a Framework for Revitalization Efforts: Part 1

October 11, 2023  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Downtown Revitalization Series

To create downtowns that can truly recover and thrive after a major unexpected event, cities must outline both near- and long-term steps in their downtown plans, including adaptive reuse strategies and ensuring that downtown public spaces are welcoming, safe, and exciting.

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An architectural model of a dense area of town

2023 Planning Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 11, 2023  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Annexation ,  Design ,  Housing ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Common themes among these six new planning-related bills include streamlining local project review, decreasing the planning burden on smaller communities, incentivizing annexations, and increasing housing supply throughout the state.

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Several small images suggesting environmental and pollution prevention laws against the word 2023

New Legislation Related to Climate and the Natural Environment

July 27, 2023  by  Lisa Pool
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Climate and Sustainability ,  Environmental Laws and Regulations ,  New Legislation and Regulations

In 2023, state legislators passed several bills addressing environmental concerns, including new climate elements for comprehensive planning, making impact fee revenue available for new bike and pedestrian facilities, and an optional permit process for clean energy projects. 

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A montage of port, truck and public transit

Unpopular but Necessary: What Exactly Is an Essential Public Facility?

January 30, 2023  by  Oskar Rey
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

What is an essential public facility under the Growth Management Act? An airport? A transit system? A homeless shelter? What facilities can be defined as essential for the public is at the heart of a recent Washington Court of Appeals case.

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Equitable Community Engagement in Comprehensive Plan Updates

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

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:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Environmental Laws and Regulations ,  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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