Bothell: Six Year Transportation Improvement Program
The Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) functions as Bothell’s primary mechanism for shaping future development by aligning infrastructure capacity with urban growth. As mandated by the Revised Code of Washington, the TIP is more than a simple list of repairs; it is a prerequisite for the federal and state funding necessary to support the city’s expansion. Because projects must be included in the TIP to receive gas tax allocations and grant awards, the document serves as the gatekeeper for the city’s physical evolution. By integrating the TIP with the biennial Capital Facilities Plan, Bothell ensures that transportation infrastructure is not reactive but is instead a proactive foundation for the land-use goals established in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
Lynnwood: Reassesses Growth Strategy
The Lynnwood City Council's decision to approve a 24% property tax increase and raise utility taxes to 10% is a critical inflection point that will profoundly impact future planning and development within the city. Faced with a substantial $25 million budget deficit, primarily driven by lower-than-anticipated revenues from sales tax, development fees, and red-light cameras, the immediate action stabilizes the general fund but also telegraphs a coming era of austerity and fundamental reevaluation of municipal services and growth strategies. This move, which includes a $1.7 million property tax increase and a $1.9 million boost from utility tax hikes, addresses only a fraction of the operating gap, leaving a residual deficit that the city must close through deeper cuts.
Gig Harbor: Affordable Housing and Streamlined Growth
The Gig Harbor Planning Department has initiated a state-mandated overhaul of its development code, a significant action poised to redefine the city's future growth trajectory, particularly in the realm of housing affordability and efficient land use. Presented by Development Director Eric Baker and Senior Planner Jeremy Hammar, these proposed changes are far more than technical revisions; they represent a fundamental shift in philosophy designed to encourage the development community to create affordable and diverse housing options within city limits while maintaining essential environmental and aesthetic safeguards. The public will have a critical opportunity to shape the draft changes through workshops and outreach concluding at the end of 2025, with final City Council consideration anticipated for early 2026.
Sammamish: Future Town Center Development
The City of Sammamish has initiated an immediate and indefinite pause on its critical zoning overhaul for the Town Center neighborhood, a decision directly attributable to the recent election that will usher in a growth-skeptical city council majority in January. This halt impacts a planning update that began in mid-2023, driven by both newly approved state laws pushing for increased housing accommodation and the manifest failure of the original 2008 Town Center plan to generate the necessary density and mixed-use development over the past fifteen years. The core of the suspended work addressed the neighborhood's development capacity; the preceding council had advanced an alternative for environmental review proposing to raise the housing cap to 4,000 units. This substantial increase was deemed necessary by staff to attract mid-rise and low-rise mixed-use buildings that could integrate retail, community spaces, and affordable housing, in contrast to the lower-density townhouses that are otherwise likely to be built, a crucial consideration given the city's high $1.6 million average home price and severe shortage of affordable units.
Kent: Critical Areas Ordinance Update
The City of Kent is actively undertaking a necessary update to its Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO), codified in Chapter 11.06 of the Kent City Code, a vital effort driven by both state law requirements and the imperative to incorporate the Best Available Science (BAS). This revision is designed to ensure that the city's approach to protecting its natural resources aligns with the latest ecological knowledge, current legal mandates, and the established values of the community. Critical areas encompass a range of essential natural features, including wetlands, streams and their shoreline buffers, crucial aquifer recharge zones, areas identified as geologically hazardous, and designated fish and wildlife habitat conservation zones.
Everett: Manufactured Housing Communities
The City of Everett is prioritizing the long-term preservation of its affordable housing stock through the development of a dedicated Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) zone, a key action item (HO-6) emerging from the recently adopted Everett 2044 comprehensive plan. This initiative is aimed directly at protecting the city's approximately 1,050 manufactured homes across ten existing communities from displacement and conversion to other uses. This zoning work is intended to fortify recent state-level protections, specifically Washington State’s HB 1217, which caps annual rent increases at five percent. While the state law addresses financial constraints, the City’s zoning effort is critical as it addresses the remaining and significant risk: the physical closure or redevelopment of communities.
Edmonds: Marsh Restoration
The successful completion of the preliminary evaluations for the Edmonds Marsh Estuary restoration, a collaborative effort between the City of Edmonds and the Edmonds Marsh Estuary Advocates (Marshians), has immediately paved the way for the project's crucial next steps and long-term future. This momentum is focused on securing funding and executing the design phase, which will ultimately lead to physical restoration. The partnership has already submitted a competitive application for a new National Coastal Resiliency Fund (NCRF) grant, seeking support for the development of a 30% design for the estuary's restoration. This application has successfully navigated the highly selective pre-proposal stage, signifying the project’s strong potential for future funding.
Renton: Market, Piazza, and Square Update
The revitalization of Renton’s downtown core is coalescing around the HEART Block, a critical, multifaceted development incorporating Piazza Park, the Renton Pavilion & Events Center, and the evolving Legacy Square. These spaces are foundational components of the broader Renton Downtown Civic Core and Action Plan, a strategic vision adopted by the City Council in 2018. The plan was initially conceived in 2016 to address the eventual relocation of the downtown transit center and to outline specific, community-driven actions for capitalizing on future downtown opportunities. The plan itself was shaped by extensive public involvement, including numerous interactive in-person and online events, ensuring that the resulting projects reflect a shared community vision.
Spokane: Climate Resilience Development
Spokane faces accelerating climate risks—including extreme heat, severe flooding, and increasing wildfire hazards—that are already threatening core infrastructure and demanding fundamental changes to future development planning. These hazards are not only disrupting daily routines and local economies but are also placing immense, unequal pressure on the built environment and essential services. The City’s commitment to climate justice is essential in this context, ensuring that future development decisions prioritize protecting vulnerable populations and overburdened communities who are most exposed to these physical climate threats.
Shoreline: ADA Self-Evaluation Plan
The City of Shoreline has developed a Park Facilities ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan to systematically identify and correct physical barriers that limit access for people with disabilities across its park system, in compliance with federal laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. This plan, which focuses solely on physical barriers in park facilities like playgrounds, pathways, and restrooms, will guide the city’s efforts over the next several decades, with future updates slated to address programs and services as funding allows. The City deliberately chose to follow the enforceable ADA standards and the available ABA guidelines for all its park facilities, regardless of whether federal money was used for their construction or alteration.
Tukwila: Community Center Masterplan
The Tukwila Community Center Master Plan outlines a comprehensive vision for transforming the 12.7-acre riverfront property into a unified, ecologically sensitive park, though its ultimate execution hinges upon securing necessary funding. This plan, developed by Tukwila Parks & Recreation after gathering extensive community input, focuses on embracing the site's unique location along the Duwamish River and fully integrating its recreational and historical assets. As a notable, immediate development, the skate park was dismantled beginning in June and is currently being replaced by four new outdoor pickleball courts. This specific project had a projected six-week timeline, which included the initial demolition, followed by the paving of the courts, a 30-day curing period, and finally, painting. This focused revitalization effort quickly introduced a popular new recreational amenity.
Olympia: 2045 Key Milestones
The City of Olympia is actively engaged in its phased, chapter-by-chapter update of the Comprehensive Plan, known as Olympia 2045. This vital process will define the city’s long-term vision, goals, and policies for the next two decades, accommodating an expected population growth of approximately 20,000 additional residents. The update also addresses new and revised state requirements, ensuring the city is prepared for future housing, employment, and infrastructure needs. Several foundational chapters, including Public Participation and Partners, Natural Environment, Utilities, Parks Arts and Recreation, and Capital Facilities, have already been accepted by the City Council, marking significant progress in the overall plan.
Everett: Critical Areas Ordinance Update
Everett is moving forward with a crucial update to its Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO), a sweeping legislative process mandated by the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA). This isn't just routine housekeeping; it's a necessary step to bring local development regulations in line with the latest science and state requirements. On September 16, 2025, the Planning Commission was briefed on the significant proposed changes aimed at both protecting the city's natural environment and ensuring residents' safety. This update is vital to guaranteeing "no net loss" of ecological functions and values and must be rigorously based on the Best Available Science (BAS), with special attention paid to safeguarding anadromous fisheries like salmon.
Spokane: PlanSpokane 2046
The City of Spokane’s PlanSpokane 2046 update to its Comprehensive Plan, driven by Washington State’s Growth Management Act and climate requirements, is not merely a compliance exercise but a fundamental reorientation of policy that will profoundly influence future development and growth through 2046. The Community Climate Policy Survey (July-August 2025), which successfully gathered input from 1,419 community members, clearly identified policy priorities that will reshape Spokane’s urban form and its interaction with natural resources.
Olympia: The Three Pillars of the New Comprehensive Plan
The City of Olympia is confronting a major housing crisis with a comprehensive strategy outlined in the Public Hearing Draft of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Housing Chapter. This plan acknowledges that while the city has sufficient land capacity for future growth, the critical issue is affordability and access for all residents.
Redmond: 2050 Code Updates
The City of Redmond has reached a pivotal moment in its planned evolution, with the City Council’s recent adoption of updated development regulations that fully implement the vision of the Redmond 2050 Comprehensive Plan. This sweeping initiative marks a deliberate transition from a traditional suburb to a modern, thriving city, a process informed by years of deep community collaboration. The new code is structured around core priorities: advancing equity and inclusion, promoting sustainability and resiliency, and simplifying the regulatory landscape to make it more accessible and modern. Mayor Angela Birney affirmed that these updates reflect a shared vision for an inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant future, laying the groundwork for a city that works for everyone, both today and for generations to come. The changes are profound, impacting nearly every property and determining how Redmond will be built over the coming decades.
Kent: Municipal Relocation Program
The City of Kent is embarking on a comprehensive, multi-phase Municipal Relocation Program designed to modernize and consolidate its key facilities, ultimately strengthening civic identity and creating a unified civic campus. This deliberate, phased approach ensures the continuity of municipal operations and minimizes service disruptions throughout the construction period, while also providing adaptable spaces ready for the community’s future growth.
Issaquah: Central Issaquah Station Area Vision
The imminent arrival of the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) light rail station in the Central Issaquah Urban Core by 2044 is the defining element of the city’s future development strategy. This is not merely a transportation project, but a powerful catalyst for transforming the designated Regional Growth Center into a vibrant, high-density, and sustainable hub. The station’s location will anchor decades of future growth, driving the creation of new housing, jobs, and mixed-use commercial spaces. The overarching vision is for the station area to become a well-connected environment where people of all ages can live, work, and thrive, fully embracing modern Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles that prioritize pedestrian safety, connectivity, and environmentally responsible design.
Bothell: Roadmap to Sustainability
Bothell is actively addressing the undeniable reality of a changing climate, an imperative driven by observed impacts ranging from hotter summers and shifting rainfall patterns to increasingly frequent wildfire smoke. These environmental shifts pose significant, growing risks to the health, well-being, economy, and natural environment of the community. In response to this pressing challenge, the City of Bothell has developed its first-ever Climate Action Plan (CAP), a practical, community-informed roadmap designed to sharply reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance the city's preparedness for local climate impacts. The plan outlines 82 specific strategies and actions organized across five key focus areas, aiming to support broader regional and state climate goals while building a healthier, more sustainable Bothell for all residents.
Mercer Island: Affordable Housing Plan Fails to Meet State Standards
In a landmark decision, Washington's Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) ruled that the city of Mercer Island failed to meet state requirements for affordable housing, forcing the city back to the drawing board. The ruling came after an appeal from the land use advocacy group Futurewise, which argued that Mercer Island’s 2024 growth plan fell short of the new standards set by House Bill 1220 (HB 1220). This legislation, a significant change to growth planning, requires cities to specifically plan for future housing needs across a broad range of income levels, not just a single, high-level growth target.