Chapter 11 - Neighborhoods
PlanSpokane 2046 draft
Aug 7, 2026
[Page 1]
This cover page is not part of the draft Comprehensive Plan and is intended to only help with navigation of the drafts.
The chapter you see here is the result of months of
work by countless individuals throughout the
community. It represents a combination of inputs
generously provided by the public, Plan
Commission, City Council, and many others. This
updated chapter will eventually be considered by
the Plan Commission and City Council for inclusion
in PlanSpokane 2046.
Our teams have worked hard to create these
updated chapters. Each has been discussed at the
Plan Commission, by various Plan Commission
subcommittees, with City Council in general, and
shared with the public at various points along the
way. These chapters represent the efforts of many,
helping to describe the policy and guidance the
Comprehensive Plan can provide in each topic area.
Please note this version supersedes any previously
published versions, including the release of many
chapters last October. All prior versions should be
considered out-of-date from this point on.
As with prior versions, this chapter includes the
basic text, but might not match the visual look and
format of the final document (we're still working on
that). To help readers identify where updated
language has been provided, a series of icons are
shown at right along the way. These aren't part of
the final document--they're provided to help
readers understand where certain changes may
have come from, where past policies have been
combined, etc. A guide to those icons is provided
below. Each chapter will use the same set of icons
for consistency.
General information or
notation is provided, clarifying
overall changes to the text.
Language was streamlined or
condensed for readability
or clarity.
A new Goal or Policy was added,
not sourced from the currently
adopted plan.
Policy language was added to ensure
consistency with changes in law at the
State/Federal level.
USEFUL
ICONS
Multiple Policies from the currently adopted
plan were combined into one, usually done
to eliminate redundant language.
Text was added as a result of the City's
study of Racially Disparate Impacts and
Displacement.
A policy or text was added as recommended by the Climate Resilience and
Sustainability Board (CRSB).
A goal or policy was removed or moved to
another chapter. These are listed at the end of
each chapter and include a reason.
What's Next for PlanSpokane?
Because this is the first complete view of some
chapters (e.g. Growth Strategy, Transportation,
Capital Facilities), we anticipate one more release
of updated chapters and maps later this summer.
After that, Plan Commission will likely hold a
hearing to consider the overall document. We'd
love to hear from you along the way.
Document Version: August 5, 2026
If you have any comments on the chapters, please
engage with us at http://planspokane.org or by
email at planspokane@spokanecity.org. All
comments are considered and each will be
provided to the Plan Commission and City Council
for their consideration prior to any hearings on
the proposed document.
[Page 2]
Chapter 11: Neighborhoods
Introduction
The Neighborhoods Chapter contains goals and policies that set the
direction for citywide neighborhood growth and development. They
establish basic principles that apply to all neighborhoods, ensuring an
overall growth pattern that represents the interests and desires of the entire
community.
This chapter’s goals and policies are intended to enable Spokane to be a
cohesive network of unique neighborhoods that residents are proud to call
home and that include the opportunities and services people need to live
healthy, happy lives.
Discussion of Spokane’s neighborhoods cannot be complete without
highlighting the Neighborhood Councils. Often it can be difficult to discern
whether policy or other guidance in this document refers to Neighborhood
Councils – the member bodies that inform and represent the neighborhoods
as described in Article VIII of the City Charter – or the physical neighborhood
itself. In general, these goals and policies apply to and benefit both. For
clarity, any time the text is referring directly to the Neighborhood Councils,
the full term will be used. The word ‘neighborhood’ generally refers to the
physical neighborhood, which may or may not conform to Neighborhood
Council boundaries. Additional policies related to Neighborhood Councils
can be found in the Local Governance Through Civic Participation Chapter.
Goals and Policies
Goals and policies provide specificity for planning and decision-making.
Overall, they indicate desired directions, aims, or accomplishments in
relation to the growth and development of Spokane.
Goal: N-1, The Downtown Neighborhood
Recognize downtown Spokane as the primary economic and cultural center of
the region and improve its viability as a desirable neighborhood in which to live,
visit, and conduct business.
Policy: N-1.1, Downtown Development
Provide a variety of housing, recreation, and daily service opportunities
within the downtown neighborhood that attract and retain neighborhood
residents at all income levels who support downtown and surrounding
neighborhoods, recognizing the value that the downtown neighborhood
holds for all residents, visitors, and employees in the city.
Review notes
References to the EIS were out of date
and have been removed, as the City is
developing a new EIS for this update.
This policy has been reworded to
strengthen the downtown
neighborhood’s relationship to other
neighborhoods.
[Page 3]
Goal: N-2, Neighborhood Development
Reinforce the stability and vibrancy of the city’s neighborhoods to attract a
diversity of residents and businesses to ensure a high quality of residential life,
community connectedness, and economic vitality.
Policy: N-2.1, Neighborhood Quality of Life
Ensure that Spokane’s neighborhoods continue to offer residents housing
and transportation options, safe streets, and trusted public services, as well
as cultural, social, economic, educational, and recreational opportunities
that sustain and enhance the vitality, diversity, and quality of life within
neighborhoods.
Policy: N-2.2, Neighborhood Services
Provide economic opportunities and community events that are centrally
located, easily accessible, and affordable to support neighborhoods in
enabling people to live, work, shop, socialize, and receive other essential
services within their neighborhood.
Policy: N-2.3, Accessible Services
Ensure that neighborhood-based services are available and accessible to
residents of all ages and abilities, such as being in proximity to public transit
routes, bicycle infrastructure, or robust amenities for people walking, biking,
and rolling.
Policy: N-2.4, Neighborhood Improvement
Encourage revitalization and improvement programs to conserve and
upgrade existing properties and buildings to prevent deterioration of current
housing stock and support adaptive reuse.
Policy: N-2.5, Neighborhood Arts
Provide access to public art, including sculptures, murals, special sites, and
facilities, in all neighborhoods through programs and investments.
Policy: N-2.6, Housing Diversity
Expand the diversity of housing options for neighborhood residents of all
income levels by supporting the preservation of viable existing housing and
allowing for the development of moderate density housing options in all
neighborhoods.
Policy: N-2.7, Building Community and Sense of Place
Promote efforts that provide neighborhoods with social amenities,
opportunities for social interaction, and a sense of place and belonging that
helps build community connection.
Review notes
“Cultural opportunities” was added here
to highlight their value to communities.
Some of the terms in this policy have
been updated to more current/inclusive
terms.
This policy has been updated to provide
additional support for resiliency.
This is a new policy sourced from the
Building Opportunity for Housing work
with connections to anti-displacement.
The language in Policy N-2.7 was
formerly a goal—it has been combined
into a policy under Goal N-2.
[Page 4]
Goal: N-3, Neighborhood Facilities
Maximize the usefulness of, and access to, existing and future neighborhood
facilities and services while minimizing the impacts of major facilities located
within neighborhoods.
Policy: N-3.1, Multipurpose Use of Neighborhood Facilities
Work with neighborhoods to develop a strategy for the multipurpose use
and/or shared use of existing facilities and the extension of services within
neighborhoods for neighborhood activities.
Policy: N-3.2, Major Facilities
Work with Neighborhood Councils, community organizations, and relevant
groups to explore mitigation measures, public amenity enhancements, and
alternative locations when siting major facilities.
Policy: N-3.3, Gathering Places
Increase the number of public gathering places within neighborhoods to
encourage neighborhood socialization and promote a more cohesive and
safer neighborhood, including the provision of indoor spaces for gatherings
and events in all weather and seasons.
Goal: N-4, Traffic and Circulation
Provide Spokane residents with clean air, safe streets, and peaceful living
environments by ensuring impacts to neighborhoods are considered when
planning or changing the transportation network, particularly in overburdened
communities.
Policy: N-4.1, New Neighborhood Streets
Refrain, when possible, from constructing new arterials or other high-traffic
roadways that bisect neighborhoods or from widening streets within
neighborhoods for the purpose of accommodating additional automobiles.
Policy: N-4.2, Neighborhood Street Safety
Redesign and enhance neighborhood streets to include mature street trees,
bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and features such as traffic circles, stop signs,
crosswalks, speed humps, bump outs, and narrower streets to discourage
speeding and improve neighborhood safety.
Policy: N-4.3, Neighborhood Business Traffic
Ensure that the scale of a neighborhood business is appropriate for the scale
of the neighborhood it serves so that impacts of non-local vehicle traffic
through the neighborhood are minimized.
Review notes
Neighborhood Facilities was added to
the glossary of defined terms.
The original policy was redundant with
policies in Growth Strategy and has
been reworded to focus more on
neighborhood impacts.
This policy was moved here from Goal
N-7, which has been made a policy
under Goal N-2.
Original Policy N-4.1 and the goal were
combined into one, better aligning with
the intent of this Chapter.
This policy was updated to more closely
relate to current complete streets and
safe transportation concepts.
[Page 5]
Policy: N-4.4, Multi-modal Transportation
Design neighborhoods for people walking, biking, rolling, or taking transit by
promoting accessible and comfortable streetscapes and expanded
transportation options that increase convenience, safety, and social
interaction while reducing automobile dependency and neighborhood
traffic.
Policy: N-4.5, Connections for People Who Walk, Bike, or Roll
Establish a continuous network of facilities and paths between and among
all neighborhoods for the use of people who walk, bike, roll, or use other
forms of human-scale mobility.
Policy: N-4.6, Sidewalks
Identify and implement strategies to maintain, repair, or build new sidewalks
in existing neighborhoods with connectivity gaps, and require sidewalks in
new areas of development.
Policy: N-4.7, Safe Mobility
Establish design principles to enhance safety in neighborhoods for people
walking or biking through adequate lighting, crosswalks, landscape design,
sidewalks, pathways, building access visible from the street, and open views.
Policy: N-4.8, School Walking and Bus Routes
Coordinate with local schools, colleges, and community organizations to
identify bus, biking, rolling, and walking routes to and from neighborhood
schools that require safety and infrastructure improvements.
Goal: N-5, Open Space
Increase the number of outdoor gathering spaces, greenbelts, trails, and
pedestrian bridges within and between neighborhoods.
Policy: N-5.1, Future Parks Planning
Develop and utilize public-private partnerships between neighborhood
groups and the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to locate
land and develop financing strategies that meet the Level-of-Service (LOS)
standards for neighborhood parks and/or open space to provide
neighborhood residents with areas for recreation and socializing, reinforcing
a sense of home and community.
Policy: N-5.2, Connectivity via Greenbelts and Open Space
Connect neighborhoods with an open space greenbelt system of off-street
paths and natural areas, to increase opportunities for alternative forms of
transportation between and among neighborhoods.
Review notes
Existing policies N-4.5 and N-4.7 were
combined, as their topics of multimodal
transportation options and pedestrian
design were similar.
The mention of safety improvements in
this policy was added following public
engagement on the South Logan TOD
Study, highlighting that need.
Some of the language in the original
‘discussion’ under this policy has been
inserted into the policy itself.
Connectivity between neighborhoods
was a big topic during public
engagement efforts. Thus, these
concepts have been strengthened here.
[Page 6]
Goal: N-6, The Natural Environment
Protect and enhance the natural environment within neighborhoods.
Policy: N-6.1, Environmental Planning
Protect and steward the natural environment within neighborhoods when
introducing new projects to support community health, safety, and livability.
Policy: N-6.2, Open Space and Nature Corridors
Consider and implement connections between and among neighborhoods
and designated open spaces/nature corridors when planning, designating,
and maintaining such areas.
Policy: N-6.3, Maintenance of City-Owned Open Space and Amenities
Coordinate and partner with neighborhood groups, including Neighborhood
Councilsm in the maintenance and operation of City property, with the intent
of ensuring proper maintenance and operation of facilities for neighborhood
use like greenways, paths, street features, and parks.
Goal: N-7, Neighborhood Planning
Coordinate and partner with neighborhood residents, local businesses, and
Neighborhood Councils when developing, adopting, or amending public projects
and programs in consideration of each neighborhood’s sense of identity, unique
needs, and opportunities.
Policy: N-7.1, Inclusive Neighborhood Planning
Ensure that any planning involving or affecting neighborhoods is conducted
to include the contribution of all interested parties, including those from
vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, Neighborhood
Councils, institutions, organizations, individuals of all ages and abilities,
property owners, renters, business owners, employees, and visitors.
Policy: N-7.2, Neighborhood Planning
Develop processes and avenues through which residents and neighborhood
groups, such as Neighborhood Councils, can participate in and inform
community planning, policy, and code development and amendments,
commensurate with the requirements of state law and the ideals of inclusive,
effective planning.
Policy: N-7.3, Plan Consistency and Implementation
Consider and address the needs of neighborhoods expressed in adopted
neighborhood plans by consulting these plans and analyzing the impacts of
any new City plans, programs, or policies against the goals and stated desires
of neighborhood plans, including during Comprehensive Plan Amendments
and updates.
Review notes
N-6.2 and N-6.3 have been reworded to
provide for a connection between the
topic and neighborhoods.
Direct reference to Neighborhood
Councils added based on public
feedback, reflecting neighborhood clean
up events coordinated by Neighborhood
Councils.
This goal and its policies have been
reworded to better reflect the multiple
opportunities and avenues for
neighborhood involvement in planning,
expanding opportunities for engaging
the community.
Additional policies related to
Neighborhood Councils can be found in
the Governance Through Civic
Participation Chapter (Goal LG-3). A
cross-reference will be provided in the
final document.
[Page 7]
Policy: N-7.4, Connections and Impacts Between and Among
Consider the impacts of decisions on both the neighborhood most directly
involved and how neighborhoods are interconnected and relate to each
other when conducting planning or policy/code amendments.
POLICIES REMOVED FROM THE TEXT:
The following policies in blue have been removed from the text, largely due
to redundancy, unclear goals/success, and similar factors.
Policy: N-5.2, Parks and Squares in Neighborhood Centers
Include a park and/or square in each neighborhood center.
Policy: N-7.2, City Hall Outreach
Encourage City Hall outreach efforts in neighborhoods by providing
neighborhoods with public information regarding city announcements,
newsletters, and other neighborhood specific information.
Policy: N-6.2, Code Enforcement
Enforce the city codes for public nuisances impacting neighborhood
properties.
Policy: N-8.7, Agreement for Joint Planning
Agree Coordinate with the county, affected neighborhoods, and interested
stakeholders on a consistent process for developing neighborhood plans
within the adjacent unincorporated Urban Growth Area as consistent with
the Growth Management Act (GMA).
Policy: N-8.8, Neighborhood Planning Outside the City
Use the City of Spokane, and Spokane County, and Growth Management Act
planning processes when conducting planning in neighborhoods within the
city’s unincorporated UGA.
Policy: N-8.9, Consistency of Plans Outside the City
Maintain consistency between the City’s unincorporated UGA neighborhood
plans and the City of Spokane and Spokane County Comprehensive Plans.
Review notes
The Urban Hub strategy and associated
Land Use Designations and Policies call
for parks in these features.
This policy is already addressed in the
Governance Through Civic Participation
Chapter.
Policy 6.2 is an implementation action,
not a policy.
These three policies (N 8.7 through N
8.9) relate to the joint planning of
neighborhoods outside the City. The City
does not have the authority to do
neighborhood planning for areas in the
County UGA.
Ways in which the City can engage in
joint planning with the County and other
neighboring jurisdictions in the region
are covered in the Growth Strategy
Chapter (Goal GS-9).
Chapter 11 - Neighborhoods
PlanSpokane 2046 draft
Aug 7, 2026
[Page 1]
This cover page is not part of the draft Comprehensive Plan and is intended to only help with navigation of the drafts.
The chapter you see here is the result of months of
work by countless individuals throughout the
community. It represents a combination of inputs
generously provided by the public, Plan
Commission, City Council, and many others. This
updated chapter will eventually be considered by
the Plan Commission and City Council for inclusion
in PlanSpokane 2046.
Our teams have worked hard to create these
updated chapters. Each has been discussed at the
Plan Commission, by various Plan Commission
subcommittees, with City Council in general, and
shared with the public at various points along the
way. These chapters represent the efforts of many,
helping to describe the policy and guidance the
Comprehensive Plan can provide in each topic area.
Please note this version supersedes any previously
published versions, including the release of many
chapters last October. All prior versions should be
considered out-of-date from this point on.
As with prior versions, this chapter includes the
basic text, but might not match the visual look and
format of the final document (we're still working on
that). To help readers identify where updated
language has been provided, a series of icons are
shown at right along the way. These aren't part of
the final document--they're provided to help
readers understand where certain changes may
have come from, where past policies have been
combined, etc. A guide to those icons is provided
below. Each chapter will use the same set of icons
for consistency.
General information or
notation is provided, clarifying
overall changes to the text.
Language was streamlined or
condensed for readability
or clarity.
A new Goal or Policy was added,
not sourced from the currently
adopted plan.
Policy language was added to ensure
consistency with changes in law at the
State/Federal level.
USEFUL
ICONS
Multiple Policies from the currently adopted
plan were combined into one, usually done
to eliminate redundant language.
Text was added as a result of the City's
study of Racially Disparate Impacts and
Displacement.
A policy or text was added as recommended by the Climate Resilience and
Sustainability Board (CRSB).
A goal or policy was removed or moved to
another chapter. These are listed at the end of
each chapter and include a reason.
What's Next for PlanSpokane?
Because this is the first complete view of some
chapters (e.g. Growth Strategy, Transportation,
Capital Facilities), we anticipate one more release
of updated chapters and maps later this summer.
After that, Plan Commission will likely hold a
hearing to consider the overall document. We'd
love to hear from you along the way.
Document Version: August 5, 2026
If you have any comments on the chapters, please
engage with us at http://planspokane.org or by
email at planspokane@spokanecity.org. All
comments are considered and each will be
provided to the Plan Commission and City Council
for their consideration prior to any hearings on
the proposed document.
[Page 2]
Chapter 11: Neighborhoods
Introduction
The Neighborhoods Chapter contains goals and policies that set the
direction for citywide neighborhood growth and development. They
establish basic principles that apply to all neighborhoods, ensuring an
overall growth pattern that represents the interests and desires of the entire
community.
This chapter’s goals and policies are intended to enable Spokane to be a
cohesive network of unique neighborhoods that residents are proud to call
home and that include the opportunities and services people need to live
healthy, happy lives.
Discussion of Spokane’s neighborhoods cannot be complete without
highlighting the Neighborhood Councils. Often it can be difficult to discern
whether policy or other guidance in this document refers to Neighborhood
Councils – the member bodies that inform and represent the neighborhoods
as described in Article VIII of the City Charter – or the physical neighborhood
itself. In general, these goals and policies apply to and benefit both. For
clarity, any time the text is referring directly to the Neighborhood Councils,
the full term will be used. The word ‘neighborhood’ generally refers to the
physical neighborhood, which may or may not conform to Neighborhood
Council boundaries. Additional policies related to Neighborhood Councils
can be found in the Local Governance Through Civic Participation Chapter.
Goals and Policies
Goals and policies provide specificity for planning and decision-making.
Overall, they indicate desired directions, aims, or accomplishments in
relation to the growth and development of Spokane.
Goal: N-1, The Downtown Neighborhood
Recognize downtown Spokane as the primary economic and cultural center of
the region and improve its viability as a desirable neighborhood in which to live,
visit, and conduct business.
Policy: N-1.1, Downtown Development
Provide a variety of housing, recreation, and daily service opportunities
within the downtown neighborhood that attract and retain neighborhood
residents at all income levels who support downtown and surrounding
neighborhoods, recognizing the value that the downtown neighborhood
holds for all residents, visitors, and employees in the city.
Review notes
References to the EIS were out of date
and have been removed, as the City is
developing a new EIS for this update.
This policy has been reworded to
strengthen the downtown
neighborhood’s relationship to other
neighborhoods.
[Page 3]
Goal: N-2, Neighborhood Development
Reinforce the stability and vibrancy of the city’s neighborhoods to attract a
diversity of residents and businesses to ensure a high quality of residential life,
community connectedness, and economic vitality.
Policy: N-2.1, Neighborhood Quality of Life
Ensure that Spokane’s neighborhoods continue to offer residents housing
and transportation options, safe streets, and trusted public services, as well
as cultural, social, economic, educational, and recreational opportunities
that sustain and enhance the vitality, diversity, and quality of life within
neighborhoods.
Policy: N-2.2, Neighborhood Services
Provide economic opportunities and community events that are centrally
located, easily accessible, and affordable to support neighborhoods in
enabling people to live, work, shop, socialize, and receive other essential
services within their neighborhood.
Policy: N-2.3, Accessible Services
Ensure that neighborhood-based services are available and accessible to
residents of all ages and abilities, such as being in proximity to public transit
routes, bicycle infrastructure, or robust amenities for people walking, biking,
and rolling.
Policy: N-2.4, Neighborhood Improvement
Encourage revitalization and improvement programs to conserve and
upgrade existing properties and buildings to prevent deterioration of current
housing stock and support adaptive reuse.
Policy: N-2.5, Neighborhood Arts
Provide access to public art, including sculptures, murals, special sites, and
facilities, in all neighborhoods through programs and investments.
Policy: N-2.6, Housing Diversity
Expand the diversity of housing options for neighborhood residents of all
income levels by supporting the preservation of viable existing housing and
allowing for the development of moderate density housing options in all
neighborhoods.
Policy: N-2.7, Building Community and Sense of Place
Promote efforts that provide neighborhoods with social amenities,
opportunities for social interaction, and a sense of place and belonging that
helps build community connection.
Review notes
“Cultural opportunities” was added here
to highlight their value to communities.
Some of the terms in this policy have
been updated to more current/inclusive
terms.
This policy has been updated to provide
additional support for resiliency.
This is a new policy sourced from the
Building Opportunity for Housing work
with connections to anti-displacement.
The language in Policy N-2.7 was
formerly a goal—it has been combined
into a policy under Goal N-2.
[Page 4]
Goal: N-3, Neighborhood Facilities
Maximize the usefulness of, and access to, existing and future neighborhood
facilities and services while minimizing the impacts of major facilities located
within neighborhoods.
Policy: N-3.1, Multipurpose Use of Neighborhood Facilities
Work with neighborhoods to develop a strategy for the multipurpose use
and/or shared use of existing facilities and the extension of services within
neighborhoods for neighborhood activities.
Policy: N-3.2, Major Facilities
Work with Neighborhood Councils, community organizations, and relevant
groups to explore mitigation measures, public amenity enhancements, and
alternative locations when siting major facilities.
Policy: N-3.3, Gathering Places
Increase the number of public gathering places within neighborhoods to
encourage neighborhood socialization and promote a more cohesive and
safer neighborhood, including the provision of indoor spaces for gatherings
and events in all weather and seasons.
Goal: N-4, Traffic and Circulation
Provide Spokane residents with clean air, safe streets, and peaceful living
environments by ensuring impacts to neighborhoods are considered when
planning or changing the transportation network, particularly in overburdened
communities.
Policy: N-4.1, New Neighborhood Streets
Refrain, when possible, from constructing new arterials or other high-traffic
roadways that bisect neighborhoods or from widening streets within
neighborhoods for the purpose of accommodating additional automobiles.
Policy: N-4.2, Neighborhood Street Safety
Redesign and enhance neighborhood streets to include mature street trees,
bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and features such as traffic circles, stop signs,
crosswalks, speed humps, bump outs, and narrower streets to discourage
speeding and improve neighborhood safety.
Policy: N-4.3, Neighborhood Business Traffic
Ensure that the scale of a neighborhood business is appropriate for the scale
of the neighborhood it serves so that impacts of non-local vehicle traffic
through the neighborhood are minimized.
Review notes
Neighborhood Facilities was added to
the glossary of defined terms.
The original policy was redundant with
policies in Growth Strategy and has
been reworded to focus more on
neighborhood impacts.
This policy was moved here from Goal
N-7, which has been made a policy
under Goal N-2.
Original Policy N-4.1 and the goal were
combined into one, better aligning with
the intent of this Chapter.
This policy was updated to more closely
relate to current complete streets and
safe transportation concepts.
[Page 5]
Policy: N-4.4, Multi-modal Transportation
Design neighborhoods for people walking, biking, rolling, or taking transit by
promoting accessible and comfortable streetscapes and expanded
transportation options that increase convenience, safety, and social
interaction while reducing automobile dependency and neighborhood
traffic.
Policy: N-4.5, Connections for People Who Walk, Bike, or Roll
Establish a continuous network of facilities and paths between and among
all neighborhoods for the use of people who walk, bike, roll, or use other
forms of human-scale mobility.
Policy: N-4.6, Sidewalks
Identify and implement strategies to maintain, repair, or build new sidewalks
in existing neighborhoods with connectivity gaps, and require sidewalks in
new areas of development.
Policy: N-4.7, Safe Mobility
Establish design principles to enhance safety in neighborhoods for people
walking or biking through adequate lighting, crosswalks, landscape design,
sidewalks, pathways, building access visible from the street, and open views.
Policy: N-4.8, School Walking and Bus Routes
Coordinate with local schools, colleges, and community organizations to
identify bus, biking, rolling, and walking routes to and from neighborhood
schools that require safety and infrastructure improvements.
Goal: N-5, Open Space
Increase the number of outdoor gathering spaces, greenbelts, trails, and
pedestrian bridges within and between neighborhoods.
Policy: N-5.1, Future Parks Planning
Develop and utilize public-private partnerships between neighborhood
groups and the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to locate
land and develop financing strategies that meet the Level-of-Service (LOS)
standards for neighborhood parks and/or open space to provide
neighborhood residents with areas for recreation and socializing, reinforcing
a sense of home and community.
Policy: N-5.2, Connectivity via Greenbelts and Open Space
Connect neighborhoods with an open space greenbelt system of off-street
paths and natural areas, to increase opportunities for alternative forms of
transportation between and among neighborhoods.
Review notes
Existing policies N-4.5 and N-4.7 were
combined, as their topics of multimodal
transportation options and pedestrian
design were similar.
The mention of safety improvements in
this policy was added following public
engagement on the South Logan TOD
Study, highlighting that need.
Some of the language in the original
‘discussion’ under this policy has been
inserted into the policy itself.
Connectivity between neighborhoods
was a big topic during public
engagement efforts. Thus, these
concepts have been strengthened here.
[Page 6]
Goal: N-6, The Natural Environment
Protect and enhance the natural environment within neighborhoods.
Policy: N-6.1, Environmental Planning
Protect and steward the natural environment within neighborhoods when
introducing new projects to support community health, safety, and livability.
Policy: N-6.2, Open Space and Nature Corridors
Consider and implement connections between and among neighborhoods
and designated open spaces/nature corridors when planning, designating,
and maintaining such areas.
Policy: N-6.3, Maintenance of City-Owned Open Space and Amenities
Coordinate and partner with neighborhood groups, including Neighborhood
Councilsm in the maintenance and operation of City property, with the intent
of ensuring proper maintenance and operation of facilities for neighborhood
use like greenways, paths, street features, and parks.
Goal: N-7, Neighborhood Planning
Coordinate and partner with neighborhood residents, local businesses, and
Neighborhood Councils when developing, adopting, or amending public projects
and programs in consideration of each neighborhood’s sense of identity, unique
needs, and opportunities.
Policy: N-7.1, Inclusive Neighborhood Planning
Ensure that any planning involving or affecting neighborhoods is conducted
to include the contribution of all interested parties, including those from
vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, Neighborhood
Councils, institutions, organizations, individuals of all ages and abilities,
property owners, renters, business owners, employees, and visitors.
Policy: N-7.2, Neighborhood Planning
Develop processes and avenues through which residents and neighborhood
groups, such as Neighborhood Councils, can participate in and inform
community planning, policy, and code development and amendments,
commensurate with the requirements of state law and the ideals of inclusive,
effective planning.
Policy: N-7.3, Plan Consistency and Implementation
Consider and address the needs of neighborhoods expressed in adopted
neighborhood plans by consulting these plans and analyzing the impacts of
any new City plans, programs, or policies against the goals and stated desires
of neighborhood plans, including during Comprehensive Plan Amendments
and updates.
Review notes
N-6.2 and N-6.3 have been reworded to
provide for a connection between the
topic and neighborhoods.
Direct reference to Neighborhood
Councils added based on public
feedback, reflecting neighborhood clean
up events coordinated by Neighborhood
Councils.
This goal and its policies have been
reworded to better reflect the multiple
opportunities and avenues for
neighborhood involvement in planning,
expanding opportunities for engaging
the community.
Additional policies related to
Neighborhood Councils can be found in
the Governance Through Civic
Participation Chapter (Goal LG-3). A
cross-reference will be provided in the
final document.
[Page 7]
Policy: N-7.4, Connections and Impacts Between and Among
Consider the impacts of decisions on both the neighborhood most directly
involved and how neighborhoods are interconnected and relate to each
other when conducting planning or policy/code amendments.
POLICIES REMOVED FROM THE TEXT:
The following policies in blue have been removed from the text, largely due
to redundancy, unclear goals/success, and similar factors.
Policy: N-5.2, Parks and Squares in Neighborhood Centers
Include a park and/or square in each neighborhood center.
Policy: N-7.2, City Hall Outreach
Encourage City Hall outreach efforts in neighborhoods by providing
neighborhoods with public information regarding city announcements,
newsletters, and other neighborhood specific information.
Policy: N-6.2, Code Enforcement
Enforce the city codes for public nuisances impacting neighborhood
properties.
Policy: N-8.7, Agreement for Joint Planning
Agree Coordinate with the county, affected neighborhoods, and interested
stakeholders on a consistent process for developing neighborhood plans
within the adjacent unincorporated Urban Growth Area as consistent with
the Growth Management Act (GMA).
Policy: N-8.8, Neighborhood Planning Outside the City
Use the City of Spokane, and Spokane County, and Growth Management Act
planning processes when conducting planning in neighborhoods within the
city’s unincorporated UGA.
Policy: N-8.9, Consistency of Plans Outside the City
Maintain consistency between the City’s unincorporated UGA neighborhood
plans and the City of Spokane and Spokane County Comprehensive Plans.
Review notes
The Urban Hub strategy and associated
Land Use Designations and Policies call
for parks in these features.
This policy is already addressed in the
Governance Through Civic Participation
Chapter.
Policy 6.2 is an implementation action,
not a policy.
These three policies (N 8.7 through N
8.9) relate to the joint planning of
neighborhoods outside the City. The City
does not have the authority to do
neighborhood planning for areas in the
County UGA.
Ways in which the City can engage in
joint planning with the County and other
neighboring jurisdictions in the region
are covered in the Growth Strategy
Chapter (Goal GS-9).