Chapter 1 - Introduction
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considered out-of-date from this point on.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 1: Introduction
(Y)our Plan
The City of Spokane is a growing and vibrant city, bringing together a rich
history and bright future to support a resilient, connected, and livable city
for all community members.
Just as people make plans for their personal and professional lives, cities
plan to make their aspirations a reality. In large urban areas where the
landscape is highly complex and constantly changing, Comprehensive Plans
shape the future by translating community input to identify what is needed
to meet the interests of the city’s diverse community, providing guidance for
City budgets, regulations, growth, and much more.
This Comprehensive Plan looks to a horizon of 20 years, creating a long-term
plan to shape the City’s built and natural environment and providing the
overall scheme of city development – the major land uses, transportation
systems, parks and open spaces, and areas for commercial and employment
opportunities. The Plan provides direction for future decisions that is
intended to:
The Introduction Chapter has
been substantially rewritten,
streamlining the content and
adding additional framing the
community has identified as
important. The intent is to
frame the role of the
Comprehensive Plan, the
history of the city, and the
planning context of the
Comprehensive Plan, all while
identifying how the community
is involved in developing this
crucial document.
• Create a collective vision for the City of Spokane’s future.
• Identify locations where different types of growth should
occur, guiding both private and public development.
• Guide City decision-making and establish priorities for public
investment.
• Create a framework for future plans, programs, and initiatives.
• Align the work of City Departments around issues that matter
most to the community.
• Foster community and regional partnerships.
Shaping and realizing a future where all Spokane community members can
prosper and live healthy and thriving lives, requires ongoing collaboration
between the City, regional agencies and organizations, and all community
members. Together, we can ensure that “In Spokane, We All Belong”.
<<The following text will be included as a sidebar, outside the main
chapter text>>
This Comprehensive Plan is organized into 14 Chapters, each covering major
topic areas that work together to shape the City of Spokane’s future. Those
topics include Implementation, Growth Strategy, Transportation,
Capital Facilities and Utilities, Housing, Economic Development, Urban
Design and Historic Preservation, Natural Environment, Community
Health, Neighborhoods, Parks and Recreation, Local Governance
Through Civic Participation, and Shorelines. A Glossary helps define less
[Page 3]
commonly used words, so all community members are reading with a
shared understanding of what is being discussed.
Within each Chapter, there are a series of Goals and Policies. A Goal is an
overarching aspiration – where we want to go as a City. Policies support the
goal by providing more specific ways in which the City can meet that Goal.
However, Policies are still general, allowing for multiple ways to implement.
Plans, programs, and regulations outside of the Comprehensive Plan
ultimately implement the Goals and Policies to make them a reality for our
city.
In addition to the Chapters of the Comprehensive Plan, there are several
appendices that support the overall document.
<<End of Sidebar>>
Profile of Spokane
The City of Spokane is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest and is the
most populous city in Eastern Washington. The Spokane River runs through
the city, with the Spokane Falls creating a breathtaking focal point for the
downtown. The area largely sits upon the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
Aquifer, which feeds into the Spokane River and serves as Spokane’s water
supply, carrying millions of cubic meters of water each day.
The Spokane River, particularly the series of falls, has drawn people to the
area for thousands of years. The river provided an abundance of salmon,
which sustained the region’s indigenous peoples, the “Spokanes.” The
Spokanes are a river people, whose ancestors lived a semi-nomadic way of
life on a seasonal round pursuing hunting, fishing, and gathering
opportunities. They lived along the banks of the Spokane and Columbia
rivers and scattered up the tributaries in much of northeastern Washington,
which consisted of approximately three million acres. During salmon runs,
other Tribes joined the Spokanes at the Falls for fishing, trade, games,
celebration, and socializing.
[INSERT INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES MAP, Map I-01]
<<The following text will be included as a sidebar, outside the main
chapter text>>
City of Spokane Land Acknowledgement
The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize the Indigenous
history and present of a particular location. Typically taking the form of a
written or recited statement, land acknowledgements are considered a first
step towards recognizing local Tribes and Urban Native communities, with
continued recognition and collaboration required to make meaningful
actions. The land acknowledgement below was adopted by City Council on
March 22, 2021 (RES 2021-0019).
Review notes
Map can currently be found at the
end of this document. It will be
integrated into the Chapter once the
final template is available.
[Page 4]
We acknowledge that we are on the unceded land of the Spokane people. And
that these lands were once the major trading center for the Spokanes as they
shared this place and welcomed other area tribes through their relations, history,
trade, and ceremony. We also want to acknowledge that the land holds the spirit
of the place, through its knowledge, culture, and all the original peoples Since
Time Immemorial.
As we take a moment to consider the impacts of colonization may we also
acknowledge the strengths and resiliency of the Spokanes and their relatives. As
we work together making decisions that benefit all, may we do so as one heart,
one mind, and one spirit.
We are grateful to be on the shared lands of the Spokane people and ask for the
support of their ancestors and all relations. We ask that you recognize these
injustices that forever changed the lives of the Spokane people and all their
relatives.
We agree to work together to stop all acts of continued injustices towards Native
Americans and all our relatives. It is time for reconciliation. We must act upon
the truths and take actions that will create restorative justice for all people.
<<End of Sidebar>>
In the mid-1800s, U.S. soldiers arrived and forcefully displaced the Spokanes
from their ancestral land, accelerating white settlement in the area. Fur
traders, miners, and missionaries were the first settlers to traverse the
broader area of Spokane. The town of “Spokan Falls” was incorporated in
1881, before “Spokane” became the official city name in 1891. At that time,
the city was a total of 20 square miles and had a population of about 20,000
residents.
At first, the river was an important travel corridor for industry and logging,
as well as the source of early hydroelectric power. That travel corridor was
soon complemented by rail lines connecting through the area to regional
economic resources and intercontinental lines. Rapid population growth in
the late 1800s and early 1900s led to increased development and unique
housing choices that are still treasured to this day. The city also saw an
increase in Chinese and Japanese residents, partially drawn to local work in
railroad and mining industries, with a ‘Chinatown’ consisting of markets,
hotels, restaurants, and laundries appearing. Chinatown, along with over
thirty blocks of the downtown areas, was impacted by the Spokane Fire of
1889. Despite the fire’s devastation, the city recovered in record time,
leading to a building boom. By the 1930s, Spokane became a hub for trade
industries – sawmills, carpentry, railways, iron, and steel manufacturing.
During World War II, the City of Spokane experienced yet another surge of
growth as the Spokane region saw the development of manufacturing and
maintenance depots associated with the Army Air Corps and U.S. Navy.
[Page 5]
Additionally, the Issei (first generation Japanese immigrants) and Nisei
(second generation Japanese Americans) populations in Spokane increased
as individuals avoided the coastal evacuation zone and relocation and
internment camps. In all, Spokane’s population grew by nearly 40,000
people, or 31%, in the 1940s.
Catalyzed by the war, Spokane’s Black population quadrupled between 1940
and 1960. Racial discrimination became more pronounced during these
years as a backlash ensued. Spokane property owners and powerbrokers
engaged in an organized effort to keep Black Spokanites within the confines
of downtown and East Central Spokane, leading to neighborhood
segregation. The City of Spokane, like all cities in Washington and the United
States, is actively navigating the legacy of this discrimination, understanding
the racially disparate impacts of past and current decisions.
Then in 1974, Spokane hosted EXPO ’74, the World’s Fair Exposition. An
immediate success, the fair drew huge crowds throughout the summer. The
intrigued crowds thronged through the EXPO site, which had only recently
been cleared of the railroad lines and industrial businesses that had once
crowded the river front site. Today, the Great Northern Depot clock tower
remains as a feature of the park and serves as a reminder of the integral role
the railroad and the Expo played in shaping Spokane.
Since then, the City of Spokane has seen continued success and growth, with
a current population exceeding 230,000 residents. Significant industries in
the City include aerospace, health sciences, agribusiness, energy, and clean
technology, providing jobs and supporting regional research and education.
Major events draw visitors from across the globe and residents benefit from
a robust cultural arts scene. Bloomsday, a race through the core of Spokane,
started in 1977 and continues to be a springtime favorite averaging over
30,000 participants. Starting in 1990, Hoopfest has become the world’s
largest three-on-three basketball tournament, drawing global participants.
From art and cultural festivals to sports tournaments and seasonal markets,
the City of Spokane has shaped and continues to develop a community for
everyone.
Demographics Snapshot
Review notes
ge 5
[Page 6]
Implementing the Community’s Vision
The Comprehensive Plan addresses a range of topics and strategies that
work together to meet the community’s vision for the future.
After a robust visioning process, the community developed a vision
statement that outlines its aspirations for the next 20 years. The Chapters of
the Comprehensive Plan work together to meet this vision, identifying ways
to support our vibrant, resilient, and inclusive city.
<<The following text will be included as a callout box, highlighting the
text>>
Community Vision Statement
“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.”
<<End of Callout Box>>
To help reach that vision and plan for the next 20 years, the Comprehensive
Plan includes guiding principles throughout its Chapters that reflect
community priorities.
Plan for Housing
Providing diverse housing types of different intensities and affordability
levels is an integral part of supporting future growth in the City of Spokane,
providing shelter for both existing and new residents. Distributing housing
that is affordable to different income levels throughout the city will create
Review notes
New graphic since May 2026
draft release. A larger version
will be available in the final
template.
[Page 7]
more equitable access to all of Spokane’s neighborhoods, allowing for
greater choice of where one lives. This work also emphasizes locating more
housing near transit, schools, employment, services, and daily needs.
Plan for Equity
A history of local and national policies and practices have disproportionately
and adversely shaped the experience for many within Spokane, particularly
Black and Indigenous communities and other Communities of Color, limiting
housing and other opportunities for these communities. A key pillar of this
Comprehensive Plan was to seek and incorporate feedback from typically
underrepresented voices and learn from their lived experiences. Racially
disparate impacts analysis informed the development of this
Comprehensive Plan, with recognition of how the City may work to undo
these harms through intentional actions. Many policies emphasize the need
to target areas of historic disinvestment and support overburdened
communities.
Plan for Climate Resiliency
A changing climate and climate-extreme events – including heat, wildfires,
smoke from wildfires, and drought – already affect the City of Spokane and
are projected to worsen. Communities in Spokane may experience climate
impacts in many ways, such as disruptions to local economy and daily travel
routes, or impacts to physical and mental health. These impacts ultimately
stress infrastructure systems, affect community wellbeing, and harm local
ecosystems. Climate hazards also do not impact everyone equally, with risk
depending on an individual’s level of exposure and capacity to respond and
adapt. To support the community, the City of Spokane is identifying further
action to build local resiliency to climate hazards, including the reduction of
vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. Policies addressing
climate and resiliency are integrated throughout the Chapters, illustrating
how interconnected these concepts are with the overall future of the city.
Plan for Community Well-being
Community well-being can come in many forms, from supporting physical
health to proving opportunities for social interaction. Community
connection was identified as a significant desire from community members
in the development of this Comprehensive Plan. Opportunities to support
well-being include policies and programs that influence or improve resource
allocation, the physical environment, cultural and recreational
opportunities, and accessible health systems. Intentional City actions can
help to create a City of Spokane where people can not only live, play, and
work, but also thrive.
Plan for Economic Prosperity
Review notes
Direct reference to vehicle miles
traveled and greenhouse gas emissions
added based on community feedback.
[Page 8]
Balanced with housing, a City must plan for employment and economic
opportunities to support a thriving community. Providing flexibility and
recognizing changing industry needs can support economic prosperity and
employment opportunities. Creating opportunities for innovative industries
can also support existing industrial lands and benefit the local economy.
Additionally, community members expressed a desire to support local small
businesses and creative industries during the development of this
Comprehensive Plan. The Plan’s policies identify ways to ensure the local
economy is resilient and provides opportunities for all community members
to prosper.
Planning Framework
The Comprehensive Plan is developed from state and regional planning
frameworks that provide direction on how best to prepare for future growth
and change in communities.
Planning in Washington State
The Washington Legislature passed the Growth Management Act (GMA) in
1990, establishing planning goals and a framework of planning for cities and
counties in the state. The GMA requires local governments to prepare
comprehensive plans to accommodate 20 years of expected growth and to
update those plans on a regular basis. Comprehensive plans guide
important City decisions, implemented through land use and development
regulations, environmental ordinances, and City programs and investments.
The following fourteen GMA goals must be met within the City of Spokane
Comprehensive Plan:
• Urban growth. Encourage development in urban areas.
• Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of
undeveloped land.
• Transportation. Encourage efficient multi-modal transportation
systems.
• Housing. Plan for and accommodate housing that is affordable to all
economic segments.
• Economic development. Encourage economic development
throughout the state.
• Property rights. Private property shall not be taken for public use
without just compensation having been made.
• Permits. Applications should be processed in a timely and fair
manner.
• Natural resource industries. Maintain and enhance natural
resource-based industries.
• Open space and recreation. Retain open space, enhance
recreational opportunities.
Review notes
8
[Page 9]
• Environment. Protect the environment and enhance the state's
high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability
of water.
• Citizen participation and coordination. Encourage the
involvement of citizens.
• Public facilities and services. Ensure that those public facilities and
services necessary to support development shall be adequate.
• Historic preservation. Identify and encourage preservation.
• Climate change and resiliency. Ensure that comprehensive plans,
development regulations, and regional policies, plans, and strategies
adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.
• Shoreline management. Protect, preserve, and enhance the
Spokane River and Latah Creek, which are designated as shorelines
of statewide significance.
The GMA authorizes the inclusion of additional plan topics of specific local
interest.
Regional Collaboration
The Growth Management Act (GMA) also calls for regional collaboration
through the development of Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs). CPPs
address a range of topics to ensure planning efforts among jurisdictions
within a county planning under GMA are coordinated.
The CPPs address the following topics:
• The designation of Urban Growth Areas (UGAs).
• Joint planning within Urban Growth Areas.
• Promotion of contiguous and orderly development and provision of
urban services.
• Parks and open spaces.
• Transportation.
• Siting of capital facilities of a countywide or statewide nature.
• Affordable housing.
• Economic development.
• Fiscal impacts.
• Climate change and resiliency.
The CPPs for Spokane County provide a framework from which Spokane
County jurisdictions develop and adopt their comprehensive plans, ensuring
consistency across the region.
In addition to guiding policies within jurisdictions’ comprehensive plans,
regional planning processes also allocate projected population growth to
each jurisdiction, ensuring the region can accommodate anticipated
population growth over the 20-year planning horizon. More details can be
found in Chapter 3, Growth Strategy, and Chapter 6, Housing.
[Page 10]
Who Plans and How
The City of Spokane’s first Growth Management Act (GMA) compliant
Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2001. Spokane Horizons was the name
of the public participation process to develop that first Comprehensive Plan
and involved all segments of the community in shaping the City’s future.
Started in the spring of 1995, the Spokane Horizons process was developed
to fulfill the City’s commitment to active, effective citizen participation.
The Comprehensive Plan was last updated, aside from minor annual
amendments, in 2017. The Plan is a dynamic product of the community’s
continually evolving needs and desires about its future, prepared by
involved citizens, recommended by the City Plan Commission, and adopted
by the City Council.
<<The following text will be included as a sidebar, outside the main
chapter text>>
By City Charter, the City Plan Commission has the responsibility to make
planning recommendations to the City Council for consideration for
adoption. The Plan Commission has the duty to conduct the citizen planning
processes that produce planning proposals, to review the results of these
processes, and to formulate recommendations to the City Council based on
this public involvement.
Adoption by the City Council is the formal step that is necessary to make the
Comprehensive Plan an official City document. Under the rules of the GMA,
the City Council’s action to adopt the plan must be based on “early and
continuous citizen participation”. This provision adds assurance that the
plan represents the community’s consensus about the city’s growth and how
that growth will promote local interests.
<<End of Sidebar>>
In 2026, the City of Spokane adopted a new Comprehensive Plan –
PlanSpokane 2046. A quarter of a century after the first Comprehensive Plan
was adopted, this update provided the opportunity to not only engage the
community on newly required topics such as climate resiliency, racially
disparate impacts, and housing affordability for all incomes, but also
discover the community’s current vision for the City’s future.
Engagement conducted as part of PlanSpokane 2046 followed equitable
community engagement standards. Equitable engagement aims to reach
and engage with as many people as possible, while centering overburdened
communities or other communities that may not typically be heard during
planning processes.
Review notes
10
[Page 11]
In order to support equitable public participation, the following guiding
principles were followed and continuously evaluated, as originally defined in
the Public Participation Plan:
• Create Clear Expectations. Whether the purpose was to inform,
gain feedback, or seek suggestions, participants were provided clear
directives of how their engagement would impact the plan.
Summaries of engagement feedback were developed for
transparency and to ensure the community feedback was tracked
for incorporation into the Comprehensive Plan.
• Make it Convenient. The City provided a range of opportunities to
engage – including online surveys and in-person workshops hosted
in each Council District – recognizing that not all activities will be
convenient for all audiences. In-person workshops often included
food and children’s activities and were accessible with public
transportation to reduce barriers to engagement.
• Foster Peer to Peer Conversations. Rather than creating a
transactional form of community engagement, the activities
encouraged conversations between City staff and the public, but also
between members of the public, to generate greater understanding
and build upon each person’s lived experiences.
• Implement Accessibility Standards. Accessibility for persons with
physical and/or cognitive disabilities was a guiding principle when
planning any engagement activity.
• Ensure Language Access for All. The Planning Department
evaluated language access needs and provided opportunities for
both language translation and interpretation.
• Support Community Participation. The City supported
participation through flexibility, stipends, and food access when
feasible, and other ways that supported equitable participation.
<<The following text will be included as a sidebar, outside the main
chapter text>>
The extensive community feedback received in the development of
PlanSpokane 2046 established the foundation of the plan through the
community vision statement and guiding principles. These are carried
throughout the chapters of the plan, ensuring community input is at the
forefront of Spokane’s growth over the next 20 years.
<<End of Sidebar>>
Review notes
11
[Page 12]
Annual Amendments
The City of Spokane conducts an annual process to consider amendments
to the Comprehensive Plan. The Growth Management Act (GMA) specifies
that amendments to a comprehensive plan cannot be made more
frequently than once per year (with some exceptions). The purpose for this
is two-fold: it gives the plan stability over time, and it groups all proposed
amendments into a common process for consideration, providing the
opportunity to examine their collective effects on the plan. Proposed
amendments to the Comprehensive Plan follow a prescribed process in the
City’s municipal code.
In addition to annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, the City
conducts additional planning efforts including subarea and transportation
plans. While not adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan, these plans
further refine the direction provided by the Plan to meet the community’s
vision for the future.
Review notes
New graphic since May 2026
draft release. A larger version
will be available in the final
template.
[Page 13]
[Image-based page. View this page in the document viewer.]
Chapter 1 - Introduction
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 1: Introduction
(Y)our Plan
The City of Spokane is a growing and vibrant city, bringing together a rich
history and bright future to support a resilient, connected, and livable city
for all community members.
Just as people make plans for their personal and professional lives, cities
plan to make their aspirations a reality. In large urban areas where the
landscape is highly complex and constantly changing, Comprehensive Plans
shape the future by translating community input to identify what is needed
to meet the interests of the city’s diverse community, providing guidance for
City budgets, regulations, growth, and much more.
This Comprehensive Plan looks to a horizon of 20 years, creating a long-term
plan to shape the City’s built and natural environment and providing the
overall scheme of city development – the major land uses, transportation
systems, parks and open spaces, and areas for commercial and employment
opportunities. The Plan provides direction for future decisions that is
intended to:
The Introduction Chapter has
been substantially rewritten,
streamlining the content and
adding additional framing the
community has identified as
important. The intent is to
frame the role of the
Comprehensive Plan, the
history of the city, and the
planning context of the
Comprehensive Plan, all while
identifying how the community
is involved in developing this
crucial document.
• Create a collective vision for the City of Spokane’s future.
• Identify locations where different types of growth should
occur, guiding both private and public development.
• Guide City decision-making and establish priorities for public
investment.
• Create a framework for future plans, programs, and initiatives.
• Align the work of City Departments around issues that matter
most to the community.
• Foster community and regional partnerships.
Shaping and realizing a future where all Spokane community members can
prosper and live healthy and thriving lives, requires ongoing collaboration
between the City, regional agencies and organizations, and all community
members. Together, we can ensure that “In Spokane, We All Belong”.
<<The following text will be included as a sidebar, outside the main
chapter text>>
This Comprehensive Plan is organized into 14 Chapters, each covering major
topic areas that work together to shape the City of Spokane’s future. Those
topics include Implementation, Growth Strategy, Transportation,
Capital Facilities and Utilities, Housing, Economic Development, Urban
Design and Historic Preservation, Natural Environment, Community
Health, Neighborhoods, Parks and Recreation, Local Governance
Through Civic Participation, and Shorelines. A Glossary helps define less
[Page 3]
commonly used words, so all community members are reading with a
shared understanding of what is being discussed.
Within each Chapter, there are a series of Goals and Policies. A Goal is an
overarching aspiration – where we want to go as a City. Policies support the
goal by providing more specific ways in which the City can meet that Goal.
However, Policies are still general, allowing for multiple ways to implement.
Plans, programs, and regulations outside of the Comprehensive Plan
ultimately implement the Goals and Policies to make them a reality for our
city.
In addition to the Chapters of the Comprehensive Plan, there are several
appendices that support the overall document.
<<End of Sidebar>>
Profile of Spokane
The City of Spokane is located in the heart of the Inland Northwest and is the
most populous city in Eastern Washington. The Spokane River runs through
the city, with the Spokane Falls creating a breathtaking focal point for the
downtown. The area largely sits upon the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
Aquifer, which feeds into the Spokane River and serves as Spokane’s water
supply, carrying millions of cubic meters of water each day.
The Spokane River, particularly the series of falls, has drawn people to the
area for thousands of years. The river provided an abundance of salmon,
which sustained the region’s indigenous peoples, the “Spokanes.” The
Spokanes are a river people, whose ancestors lived a semi-nomadic way of
life on a seasonal round pursuing hunting, fishing, and gathering
opportunities. They lived along the banks of the Spokane and Columbia
rivers and scattered up the tributaries in much of northeastern Washington,
which consisted of approximately three million acres. During salmon runs,
other Tribes joined the Spokanes at the Falls for fishing, trade, games,
celebration, and socializing.
[INSERT INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES MAP, Map I-01]
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City of Spokane Land Acknowledgement
The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize the Indigenous
history and present of a particular location. Typically taking the form of a
written or recited statement, land acknowledgements are considered a first
step towards recognizing local Tribes and Urban Native communities, with
continued recognition and collaboration required to make meaningful
actions. The land acknowledgement below was adopted by City Council on
March 22, 2021 (RES 2021-0019).
Review notes
Map can currently be found at the
end of this document. It will be
integrated into the Chapter once the
final template is available.
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We acknowledge that we are on the unceded land of the Spokane people. And
that these lands were once the major trading center for the Spokanes as they
shared this place and welcomed other area tribes through their relations, history,
trade, and ceremony. We also want to acknowledge that the land holds the spirit
of the place, through its knowledge, culture, and all the original peoples Since
Time Immemorial.
As we take a moment to consider the impacts of colonization may we also
acknowledge the strengths and resiliency of the Spokanes and their relatives. As
we work together making decisions that benefit all, may we do so as one heart,
one mind, and one spirit.
We are grateful to be on the shared lands of the Spokane people and ask for the
support of their ancestors and all relations. We ask that you recognize these
injustices that forever changed the lives of the Spokane people and all their
relatives.
We agree to work together to stop all acts of continued injustices towards Native
Americans and all our relatives. It is time for reconciliation. We must act upon
the truths and take actions that will create restorative justice for all people.
<<End of Sidebar>>
In the mid-1800s, U.S. soldiers arrived and forcefully displaced the Spokanes
from their ancestral land, accelerating white settlement in the area. Fur
traders, miners, and missionaries were the first settlers to traverse the
broader area of Spokane. The town of “Spokan Falls” was incorporated in
1881, before “Spokane” became the official city name in 1891. At that time,
the city was a total of 20 square miles and had a population of about 20,000
residents.
At first, the river was an important travel corridor for industry and logging,
as well as the source of early hydroelectric power. That travel corridor was
soon complemented by rail lines connecting through the area to regional
economic resources and intercontinental lines. Rapid population growth in
the late 1800s and early 1900s led to increased development and unique
housing choices that are still treasured to this day. The city also saw an
increase in Chinese and Japanese residents, partially drawn to local work in
railroad and mining industries, with a ‘Chinatown’ consisting of markets,
hotels, restaurants, and laundries appearing. Chinatown, along with over
thirty blocks of the downtown areas, was impacted by the Spokane Fire of
1889. Despite the fire’s devastation, the city recovered in record time,
leading to a building boom. By the 1930s, Spokane became a hub for trade
industries – sawmills, carpentry, railways, iron, and steel manufacturing.
During World War II, the City of Spokane experienced yet another surge of
growth as the Spokane region saw the development of manufacturing and
maintenance depots associated with the Army Air Corps and U.S. Navy.
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Additionally, the Issei (first generation Japanese immigrants) and Nisei
(second generation Japanese Americans) populations in Spokane increased
as individuals avoided the coastal evacuation zone and relocation and
internment camps. In all, Spokane’s population grew by nearly 40,000
people, or 31%, in the 1940s.
Catalyzed by the war, Spokane’s Black population quadrupled between 1940
and 1960. Racial discrimination became more pronounced during these
years as a backlash ensued. Spokane property owners and powerbrokers
engaged in an organized effort to keep Black Spokanites within the confines
of downtown and East Central Spokane, leading to neighborhood
segregation. The City of Spokane, like all cities in Washington and the United
States, is actively navigating the legacy of this discrimination, understanding
the racially disparate impacts of past and current decisions.
Then in 1974, Spokane hosted EXPO ’74, the World’s Fair Exposition. An
immediate success, the fair drew huge crowds throughout the summer. The
intrigued crowds thronged through the EXPO site, which had only recently
been cleared of the railroad lines and industrial businesses that had once
crowded the river front site. Today, the Great Northern Depot clock tower
remains as a feature of the park and serves as a reminder of the integral role
the railroad and the Expo played in shaping Spokane.
Since then, the City of Spokane has seen continued success and growth, with
a current population exceeding 230,000 residents. Significant industries in
the City include aerospace, health sciences, agribusiness, energy, and clean
technology, providing jobs and supporting regional research and education.
Major events draw visitors from across the globe and residents benefit from
a robust cultural arts scene. Bloomsday, a race through the core of Spokane,
started in 1977 and continues to be a springtime favorite averaging over
30,000 participants. Starting in 1990, Hoopfest has become the world’s
largest three-on-three basketball tournament, drawing global participants.
From art and cultural festivals to sports tournaments and seasonal markets,
the City of Spokane has shaped and continues to develop a community for
everyone.
Demographics Snapshot
Review notes
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Implementing the Community’s Vision
The Comprehensive Plan addresses a range of topics and strategies that
work together to meet the community’s vision for the future.
After a robust visioning process, the community developed a vision
statement that outlines its aspirations for the next 20 years. The Chapters of
the Comprehensive Plan work together to meet this vision, identifying ways
to support our vibrant, resilient, and inclusive city.
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Community Vision Statement
“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.”
<<End of Callout Box>>
To help reach that vision and plan for the next 20 years, the Comprehensive
Plan includes guiding principles throughout its Chapters that reflect
community priorities.
Plan for Housing
Providing diverse housing types of different intensities and affordability
levels is an integral part of supporting future growth in the City of Spokane,
providing shelter for both existing and new residents. Distributing housing
that is affordable to different income levels throughout the city will create
Review notes
New graphic since May 2026
draft release. A larger version
will be available in the final
template.
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more equitable access to all of Spokane’s neighborhoods, allowing for
greater choice of where one lives. This work also emphasizes locating more
housing near transit, schools, employment, services, and daily needs.
Plan for Equity
A history of local and national policies and practices have disproportionately
and adversely shaped the experience for many within Spokane, particularly
Black and Indigenous communities and other Communities of Color, limiting
housing and other opportunities for these communities. A key pillar of this
Comprehensive Plan was to seek and incorporate feedback from typically
underrepresented voices and learn from their lived experiences. Racially
disparate impacts analysis informed the development of this
Comprehensive Plan, with recognition of how the City may work to undo
these harms through intentional actions. Many policies emphasize the need
to target areas of historic disinvestment and support overburdened
communities.
Plan for Climate Resiliency
A changing climate and climate-extreme events – including heat, wildfires,
smoke from wildfires, and drought – already affect the City of Spokane and
are projected to worsen. Communities in Spokane may experience climate
impacts in many ways, such as disruptions to local economy and daily travel
routes, or impacts to physical and mental health. These impacts ultimately
stress infrastructure systems, affect community wellbeing, and harm local
ecosystems. Climate hazards also do not impact everyone equally, with risk
depending on an individual’s level of exposure and capacity to respond and
adapt. To support the community, the City of Spokane is identifying further
action to build local resiliency to climate hazards, including the reduction of
vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. Policies addressing
climate and resiliency are integrated throughout the Chapters, illustrating
how interconnected these concepts are with the overall future of the city.
Plan for Community Well-being
Community well-being can come in many forms, from supporting physical
health to proving opportunities for social interaction. Community
connection was identified as a significant desire from community members
in the development of this Comprehensive Plan. Opportunities to support
well-being include policies and programs that influence or improve resource
allocation, the physical environment, cultural and recreational
opportunities, and accessible health systems. Intentional City actions can
help to create a City of Spokane where people can not only live, play, and
work, but also thrive.
Plan for Economic Prosperity
Review notes
Direct reference to vehicle miles
traveled and greenhouse gas emissions
added based on community feedback.
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Balanced with housing, a City must plan for employment and economic
opportunities to support a thriving community. Providing flexibility and
recognizing changing industry needs can support economic prosperity and
employment opportunities. Creating opportunities for innovative industries
can also support existing industrial lands and benefit the local economy.
Additionally, community members expressed a desire to support local small
businesses and creative industries during the development of this
Comprehensive Plan. The Plan’s policies identify ways to ensure the local
economy is resilient and provides opportunities for all community members
to prosper.
Planning Framework
The Comprehensive Plan is developed from state and regional planning
frameworks that provide direction on how best to prepare for future growth
and change in communities.
Planning in Washington State
The Washington Legislature passed the Growth Management Act (GMA) in
1990, establishing planning goals and a framework of planning for cities and
counties in the state. The GMA requires local governments to prepare
comprehensive plans to accommodate 20 years of expected growth and to
update those plans on a regular basis. Comprehensive plans guide
important City decisions, implemented through land use and development
regulations, environmental ordinances, and City programs and investments.
The following fourteen GMA goals must be met within the City of Spokane
Comprehensive Plan:
• Urban growth. Encourage development in urban areas.
• Reduce sprawl. Reduce the inappropriate conversion of
undeveloped land.
• Transportation. Encourage efficient multi-modal transportation
systems.
• Housing. Plan for and accommodate housing that is affordable to all
economic segments.
• Economic development. Encourage economic development
throughout the state.
• Property rights. Private property shall not be taken for public use
without just compensation having been made.
• Permits. Applications should be processed in a timely and fair
manner.
• Natural resource industries. Maintain and enhance natural
resource-based industries.
• Open space and recreation. Retain open space, enhance
recreational opportunities.
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• Environment. Protect the environment and enhance the state's
high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability
of water.
• Citizen participation and coordination. Encourage the
involvement of citizens.
• Public facilities and services. Ensure that those public facilities and
services necessary to support development shall be adequate.
• Historic preservation. Identify and encourage preservation.
• Climate change and resiliency. Ensure that comprehensive plans,
development regulations, and regional policies, plans, and strategies
adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.
• Shoreline management. Protect, preserve, and enhance the
Spokane River and Latah Creek, which are designated as shorelines
of statewide significance.
The GMA authorizes the inclusion of additional plan topics of specific local
interest.
Regional Collaboration
The Growth Management Act (GMA) also calls for regional collaboration
through the development of Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs). CPPs
address a range of topics to ensure planning efforts among jurisdictions
within a county planning under GMA are coordinated.
The CPPs address the following topics:
• The designation of Urban Growth Areas (UGAs).
• Joint planning within Urban Growth Areas.
• Promotion of contiguous and orderly development and provision of
urban services.
• Parks and open spaces.
• Transportation.
• Siting of capital facilities of a countywide or statewide nature.
• Affordable housing.
• Economic development.
• Fiscal impacts.
• Climate change and resiliency.
The CPPs for Spokane County provide a framework from which Spokane
County jurisdictions develop and adopt their comprehensive plans, ensuring
consistency across the region.
In addition to guiding policies within jurisdictions’ comprehensive plans,
regional planning processes also allocate projected population growth to
each jurisdiction, ensuring the region can accommodate anticipated
population growth over the 20-year planning horizon. More details can be
found in Chapter 3, Growth Strategy, and Chapter 6, Housing.
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Who Plans and How
The City of Spokane’s first Growth Management Act (GMA) compliant
Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2001. Spokane Horizons was the name
of the public participation process to develop that first Comprehensive Plan
and involved all segments of the community in shaping the City’s future.
Started in the spring of 1995, the Spokane Horizons process was developed
to fulfill the City’s commitment to active, effective citizen participation.
The Comprehensive Plan was last updated, aside from minor annual
amendments, in 2017. The Plan is a dynamic product of the community’s
continually evolving needs and desires about its future, prepared by
involved citizens, recommended by the City Plan Commission, and adopted
by the City Council.
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chapter text>>
By City Charter, the City Plan Commission has the responsibility to make
planning recommendations to the City Council for consideration for
adoption. The Plan Commission has the duty to conduct the citizen planning
processes that produce planning proposals, to review the results of these
processes, and to formulate recommendations to the City Council based on
this public involvement.
Adoption by the City Council is the formal step that is necessary to make the
Comprehensive Plan an official City document. Under the rules of the GMA,
the City Council’s action to adopt the plan must be based on “early and
continuous citizen participation”. This provision adds assurance that the
plan represents the community’s consensus about the city’s growth and how
that growth will promote local interests.
<<End of Sidebar>>
In 2026, the City of Spokane adopted a new Comprehensive Plan –
PlanSpokane 2046. A quarter of a century after the first Comprehensive Plan
was adopted, this update provided the opportunity to not only engage the
community on newly required topics such as climate resiliency, racially
disparate impacts, and housing affordability for all incomes, but also
discover the community’s current vision for the City’s future.
Engagement conducted as part of PlanSpokane 2046 followed equitable
community engagement standards. Equitable engagement aims to reach
and engage with as many people as possible, while centering overburdened
communities or other communities that may not typically be heard during
planning processes.
Review notes
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In order to support equitable public participation, the following guiding
principles were followed and continuously evaluated, as originally defined in
the Public Participation Plan:
• Create Clear Expectations. Whether the purpose was to inform,
gain feedback, or seek suggestions, participants were provided clear
directives of how their engagement would impact the plan.
Summaries of engagement feedback were developed for
transparency and to ensure the community feedback was tracked
for incorporation into the Comprehensive Plan.
• Make it Convenient. The City provided a range of opportunities to
engage – including online surveys and in-person workshops hosted
in each Council District – recognizing that not all activities will be
convenient for all audiences. In-person workshops often included
food and children’s activities and were accessible with public
transportation to reduce barriers to engagement.
• Foster Peer to Peer Conversations. Rather than creating a
transactional form of community engagement, the activities
encouraged conversations between City staff and the public, but also
between members of the public, to generate greater understanding
and build upon each person’s lived experiences.
• Implement Accessibility Standards. Accessibility for persons with
physical and/or cognitive disabilities was a guiding principle when
planning any engagement activity.
• Ensure Language Access for All. The Planning Department
evaluated language access needs and provided opportunities for
both language translation and interpretation.
• Support Community Participation. The City supported
participation through flexibility, stipends, and food access when
feasible, and other ways that supported equitable participation.
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chapter text>>
The extensive community feedback received in the development of
PlanSpokane 2046 established the foundation of the plan through the
community vision statement and guiding principles. These are carried
throughout the chapters of the plan, ensuring community input is at the
forefront of Spokane’s growth over the next 20 years.
<<End of Sidebar>>
Review notes
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Annual Amendments
The City of Spokane conducts an annual process to consider amendments
to the Comprehensive Plan. The Growth Management Act (GMA) specifies
that amendments to a comprehensive plan cannot be made more
frequently than once per year (with some exceptions). The purpose for this
is two-fold: it gives the plan stability over time, and it groups all proposed
amendments into a common process for consideration, providing the
opportunity to examine their collective effects on the plan. Proposed
amendments to the Comprehensive Plan follow a prescribed process in the
City’s municipal code.
In addition to annual amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, the City
conducts additional planning efforts including subarea and transportation
plans. While not adopted as part of the Comprehensive Plan, these plans
further refine the direction provided by the Plan to meet the community’s
vision for the future.
Review notes
New graphic since May 2026
draft release. A larger version
will be available in the final
template.
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