Olympia 2045: Land Use & Urban Design

What’s happening?

Every 10 years, the City is required by State law to review and update its Comprehensive Plan. This update will look out to year 2045 to show, among other things, how the City will accommodate new population and employment growth. It is also an opportunity to make sure the Plan and Development Regulations meet current state requirements that may have changed since the last major update of the Plan.

Each chapter of the Comprehensive Plan will be updated individually, with its own public participation process and opportunities to provide feedback.

This page is for the Land Use & Urban Design chapter update. To learn more about the general update process or other chapters, visit our Comprehensive Plan Update home page.

What does the Land Use & Urban Design chapter address?

The chapter includes the Future Land Use Map, which shows which lands within the City and Urban Growth Area are designated for residential, commercial, mixed use, or industrial land uses. It shows anticipated intensities of uses, such as whether a residential area is for low density neighborhoods or for moderate or higher density neighborhoods.

The chapter discusses patterns of development, neighborhoods, historic preservation, the built environment, Downtown, transitioning to a more urban community with vibrancy and destinations within walking distances of most residences, and connections to nature, food production, and transportation networks.

What recent plans/work influence this update?

Olympia has been working to implement the 2014 plan through several efforts, including the Downtown Strategy (adopted in 2017) and the Capital Mall Triangle Subarea Plan process currently underway. Other plans also influence land use and will be considered, including – but not limited to – the Sea Level Rise Response Plan, Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan, Thurston Regional Planning Council’s Buildable Lands Report, Martin Way Corridor Study, and the Comprehensive Plans of adjacent jurisdictions.

How to get involved

You can now watch an overview video of the update process, with a focus on the contents of the Land Use and Urban Design chapter. Watch to familiarize yourself with the chapter, then stay tuned for opportunities to share your thoughts and comments over the late spring and summer.