Comp Plan 101

The Seattle Comprehensive Plan, Toward a Sustainable Seattle, guides City decisions and actions about where and how to manage new population, jobs and developments. It guides capital spending (like parks and libraries) and new regulations, (like zoning codes). It describes in a general way how the City will address the effects of growth on transportation and other City facilities. It’s also the basis for active partnerships between the City and neighborhoods, other agencies, and property owners. In short, it helps make the city more livable and sustainable for all of us.

The City first adopted the Comp Plan in 1994 in response to the state Growth Management Act of 1990. Comprehensive Plans are designed to set the direction for basic policy choices and to provide a flexible framework for adapting to real conditions over time.

Seattle’s Comp Plan includes the "elements" required by the state's Growth Management Act: land use, transportation, housing, capital facilities and utilities. The City's plan also includes elements addressing neighborhood planning, human development, and the environment.

The current Comp Plan contains all amendments (see Annual Amendments) adopted by the Seattle City Council through the year 2011, including the goals and policies of 38 neighborhood plans.

If you have questions about the Comp Plan or would like to sign up to receive notice of yearly updates, please contact DPD Comprehensive Planning at (206) 684-8380. CD-ROM or printed copies of the Comprehensive Plan are available from the DPD Public Resource Center, located on the 20th floor of Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 Fifth Ave., (206) 684-8467. Printed copies cost $40.