Collaborative Roadmap

The Collaborative Roadmap is a multi-year research and analysis project led by Commerce as directed by the Legislature to make recommendations to update the state’s growth policy framework.

Phase III of the project, which concluded in June 2023, resulted in significant updates to the state’s Growth Management Act during the 2023 legislative session.

Phase IV began in July 2024 and will issue its final report and recommendations in June 2026.

Phase IV is underway

Commerce is convening the Collaborative Phase IV project and task force to review and make recommendations for legislation to update the Growth Management Act and increase coordination between jurisdictions and special districts.

The Phase IV project was funded by the Legislature during the 2024 legislative session. The project will run through June 2026. The project continues the efforts of Phase III but is specifically focused on identifying options to increase coordination between jurisdictions and special districts, such as school districts, ports, water/sewer utilities, and fire districts. Increased planning and coordination will better implement utility and capital facility planning requirements under the Growth Management Act.

Commerce will invite representatives of Tribal governments, state agencies, cities, counties, builders, special districts, and planning and environmental organizations to join the task force that will make recommendations to the Legislature. Phase IV will also form working groups to engage broader communities to gather information for the task force to consider as they make recommendations. While the project schedule and task force approach are still being developed, the following outlines high level project deliverables and project schedule.

Phase IV project timeline

• September 6, 2024: Project framework and Path to Success (Phase IV) (PDF)
• September 6, 2024: Review of prior studies and findings (Phase IV) (PDF)
• December 15, 2024: Interim status report
• June 30, 2025: Initial draft report and proposed bill text
• November 15, 2025: Draft legislative report and best practices recommendations
• June 30, 2026: Final outreach tools and best practices recommendations
• June 30, 2026: Closeout report and final recommendations

Tentative schedule for Phase IV

Background

A Roadmap to Washington’s Future

In 2017, the Washington State Legislature commissioned the William D. Ruckelshaus Center to study Washington State land use framework, conduct outreach throughout the state and present recommendations for the future of the state’s growth strategy. The work resulted in a report to the legislature including multiple recommendations. Additional guidance materials and background on the collaborative Road Map to Washington’s Future may be viewed on the website for the Ruckelshaus Center.

• A Road Map to Washington’s Future (2019) (PDF)

Updating Washington’s Growth Policy Framework

In 2020, the University of Washington completed a report “updating Washington’s growth policy framework” This report including the findings and presented the work of a multi-stakeholder process to develop recommended changes to Washington’s growth policy framework. At the conclusion of the work in 2023, one issue remained: how to integrate special purpose municipalities into the growth management planning framework.

• Updating Washington’s Growth Policy Framework – Center for Livable Communities (PDF)

Environmental Justice Task Force

In 2021, the Environmental Justice Task Force issued recommended strategies for incorporating environmental just principles into the work of the state and included best practices for increasing meaningful and inclusive community engagement that takes into account barriers to participation that may arise due to race, color, ethnicity, religion, income or education level.

• Environmental Justice Task Force: Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities (PDF)

Collaborative Roadmap Phase III

Beginning in 2021, the Collaborative Roadmap Phase III was a two-year project focused on updates to the state’s growth policy framework. The project built upon the findings, concepts and recommendations in the prior reports to make recommendations to the Legislature on reforms to the state’s growth policy framework.

The project timeline from 2021 to 2023 led to significant changes to the Growth Management Act and Washington’s growth policy framework. With the success of the 2023 legislative session, the Collaborative Roadmap Phase III reached its closeout and submitted and final recommendations to the Legislature in June 2023. 

• Collaborative Roadmap Phase III: Project Closeout and Final Recommendations Report (PDF)

Additional resources