City of Boulder and Boulder County share recommended Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan

The City of Boulder and Boulder County have released the recommended Major Update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. The recommended plan reflects revisions based on community feedback to the draft plan received earlier this spring. Staff reviewed hundreds of comments on the draft plan and incorporated much of that input into the recommended version. This plan, which will be recommended by city and county staff for adoption, will be considered by the four decision-making bodies throughout June.

The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan guides long-term decisions about growth, sustainability and services in Boulder and the surrounding area. First adopted in 1977, the plan undergoes a major update every 10 years to reflect evolving community values, priorities and challenges. This plan was shaped by over 18 months of community engagement, including over 70 community engagement opportunities and consultations and collaborations with partners throughout the community. This major update of the plan was designed to be the most inclusive, diverse engagement process in the city to date, and aimed to bring in new and underrepresented voices.

These updates include:

• Updated language for clarity and consistency throughout the document
• Key revisions to policies that are aligned with community feedback and policymaker direction
• A reenvisioned Future Land Use Strategy and Map
• An expanded chapter on Implementation offering more insight into next steps of how the plan moves from policy to action

The recommended plan honors the current plan's core values while weaving in community input to reflect where we are today and where we want to go. The update is informed by extensive community engagement and has been reimagined to be more understandable, remove redundant or outdated policies and provide clear direction. It integrates recommendations on 15-minute neighborhoods by Boulder's first Community Assembly, a randomly selected and representative group of 43 community members.

It provides a policy and land use framework for how the city grows, maintains core values related to preserving open space in and around Boulder, and a commitment to a safe multi-modal environment with a variety of options for moving around town safely. New policies focus on the main themes heard throughout the engagement process, including safety, housing choice and availability, an inclusive economy, climate action and resilience, a stronger food system and creating a more multicultural multigenerational community.  

The draft plan also updates the Future Land Use Strategy and Map based on community input to promote mixed-used, transit-supported areas, balance growth with environmental protection and expand housing options while ensuring flexibility and adaptability. Community members shared a strong desire to increase our connection to each other, and create community spaces that offer multiple services, shops and housing types that can be accessed without a car.  

As part of the update, artists were embedded in the planning process at different stages through the city's Experiments in Public Art program. These unique projects helped broaden community participation and humanize aspects of the plan. Community members are invited to Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future Exhibition, a series that will be celebrating the artworks and performances integrated into the comprehensive plan. The exhibition will be on display in the Canyon Gallery at the Main Library from June-July 2026. Community members are invited to the opening reception June 17 from 5 to 7 p.m.

City Council, City Planning Board, Boulder County Board of Commissioners and the County Planning Commission will review the plan at hearings in June.

More information is available at ABoulderFuture.org.