Future Land Use Strategy
Objectives of the Future Land Use Strategy
- Support Infill Development and Redevelopment:
Encourage growth within already developed areas to make efficient use of land, services and infrastructure while protecting natural features. - Promote Mixed-Use, Transit-Rich Areas:
Foster walkable, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with a mix of residential, commercial and civic uses supported by high quality public and shared transit. - Expand Housing Options:
Increase the diversity and supply of housing types to create more housing choices for households of different sizes, abilities and income levels. - Enhance Public Spaces and Connectivity:
Provide accessible parks, trails, recreation areas and gathering places that connect neighborhoods, offer social opportunity and support healthy lifestyles. - Balance Growth with Environmental Protection:
Integrate natural features and infrastructure into development and protect and enhance intact habitats to maintain a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem within and surrounding the urban environment. - Ensure Flexibility and Adaptability:
Be flexible and able to respond to changing community needs and future uncertainties.
Implementation of the future land use strategy will involve ongoing collaboration between city departments, the county, stakeholders and community members. Creating more detailed subcommunity and area plans, monitoring development patterns, refining strategies and making intentional code updates will further implement the future land use strategy to support equitable, resilient and sustainable growth.
Understanding Future Land Use and Zoning
Land use and zoning work together to manage how Boulder has evolved over time. Future land use and zoning both help achieve the community’s goals and lead to more predictable development outcomes. While they work together, they are distinct tools and can easily be confused.
Future land use is broad policy that sets the vision for how land across the Boulder Valley is intended to be used and developed over time. Future land use also establishes the policy foundation that guides changes to zoning regulations and where different zone districts should be applied.
Zoning is the regulatory tool that sets detailed rules and standards for specific properties like building heights, densities and permitted activities. Zoning conveys a property right.
A change of future land use on a property does not change the zoning. Land use only establishes a long-term vision. Additional public processes to change the zoning map or zoning district regulations will implement this long-term vision by modifying the rules that govern use and development of individual properties.