Comprehensive Update to Washington State's Growth Management Act Expected in 2021

Effective planning processes offer immense financial savings, and there's never been a more pressing need for both. The state of Washington is setting out to prove the planning dividend.

2 minute read

December 23, 2020, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Washington

Beautiful Spokane, Washington. | Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Washington State legislators are expected to consider an update the state's landmark Growth Management Act (GMA) for the first time since its adoption 30 years ago.

Ray Dubicki provides insight about what to expect from the process during what is expected to be a tense and consequential legislative session, with crises of public health and fiscal solvency headlining the session.

According to Dubicki, however, the state has been at working preparing for the GMA update for years already, including a technical effort underway for several years to identify gaps in the GMA." A group of stakeholders and active GMA users highlighted issues with the Act. Now they are bringing legislation to this constrained session that will fundamentally change the way planning, growth, and conservation function in Washington," according to Dubicki.

The background work led to a request from state legislators to pursue a comprehensive overhaul of the GMA, rather than a steady stream of incremental changes. A report called "A Road Map to Washington's Future" was published in June 2019 and is in the process of being translated into legislation.

With this background in hand, Dubicki points out a couple of areas where the GMA update could fundamentally change the interaction between the state and local governments on matters of planning. The article includes a lot more detail on the concepts of safe harbor, net ecological gain, and adaptive planning as informative of the larger mission of the GMA update.

Monday, December 21, 2020 in The Urbanist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

45 minutes ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

1 hour ago - Cities Today

View from inside car's driver seat while driving.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians

Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA