Mesa General Plan Update Aims for Clarity, Accountability

The Arizona city’s once-a-decade update to its General Plan will clarify zoning boundaries left ‘fuzzy’ in its previous iteration.

1 minute read

September 6, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Aerial view of Mesa, Arizona

tim / Adobe Stock

Mesa, Arizona is updating its General Plan to plot the city’s future growth. As Scott Shumaker explains in The Mesa Tribune, “The General Plan is a document required by state law that Mesa voters will see on the ballot next year.”

The plan codifies zoning rules and how properties can be rezoned. “City planners say many of the priorities and themes from the 2040 plan – such as maintaining neighborhood character –  will remain in the new plan.” City staff said the top priorities for the public are “commercial and retail choices, attainable housing and public safety.”

City planners say a key change in the new plan is clarifying the boundaries between land use areas to ensure they line up with property lines. The new plan will also include “concrete actions” for each vision statement to create more accountability.

“The next major milestone will be the release of the draft plan early next year, when there will be a formal 60-day comment period and the city will hold another round of public meetings.”

Sunday, September 3, 2023 in The Mesa Tribune

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

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 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight