Comprehensive Plan

What is the Comprehensive Plan?

Tukwila’s Comprehensive Plan is a long-term guiding document or “blueprint” that explains the community’s values and priorities to guide growth and development. The process to develop the Comprehensive Plan encourages us to think about where we want to be in 20 years and how we’ll get there.  Tukwila’s Comprehensive Plan anticipates change and provides specific guidance for future legislative and administrative actions. The Plan reflects community involvement, technical analysis, state and regional requirements, and the judgment of decision-makers. (Click here to see how the City is implementing the Plan!)

The City Council adopted an update to the Plan on December 16, 2024; staff is currently putting the adopted Plan in final format, however the draft version of that plan is available on the blue link to the right.  The 2015 Comprehensive Plan may be reviewed here.

Tukwila’s Comprehensive Plan is updated regularly to stay current with community conditions and regional requirements, but its basic values remain constant.  They are to provide:

• Great neighborhoods
• A vibrant and diverse Tukwila International Boulevard District
• Good jobs along East Marginal Way
• A thriving Southcenter/Urban Center for shopping, working, living and playing

Tukwila’s Comprehensive Plan is a flexible framework that adapts to changing conditions over time. The Plan’s building blocks include chapters on housing and neighborhoods, transportation, economic development, capital facilities, utilities, the natural environment, and land uses through out the City and its subareas (i.e., Tukwila South, the Tukwila International Boulevard area, the Southcenter Urban Center and Manufacturing/Industrial Center).

Keeping the Plan Current

2024-2044 Periodic Update 

Click here for more information about the 2024-2044 Comprehensive Plan Update!!

Annual Review and Plan Amendments

State law requires a periodic review of comprehensive plans and development regulations. The next big periodic review of the Tukwila Comprehensive Plan is currently underway and will culminate with adoption before December 31, 2024.  In the six months following the required adoption date, the City will be obligated to complete extensive updates to its zoning code and development regulations.

Tukwila is suspending acceptance of new privately-initiated Comprehensive Plan applications for 2023 and 2024.  The reason for this is two-fold.  First, the update of the Plan is a significant project, requiring extensive staff resources.  The City’s limited staff capacity would be unable to provide proper attention to any additional Plan amendment requests during this time.  Second, the intent of the Periodic update of the comprehensive plan is to look comprehensively at the City’s land use and policies.  Property owners interested in amendments or rezoning are encouraged to participate in the Plan’s public process so their interests can be considered as a part of the overall update.

Applications for amendments to the Comprehensive Plan will again be accepted by 5:00 p.m. on the first Monday of August, 2025 (August 4th), and will be considered with the 2026 Annual Review Docket.  For information on amending the Comprehensive Plan, please reference Tukwila Municipal Code.