Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3) — Flagstaff’s Regional Plan 2045

The City of Flagstaff currently uses the Regional Plan 2030, which was adopted in 2014 after it was presented to the voters of Flagstaff. State law requires that this plan be updated or readopted every 10 years. The process of a full regional plan update started in 2023 when the public had the opportunity to create a vision for the future and later, evaluate and prioritize four growth “scenarios” developed by city staff. Learn about scenario planning here.

F3 has been actively involved in the Regional Plan revision process and I served as a member of the Technical Advisory Group last year. In 2023, F3 President Susie Garretson and I were appointed to the Regional Plan Committee. This committee of 24 citizens reviews and provides recommendations to city and county staff regarding the goals, policies, strategies, and future land use designations of the Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045. The Regional Plan Committee meets once or twice per month through August 2024.

How You Can Get Involved

The Regional Plan is heavily influenced by the community members who choose to be involved in its creation. How do you want Flagstaff to grow?

Compare the four initial scenarios for the Regional Plan by reviewing the potential outcomes of each Scenario (Step 3) in regards to the following measures: Livability & Affordability, Transportation & Infrastructure, and Climate Change Resilience.

Attend the Regional Plan Committee meetings or watch the recordings. All meetings of the Committee are open to the public (in person and virtually) with agendas and accompanying documents provided here. Recordings of past meetings are posted on the city’s website.

Provide feedback to the Committee about draft chapters of the Regional Plan. On February 21, the Committee provided feedback to the city on the draft chapter on Resource Stewardship and Resilience. On March 5, the Committee will provide feedback on the draft chapter on Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. Check out the entire Committee’s schedule and anticipated topics here.

Email or write to the Committee in advance of scheduled meetings, or during or after meetings. Email comments to RegionalPlanCommittee@flagstaffaz.gov or send written comments to Flagstaff City Hall, Attn: Sara Dechter, 211 W Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, 86001.

Provide spoken comments to the Committee during the Committee meetings. Spoken comments are limited to the topics on the agenda and staff presentation. Sign up on a list in the meeting room or, if joining virtually, notify city staff through the chat function that you’d like to add your name to the speaker list. Public comment takes place during a limited period of 20 minutes per meeting, after the staff presentation. Each speaker is allowed 2.5 minutes on a first come, first served basis.

Talk with/email me about your thoughts for how you’d like (or not like) Flagstaff to grow into the future. What would you like to to see addressed in the revised Regional Plan? What wasn’t addressed effectively in the existing 2030 Regional Plan? What are your suggestions for making the revised plan more effective in guiding how our city grows? What are your concerns regarding specific issues such as bicycle and pedestrian use, affordable housing, carbon neutrality, open space, land use, trails, wildlife corridors, public transit, community character, etc.? I want to hear from you.

Michele James
Executive Director
MJames@FriendsofFlagstaff.org