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King County Washington home

Comprehensive Planning Equity and Engagement Program

Learn more about King County’s commitment to advancing equitable, community-driven regional planning through the Comprehensive Plan and public engagement.

What we do

King County works to support communities through equitable, long-term planning. A major focus of this work is the Comprehensive Plan—a roadmap for how unincorporated areas grow and develop, impacting where residents live, work, and play.

The Comprehensive Plan helps guide decisions about:

  • Where homes, offices, and stores are built
  • What neighborhoods look and feel like through roads, buildings, and trees
  • Investments in regional services like transit, sewers, and parks
  • Protection of farms, forests, and natural resources
  • Ensuring access to clean air, water, and a healthy environment

Making planning more inclusive

The purpose of this work is to advance equitable outcomes and community engagement to repair past harm* in planning and ensure that voices from historically underrepresented communities—especially those impacted most by previous decisions—are front and center.

The County works with communities and leaders of local community-based organizations serving low-income, immigrant, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) populations.

*See PSRC Legacy of Structural Racism for a storytelling tool detailing past harm in the central Puget Sound region. The Communities Count Health Equity Policy Timeline also provides context for data on harm related to health and the built environment in King County.

Comprehensive Plan Equity Advisory Cabinet

King County is recruiting members for a Comprehensive Plan Equity Advisory Cabinet to partner on crafting an equitable and accountable comprehensive planning process for King County.

Are you interested in shaping how your community grows over the next 20 years? King County is partnering with community-based organizations, trusted leaders, and community members to make long-term planning more equitable, inclusive, and grounded in community voices.

The Equity Advisory Cabinet is a way to invite those most affected by planning and land use inequities to have impact in decision making, program and policy design, and Comprehensive Plan development and implementation in King County.

Comprehensive planning is about how our communities grow and change over time. It helps guide decisions about housing, transportation, open space, and the environment across King County, particularly in unincorporated areas. The Equity Advisory Cabinet will help the County ensure that long-term planning reflects community priorities, everyday realities, and hopes for the future.

The Equity Advisory Cabinet will...

  • Work directly with County staff and community members to advance equitable engagement and policy outcomes of the Comprehensive Plan, as well as ongoing planning and implementation of this policy work. The Cabinet will also serve as a bridge to priority populations and better integrate community-based solutions into government.
  • Include 10-12 community members representing populations that have historically been excluded from planning processes and decision making due to systemic racism and oppression. EAC members must identify with these populations and/or be affiliated with King County community-based organizations, coalitions, or networks that serve them.

The emphasis is to prioritize the voices of residents of unincorporated areas.

The initial term is a 3-year commitment starting in 2027, and members are compensated for their time. In 2026, the compensation rate is $75 per hour for work completed.

Please apply by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026.

To apply, fill out the application form and email it to CompPlan@kingcounty.gov.

Application form

2024 Comprehensive Plan Equity Work Group

The Equity Work Group (EWG) was created to bring more community voices—especially from those most affected by planning decisions—into King County’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan update process. The goal was to build trust, deepen knowledge about planning, and make sure community input could shape proposals and decisions.

Who Was Involved

The group included 15 members from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities across unincorporated King County, including areas like North Highline, Skyway-West Hill, and East Federal Way. Many were participants of other King County community advisory groups or were recommended by community-based organizations engaged in King County’s Equity, Racial, and Social Justice (ERSJ) work. All members were paid for their time and contributions.

What They Did

The Equity Work Group met between September 2022 and October 2023. Together with County staff across departments, they focused on three main areas:

  • Housing proposals
  • The process for Equity Impact Reviews (EIRs)
  • How to improve community engagement

Their insights helped shape the Comprehensive Plan and will guide future efforts to make regional planning more inclusive and equitable by moving up the County community engagement continuum.

2024 Comprehensive Plan Equity & Engagement Reports

The 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update focused on equity, housing, and climate, using equity analysis and public participation to identify and address barriers so all communities in King County can access the resources they need to thrive. Find the detailed reports below:

 

Centering Equity and Community in Planning

Here are some equitable community planning tools from our partner organizations.

Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth, transportation and economic development planning within King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Their Regional Equity Strategy serves as a guide for coordinated planning and includes tools and resources that can be used to support marginalized communities within the region.

Washington State Department of Commerce

The Washington State Department of Commerce mission is to strengthen communities in Washington. The State’s Growth Management Act requires that the fastest-growing cities and counties complete comprehensive plans and development regulations to guide future growth. Commerce’s Growth Management Services assist and guide local governments, state agencies, and others to manage growth and development, consistent with the Growth Management Act.

Government Alliance on Racial Equity

The Government Alliance on Race and Equity—a Race Forward project—is a peer-to-peer learning and practice network dedicated to advancing racial equity in government, so that we all thrive where we live, learn, work and play.