FAQs

Arlington’s Comprehensive Plan is the city’s main policy guide for long-term growth and development. It outlines goals, strategies, and actions to help Arlington become a more modern, connected, and sustainable city. The plan covers key topics like land use, transportation, housing, economic development, public services, and environmental protection. It also works alongside other city plans and regulations to ensure a coordinated approach. Based on Texas law, the plan provides the foundation for zoning and future development decisions, helping to support the health, safety, and quality of life for all residents. The plan is especially important to elected and appointed officials, as well as city departments, who use it to guide decisions and investments. Now through October 2026, Arlington is updating the Comprehensive Plan with help from a Steering Committee and input from residents, workers, business owners, and visitors. This process will use surveys, polls, and forums to gather ideas and build support for a shared vision of Arlington’s future—The American Dream City.

Community members are encouraged to sign-up for newsletters and alerts through www.ArlingtonListens.com. Additionally, be sure to follow the City's Facebook page.

If you're interested in meeting with a member of the Comprehensive Plan, please contact us directly at LongRangePlanning@ArlingtonTX.gov.

Comprehensive Plan Timeline

Phase 1: Baseline & Visioning, November 2024-July 2025

Phase 2: Plan Development, May 2025-March 2026

Phase 3: Review & Adoption, February 2026-October 2026

The current Comprehensive Plan - 99 Square Miles - was adopted in 2015. Since then, the Dallas-Arlington-Forth Worth area has added over 1 million residents. It's due to this population increase, changes in housing needs and the economy, and other community needs, that an updated plan is being worked on.

The City uses the Comprehensive Plan as a guide for decisions when:

• Build on the ideas and guidance from the many participants in the planning process.
• Establish the vision for what Arlington can achieve and aspires to achieve.
• Consolidate and coordinate in one comprehensive document the policies that relate to the city’s physical growth, economic growth, and development.
• Guide decision-making and evaluation of zoning map and text amendments and discretionary development approvals.
• Identify short and long-term strategic actions for the city to undertake.
• Provide the basis for orderly, consistent, and predictable land use decision making.

For Arlington, the Future Development Areas (Future Land Use) Map within the Comprehensive Plan is an advisory document. It establishes desired future land use patterns and key community characteristics. Some city plans, like the South SH 360 Corridor Strategy and the US 287 Strategy delve deeper into future land use for particular properties and locations. These future land use maps are an important long-range tool intended to inform development decisions.

The Zoning Map and Unified Development Code (UDC) are regulatory documents. They determine what may currently legally be built on a property, and include development standards such as maximum building heights, required setbacks, parking requirements, and landscaping regulations. Zoning helps to implement the Comprehensive Plan and other city plans for growth and development.

1. ZONING/UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE
2. ZONING DISTRICTS
3. INTERACTIVE ZONING MAP

The Future Land Use Map typically designates various districts within a city for particular land uses, such as residential, commercial, or industrial.

The Zoning Map legally regulates specific development requirements on individual pieces of land.

The Existing Land Use Map shows current conditions, what the uses actually are now.

A Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee is a diverse collective of community members that represent different districts and varying demographics within the City.

Members of the steering committee will have an important role in shaping the planning process by providing unique perspectives, expertise, and ensuring that participation in the planning process is inclusive of the community. These committee members will provide input and feedback on each element of the planning process, including preliminary plan vision and goals, guiding principles, base concept development and strategies, element policies and priority actions, implementation strategies and recommendations.

Steering Committee meetings will be held:

City Hall - Council Briefing Room

101 W Abram St, 3rd Floor

Arlington, TX 76010

Anticipated meetings will be held on the third Thursday of the month starting November 21, 2024.

If scheduled, meeting agendas will be posted on the City's website and at City Hall 72 hours before each meeting.