The 20-Year Bellingham Plan

Good morning, Bellingham! This is a special introduction to a daily email series to inform you about the 20 YEAR BELLINGHAM PLAN!

Yes, big things are brewing in Bellingham and not just at your favorite coffee shop. The city has been hard at work shaping a plan for how our community will grow, move, build, and thrive through 2045. It’s called The Bellingham Plan, and it’s the most ambitious roadmap our city has ever put together.

Over the next few weeks, The Bellingham Scoop will unpack this massive plan in a 10-part series, explaining what it means for you, your neighborhood, and the future of the city we all love.

But first, let’s look at how we got here and what this plan is all about.

What Is The Bellingham Plan?

Simply put, The Bellingham Plan is the city’s comprehensive plan for growth. It’s a 20-year blueprint for how Bellingham will handle housing, jobs, transportation, parks, and climate challenges as the city expands.

It’s also required by Washington State’s Growth Management Act, which makes sure growing cities like ours plan ahead for more people while protecting the environment and keeping quality of life high.

The plan focuses on creating a Bellingham that’s:

• Connected — with safer walking, biking, and transit options

• Livable — with homes and services close together

• Sustainable — with growth that protects nature and open spaces

• Inclusive — with room for everyone, not just those who can afford higher prices

By 2045, the city expects to reach about 135,800 residents and 89,700 jobs. The plan aims to make sure that growth happens in smart, intentional ways that keep Bellingham’s heart and character intact.

Why It All Matters

The Bellingham Plan isn’t just a policy document: it’s the story of where our city is headed. It affects every neighborhood, every business, and every family. Whether you’re raising kids, running a shop (advertise to readers here), or just trying to find an affordable apartment, this plan touches your daily life.

It’s about making sure that as Bellingham grows, it stays the community we all fell in love with. A place where people feel connected, cared for, and proud to call home.

How the Plan Came Together

The plan wasn’t written in a back room.. it was shaped by thousands of voices. Between 2023 and 2025, the City of Bellingham invited the community to weigh in through open houses, focus groups, surveys, and workshops.

Here’s what that looked like:

• 8,992 survey responses

• 14 open houses across neighborhoods

• 20+ presentations and events

• Over 750 residents engaged online

• 3 Spanish-speaking focus groups

• Nearly 10,000 visits to the city’s planning website

Students, families, small business owners, and lifelong residents all helped shape the plan’s goals. People talked about what they love about Bellingham, what worries them, and what they hope the city will look like 20 years from now.

City planners, engineers, and local boards including the Planning Commission, Arts Commission, Parks Board (and more) then took that feedback and built it into every section of the plan.

The result? A community-driven guide that ties together every part of city life—from how we get to work, to where we play, to what we leave behind for the next generation.

What’s Inside the Plan

The Bellingham Plan is organized into ten core chapters, each focusing on a key part of city life:

1. Land Use – Where growth goes and how it’s managed

2. Housing – Building enough homes for everyone

3. Community Design – Keeping Bellingham beautiful and walkable

4. Facilities and Services – Ensuring reliable city systems and utilities

5. Transportation – Making it easier to get around safely and sustainably

6. Parks and Recreation – Expanding access to nature and fun

7. Climate – Preparing for and adapting to a changing environment

8. Environment – Protecting water, air, and wildlife

9. Economic Development – Supporting local jobs and a strong economy

10. Community Wellbeing – Fostering health, belonging, and connection

Each chapter lays out goals, policies, and measurable steps to guide city decisions through 2045. We will be doing a deeper dive into each of these chapters .. one per day for the next 10 days.

Coming Up Next

In our first deep dive, we’ll explore Land Use. The foundation of it all. We’ll break down where new homes and businesses might go, what “urban villages” really are, and how the city plans to balance growth with green space.