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Regional Planning Equity & Engagement Program

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

About

What We Do

King County Regional Planning works with departments across the County 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

For the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, King County launched the Equity Work Group (EWG) in 2022. The community advisory group was formed to repair past harm* in planning and ensure that voices from historically underrepresented communities—especially those impacted most by previous decisions—were front and center.

Most EWG members were both part of these communities and leaders of local community-based organizations serving low-income, immigrant, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) populations. Their participation marked a major shift in how community perspectives and experiences were included in County planning.

Continuing the Work Together

Based on the group’s recommendation, King County is making this community advisory role permanent. In 2025, County Regional Planning launched a new Equity & Engagement Program to:

  • Support community leadership and capacity-building
  • Ensure early and ongoing public participation in planning
  • Create a permanent Equity Advisory Body to partner on future Comprehensive Plan updates

Through this program, King County will increase opportunities for historically underrepresented communities to shape the future of unincorporated areas. This work is all part of a shared goal: building welcoming communities where everyone can thrive.

*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.

 

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 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 & Community in Planning

Below are key resources that support King County’s efforts to embed equity and community priorities into long-range planning.

For more equitable community planning tools, reference our partner organizations below:

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 (GMA) 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 (GARE)

The Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)—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.

 

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