Washington is at a crossroads. From the climate crisis and growing wildfire risks to the housing affordability crisis, we’re seeing growing pressures on our resources, land, and water. The choices we make now will shape our communities, our land, and this state we call home for generations to come.

Smart land use is one of our most powerful tools for building a better future.

Good land use policy can help us solve challenges that are too often treated as competing priorities. We can build more homes in walkable, transit-connected communities while protecting farmland and natural habitats. We can accelerate the transition to clean energy while safeguarding the lands and cultural resources that sustain us. And we can prepare for climate threats while ensuring the people most affected have a voice in shaping their communities.

In 2026, Futurewise set out to develop a bold, forward-looking agenda to meet these challenges with the attention and urgency they demand.

We gathered input from volunteers, partners, staff, legislators, and supporters – from Clark County to Clallam – to identify the issues affecting our communities and our future. The result is Build to Thrive, a plan outlining the policies and priorities that will guide our work over the next five years.

Over the next five years, we will bring together communities, policymakers, and partners to tackle these challenges and advance solutions that help Washington’s communities, land, and people thrive.

Read on to learn how.

Protecting our Water & Land

Washington’s water, farmland, and wildlife habitats nourish us and make this state a vibrant place to live. But climate change, development pressure, and growing demands on natural resources are putting them at risk.

For the next five years, Futurewise will advance policies that protect the resources we depend on. We will ensure clean and adequate water for people, farms, and wildlife; direct development toward existing communities; and strengthen protections for critical areas, habitats, and agricultural lands.

Preparing for a Changing Climate

Wildfires, dangerous smoke, drought, and flooding are already affecting Washington communities. We know that these threats will only intensify, hitting our most vulnerable communities hardest.

Futurewise will advance land use policies that reduce climate pollution, prepare communities for climate hazards, and support healthier, more resilient places to live. We will champion solutions that reduce emissions while helping communities adapt to the changes already underway, prioritizing the people and places most at risk.

Powering Clean Energy

Washington must expand clean energy to meet its climate goals. But we must do so in ways that protect farmland, wildlife habitat, Tribal cultural resources, and the communities that call Washington home.

Futurewise will advocate for policies that support development of renewable energy in the right ways and right places, expand transmission capacity, and advance solutions that allow clean energy and agriculture to coexist. With thoughtful planning, we can accelerate the transition to clean energy while protecting the lands and communities that allow Washington to thrive.

Strengthening Accountability and Access

Washington needs land use policies that deliver real results and work for everyone. As the watchdogs of
Washington’s Growth Management Act, we want to make land use processes more accessible and inclusive,
ensuring people have a meaningful voice in shaping their communities and that all communities have the
resources they need to thrive.

Futurewise will work to strengthen implementation of the Growth Management Act, uphold its core protections, and hold governments accountable to its requirements. Through stronger implementation, greater accountability, and meaningful public participation, we can ensure Washington’s land use policies deliver on their promises.

Building Homes for All

Washington needs more homes people can afford, in the places they want and need to live. Smart land use policy can expand housing choices, undo exclusionary zoning, prevent displacement, and create walkable communities without pushing growth into rural areas.

In recent years, Futurewise has helped advance gains in housing policy. Over the next five years, we will build
on that progress by strengthening existing policies, addressing barriers to housing production, creating opportunities for first-time home buyers, and ensuring new policies are implemented effectively. We will work to build more homes, faster, in the right places.