Included as a component of the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1997, the Review and Evaluation Program under RCW 36.70A.215 is often referred to as the Buildable Lands Program. It requires that Clark, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom Counties and the cities within them complete a Buildable Lands report every ten years.
The Buildable Lands reports are a look back at actual development to determine if cities and counties have designated adequate amounts of residential, commercial and industrial lands to meet the growth needs incorporated in their comprehensive plans.
Current guidelines
Guidelines for local governments were originally adopted in 2000 with technical summaries prepared and issued in 2003 and 2007. The latest guidance is provided in the Buildable Lands Guidelines, 2018 (PDF) report.
As a supplemental document to the Buildable Lands Guidelines, the Housing Memo: Issues Affecting Housing Availability and Affordability (PDF) addresses barriers to housing production and affordability in Washington, and provides tools aimed at assisting local governments.
Resources
The following is a list of existing buildable lands webpages for each of the counties required to submit a report.
- Buildable Lands Report | Clark County (clark.wa.gov)
- Urban Growth Capacity Report | King County (kingcounty.gov)
- Buildable Lands Program | Kitsap County (kitsapgov.com)
- Buildable Lands | Pierce County (piercecountywa.gov)
- 2021 Buildable Lands Report | Snohomish County (snohomishcountywa.gov)
- Buildable Lands | Thurston Regional Planning Council (trpc.org)
- Review & Evaluation Program (Buildable Lands) | Whatcom County (whatcomcounty.us)