Spokane: Climate Resilience Development
Spokane faces accelerating climate risks—including extreme heat, severe flooding, and increasing wildfire hazards—that are already threatening core infrastructure and demanding fundamental changes to future development planning. These hazards are not only disrupting daily routines and local economies but are also placing immense, unequal pressure on the built environment and essential services. The City’s commitment to climate justice is essential in this context, ensuring that future development decisions prioritize protecting vulnerable populations and overburdened communities who are most exposed to these physical climate threats.
The pivotal mechanism for addressing this challenge is the Comprehensive Plan update, mandated by the Washington State Growth Management Act and due in 2026. This update, which must now incorporate a mandatory Climate Element (HB 1181), is a transformative opportunity to embed resilience into every policy governing Spokane’s growth. The findings of the detailed Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) and a companion greenhouse gas inventory are the foundational documents steering this new planning approach.
The CRVA reveals specific threats that necessitate immediate changes to development standards and capital investment. Regarding Extreme Heat and Energy, projected average summertime temperature increases—up to 11 degrees fahrenheit by 2099—will drastically increase peak energy demand for cooling, simultaneously stressing energy infrastructure, increasing the frequency of power outages, and potentially raising energy costs for residents. Therefore, future residential and commercial development must proactively account for passive cooling strategies and energy resilience. Addressing Flooding and Transportation Integrity is also critical; increased heavy winter precipitation and projected 84% higher winter stream flows in the Spokane River system mean higher risks of flooding and landslides. This directly compromises new development in flood hazard zones, threatens major arterials and primary evacuation routes, and increases risks to roads, bridges, and rail infrastructure integrity, demanding new standards for infrastructure placement and elevation. Finally, the growing risks from Wildfire and Active Transportation must be considered, as increased wildfire hazards and smoke events damage property and severely reduce air quality. Compounding this, extreme heat makes active transportation like walking and biking unsafe and damages road surfaces. Consequently, future urban design must prioritize shaded pathways, green infrastructure, and defensible space planning.
Guiding Future Growth for Equity: The City’s Climate Vulnerability Index mapping tool directly informs future land use and investment prioritization. This spatial analysis identifies neighborhoods, particularly in Northeast Spokane and along the I-90 corridor, that exhibit high vulnerability due to low tree canopy, high urban heat exposure, and socioeconomic factors. Future development and infrastructure projects—such as increasing urban forest cover or establishing cooling centers—must be strategically directed to these areas. This targeted approach is essential to avoid worsening environmental health disparities and ensure that new growth and improvements actively build resilience in the places that need it most. The final plan aims to use these data to guide zoning changes, capital improvement projects, and policy implementation, fundamentally reshaping how Spokane grows to be resilient, equitable, and sustainable.