By monitoring employment, population, and real estate trends to determine future growth, and needs, of the community; Long Range Planning pro-actively develops and implements Scottsdale’s long-term vision, values, goals, and policies to help guide the physical, economic and social aspects of the city.

Long Range Planning works in partnership with local, regional and state agencies to address opportunities and issues of regional importance. Collaboration with other City departments and private sector interests is focused primarily on achieving goals of local significance.

Community outreach is performed at every level of the long range planning process – regional, citywide, character area, and neighborhood levels – to ensure meaningful public participation and engagement in all projects, plans and implementation programs.

Working in conjunction with the community, City boards and commissions, and City Council, below is a list of the most common functions the Long Range Planning Department performs:

• Create new, and/or update the City’s General and Character Area Plans
• Conduct public participation and engagement to ensure planning efforts meet the collective, long range vision and values of the community
• Undertake and/or review private sector projects that implement the General and Character Area Plans
• Provide up-to-date community demographic and real estate profiles, forecasts, and trends, to internal and external customers
• Process amendments to the General and Character Area Plans
• Perform special planning studies
• Maintain a focus on the City’s growth areas – Airpark, Old Town and McDowell Corridor