About the River District Specific Plan Update

The River District Specific Plan (Plan) is a forward-looking policy document that will guide how the River District develops over the next 10 to 20 years. This update is not just a review of the Plan’s existing goals, policies, and actions—it is also a comprehensive update that looks at how the River District has changed since the Plan was adopted in 2011 and what is needed to support its future. The process will also involve updates to the River District Finance Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

The planning process will identify key issues and opportunities and set the regulatory and policy framework needed to guide the River District’s transformation. While the Plan itself will not directly solve challenges, it will provide the guidance and strategies needed to shape future development and public investments in ways that advance the community’s shared vision.

The planning process will consider major topics such as:

• Improving mobility to make it easier to move around the River District without a car
• Welcoming new homes and businesses while supporting long-standing businesses and organizations
• Evaluating infrastructure and the costs to improve it to serve anticipated growth
• Expanding access to community spaces, parks, and recreational opportunities
• Increasing resilience to climate challenges, and Addressing the changing needs of vulnerable members of the community.
  

Core values

• Feasibility. A commitment to capture attainable and incremental steps that can be made to move towards the future.
• Grounded in History. A commitment to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of the people and businesses that have located in this area throughout history, starting with the native people of this area.
• Transparency. A commitment to make the project process as understandable as possible, provide opportunities for community involvement, and show how engagement has influenced outcomes.
• Equity. A commitment to design engagement to respect and accommodate the people living and working within the River District, engage community and develop policy with equity in mind, and consider potential unintentional consequences to the most vulnerable populations.

Project updates

Since the Plan Update begin in 2024, the Project Team has:

• Interviewed 30 community partners and agencies. 
• Collaborated with staff from City departments and offices to inform strategy development. 
• Developed a draft Vision Statement and Guiding Principles. 
• Assessed the River District’s existing conditions.

Balancing priorities

Through conversations with more than 30 community partners, agencies, tribes, and staff from City offices and departments, the River District Specific Plan Update Team has identified five key priorities shared by community members.

Draft vision statement guiding principles

Using community careholder and interagency feedback, the Project Team crafted a draft Vision Statement and Guiding Principles, intended to serve as the foundation for the updated Specific Plan, guiding its goals, policies, and strategies.