Durango is updating its Comprehensive Plan to create a shared vision for the community’s future and guide decisions about growth, housing, transportation, infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life. Building on the City’s 2024 Strategic Plan, this update will reflect current community needs and priorities while addressing long-term challenges and opportunities, including water supply, resiliency, and strategic growth. Community input will play a central role throughout the process, with opportunities to participate through surveys, workshops, open houses, and online engagement as the City works to shape a plan that is actionable, inclusive, and reflective of Durango’s values and aspirations.

There will be many ways for community members to participate throughout the Comprehensive Plan update process. Residents, businesses, and stakeholders are encouraged to attend community events, complete online surveys, participate in workshops, visit pop-up engagement booths, and provide feedback on draft materials. Opportunities to join focus groups, stakeholder discussions, and follow project updates through social media and the Engage Durango platform will also be available as the project moves forward.

• Community conditions and priorities have evolved
• New housing, water supply, and growth requirements from the State of Colorado
• Alignment with the City’s 2024 Strategic Plan
• Need to address current challenges and opportunities
• Opportunity to create a shared vision for the future

This phase prioritizes building a strong foundation through data gathering, and inclusive engagement. We begin by establishing clear communication protocols and a detailed Community Engagement Plan with a cohesive project brand. Engagement is intentionally inclusive and measurable, using community listening sessions, multi-day visioning sessions, focus groups, and participation tracking to reflect the full Durango community.

We conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing conditions and capacity, including a plan audit and a data-driven community profile covering housing, infrastructure, environmental constraints, and economic trends. The outcome of Phase I will be confirmation of the community vision; a clear understanding of key issues, and opportunities; and a better idea of how to ensure existing plans and policies align.

Phase II will enable the Durango community to coalesce around a vision that can be directly translated into action through iterative policy development, scenario planning, mapping, and plan drafting. We will work with the community and City to evaluate tradeoffs related to growth, water supply, infrastructure, and connectivity—particularly addressing how to better integrate subdivisions, connect neighborhoods to jobs and services, and align land use with available resources. Engagement continues through interactive workshops and “land use lab” activities to refine choices and confirm direction.

The phase will conclude with compilation of a clear, accessible, visually engaging Comprehensive Plan that will include an updated future land use map and three-mile plan; comprehensive goals, policies and implementation strategies; and monitoring tools to support ongoing use.

This two-phase work plan reflects a deliberate prioritization of early data and engagement to inform critical decisions, followed by focused policy development and implementation. Our timeline aligns each Scope of Work element with key milestones while maintaining flexibility for the City to add or re-prioritize tasks through mutual agreement.

Logan Simpson is well-positioned to deliver this effort, with extensive experience, a strong regional presence, and the capacity to dedicate experienced staff throughout. We have tailored this approach to Durango’s unique character and regional context, ensuring a distinct, data-driven, and community-supported Comprehensive Plan that is both visionary and achievable.