The plan, adopted in 1997, identifies regional policies to implement the 2040 Growth Concept: preserving access to nature and building great communities for today and the future. The plan was amended in 2005 and 2010, and again in 2014 as part of the adoption of the Climate Smart Strategy.
The Regional Framework Plan provides overall guidance for more detailed policies with regard to:
- regional transportation and mass transit systems
- management and amendment of the urban growth boundary
- protection of lands outside the urban growth boundary for natural resource, future urban or other uses
- housing densities
- urban design and settlement patterns
- parks, open spaces and recreational facilities
- water sources and storage
- coordination, to the extent feasible, of Metro growth management and land use planning policies with those of Clark County, Washington
- planning responsibilities mandated by state law