Landscapes3 — Five-Year Trends Report
During the Five-Year Anniversary of Landscapes3 in 2024, the Planning Commission looked back at how successful we've been in implementing the plan's vision, goals, and recommendations. The Five-Year Assessment concluded that, overall, we've done pretty well in our continuing goal to balance growth and preservation.
As a final chapter in the five-year review, we considered what were top five most important trends that were not fully anticipated in Landscapes3 and what actions we might take going forward to address them. The major factor not anticipated in 2018 was the 2020 pandemic. This global event impacted almost every aspect of our lives and was a major influence in many of the top five new trends that we look at in this report. In choosing these trends, we also took into consideration the results of a survey conducted in the spring of 2024 to understand what residents and businesses viewed as important impacts of the last five years.
These trends will help inform our work program for the next five years and serve to lay the groundwork for the next update of Landscapes3 due to be completed in 2028.
Changes to How and Where We Work
A rapid transition to remote work due to the pandemic had a multiple impacts on employees and employers alike, including work-life balance, office vacancies, workplace structure, commuting, and where people choose to live.
Pandemic Impacts on Transportation
The pandemic had significant impacts on public transit use and traffic commuter patterns.
Commerce and Industry Trends
Efforts continue to repurpose or update old and obsolete commercial and office structures while accommodating increased manufacturing proposals and supporting workforce development.
Housing Affordability 2.0
The long-recognized need for affordably priced housing became even more pronounced during and after the pandemic with an accelerating rise in both home prices and rents.
Climate Change Impacts and Sustainability
The county has increased its focus on efforts to address climate change and mitigate its impacts, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and expand sustainability efforts.
Visit the Five-Year Assessment of Landscapes3 webpage to see the results of our assessment of the success of the first five years of Landscapes3, including an overview of implementation, metrics, and growth and development.