Our Mission
Partner with the community to build a livable, sustainable and safe City by providing strategic, timely, predictable, cost effective planning and development services with a culture focused on community engagement, customer service, creativity, accountability and continuous improvement.
We guide community growth and development in a manner that protects environmental resources, enhances quality of life, promotes distinctive neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown, and involves citizens in the decisions that affect them.
We provide pre-development consultations, plan reviews, permitting and inspections for residential, commercial, industrial, and site related development. We also process multiple types of land use permits for future development.
Begin your permit application now.
We provide support to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which oversees design review for alterations to City Landmarks and building within historic districts, maintains the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, and reviews and approves financial incentives for projects involving historic buildings.
Neighborhood Planning
This program provides enhanced planning and development
support to help communities create strong, vibrant, and
diverse neighborhoods. Led by residents from
the neighborhood and informed by community engagement processes, the Neighborhood Planning Program will consider immediate ways to make your surroundings more livable. The goal of a neighborhood planning process is not just creating and implementing a plan, the process itself is also a tool to help improve communities through building community capacity, constituent energy, relationships/partnerships, and
co-creation opportunities for residents to shape their own
neighborhoods.
The Urban Design Studio (UDS) supports efforts to enhance and ensure a high-quality built environment throughout the city of Tacoma. Specific responsibilities include management of the Urban Design Project Review (UDPR) program, supporting the Urban Design Board, and support for a range of strategic projects with partners in the Planning and Development Services Department, other City departments, as well as external public and private groups.