Planning ahead is a hallmark of the city of Southlake, Texas (Shana Yelverton, city manager), both to guide future development and to ensure a high quality of life for residents. In recognition of this forward thinking and strategic planning, the city received a 2013 Comprehensive Planning Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association, which recognizes exemplary work in city planning.

Known as the Southlake 2030 Comprehensive Plan, this document is a roadmap that guides city decisions on the physical development of Southlake for the next 20 years. Not something that is put together and then put on the shelf to collect dust, the comprehensive plan is used by all departments to implement the city’s strategic management system.

Recommendations outline priorities in short-, medium-, and long-term timeframes and are assigned a metric based on the priority. Recommendations are then incorporated into appropriate city department business and work plans. Quarterly performance meetings are held to track progress and measure results.

Composed of 15 elements, the comprehensive plan includes updates to such previous master plan elements as the land use plan and park master plan, but it also includes these new and nontraditional elements:

• Economic development and tourism plan.
• Wayfinding/kiosk sign system plan.
• Water conservation master plan.
• Arts master plan.

The 2030 Comprehensive Plan is a collaborative effort among city staff and leaders, numerous boards and commissions, and Southlake residents and business owners. More than 50 public meetings were held during the development and adoption process. Feedback and recommendations from the Citizen Satisfaction Survey, which is conducted every two years, also are taken into consideration when making updates to the plan.

Realizing that outside factors affect the development of Southlake, recommendations in the 2030 plan have been strategically aligned with the guiding principles of North Texas 2050 (Vision North Texas), which is composed of leaders and experts around the region who work together to create a vision for a preferred future and a practical set of action steps that North Texas can take to achieve this vision. 

Linking the 2030 Comprehensive Plan to the city’s strategic management system has expanded the traditional role of the planning department and allowed it to become a central asset in shaping, developing, and implementing the city's strategic management system through its comprehensive planning process. 

For more information, visit the Southlake 2030 Comprehensive Plan, website.