Community Planning

The Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan is the City’s long-term roadmap for growth. It sets the vision for how Charlotte should grow and change over time and provides the foundation for all other planning efforts.

Key elements of the Plan include:

• A vision to ensure growth benefits as many people as possible
• The Equitable Growth Framework, which measures opportunities today and guides decisions for a fairer future
• 10 Plan Goals that turn the vision into action
• A Place Type Palette that describes the kinds of places needed to realize these goals
• A Planning Framework that connects the citywide vision to more detailed guidance

On November 24, 2025, Charlotte City Council adopted the Revised Policy Map for seven Community Area Plan Geographies: East Inner, Northeast Inner, South Inner, South Middle, South Outer, Southwest Middle, Southwest Outer.

Council deferred action on the following geographies to allow for more engagement: East Middle & Outer, North Inner, North Middle and Outer, Northeast Middle and Outer, West Inner, West Middle, West Outer.

The Charlotte Future 2040 Policy Map reflects guidance from the Comprehensive Plan and Community Area Plans. It identifies the type and intensity of development that is appropriate across the City. The Place Type designations within the map represent Charlotte’s growth strategy to:

• Respect existing neighborhoods
• Align growth with infrastructure capacity
• Create vibrant, mixed-use centers

Policy Map Manual - Learn how the Policy Map was developed and how it may be updated in the future. 

On November 24, 2025, Charlotte City Council adopted seven Community Area Plans for these geographies: East Inner, Northeast Inner, South Inner, South Middle, South Outer, Southwest Middle, Southwest Outer.

Council deferred action on the following plans to allow for more engagement: East Middle & Outer, North Inner, North Middle and Outer, Northeast Middle and Outer, West Inner, West Middle, West Outer.

The Charlotte Future 2040 Community Area Plans (CAPs) take the citywide vision and goals and apply them to each part of Charlotte. They give residents and decision-makers a clearer picture of what change is expected locally and how that change supports the broader goals of the Comprehensive Plan.

Each CAP:

• Identifies a community’s greatest needs in line with the citywide vision and prioritizes the Comprehensive Plan goals
• Outlines where and what type of change is expected and explains how that change advances community priorities
• Highlights needed improvements to ensure future growth reflects Charlotte’s aspirations and benefits as many residents as possible

• The Plans include a shared Neighborhood Toolkit which outlines existing City programs and resources residents can use to help maintain, strengthen, and enhance their communities.

Find out which Community Area Plan impacts you.

<="" h3="">

Invite staff to your next community meeting or check out the Community Area Plan Roadshow.

The Planning Academy is a free educational program open to anyone interested in learning how planning shapes Charlotte’s communities. The Academy gives participants the knowledge and tools to get involved in future planning efforts and to better understand how decisions about growth are made.

Since its launch in 2016, the program has focused on three main goals:

• Educate: Educate residents about the role Planning plays in building communities
• Empower: Empower residents to effectively participate in future planning processes
• Unite: Build relationships between City staff, participants, and neighborhoods