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Several towns and cities in Whatcom and Skagit Counties are updating their comprehensive plans – often called “comp plans” – which help communities envision future development to attract and accommodate anticipated population growth. ��������’s Urban Planning students are helping make this monumental task a bit easier.

A comp plan establishes a blueprint to guide elected leaders as they set policies and make housing, transportation, land use, and growth decisions. It can be an aspirational reflection of the community. Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires that comp plans be updated every ten years, and that can be a multi-year process for many municipalities.

“Surveys and state employment data show a severe shortage of urban planners in our state,” said Professor Nabil Kamel, chair of the College of the Environment’s Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy (UEPP) Department. “Our accredited urban planning degree continues to grow to meet the demand while at the same time making sure that we provide the excellent education that we are known for.”

Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy Tammi Laninga, academic program director of the College of the Environment’s Urban Planning and Sustainable Development (UPSD) program, says this work is even more crucial now as cities and counties implement GMA requirements for middle housing and climate resilience.

This year, urban planning students are assisting Ferndale, La Conner, Everson, and Nooksack with parts of their strategic visioning process. 

“Applied projects in urban planning classes are a win-win for students and community partners,” Laninga explains. “Students practice what they have learned in class while assisting communities with research and recommendations that support their comprehensive plan updates.”

“�������� is a tremendous asset in our backyard,” said the City of Ferndale’s Community Development Director Michael Cerbone. “Working with �������� allows us to do great work for the city and help foster the next generation of planners.”

According to Cerbone, Ferndale is the fastest-growing community in the county per capita. The city is working hard to ensure it can provide enough and the right kind of housing, plan for new jobs, and get people walking and biking more within the community.

UPSD students contributed to Ferndale’s city center plan in 2019, and this year, they’re expanding that work into the city’s neighborhoods.

“Working with �������� has enabled our community to reach more people and engage the community in our process,” said Cerbone. This year, �������� students helped Ferndale envision new urban villages, refine building codes, and update the city’s comprehensive plan.

For Ciara Riordan, a UPSD senior graduating in June with a minor in environmental justice, working on the Ferndale project has solidified her desire to continue engaging with her community and ensuring that all people can have a voice.

“As someone who is really passionate about the community engagement element of urban planning, these opportunities have allowed me to see the value of speaking directly with people and meeting them where they are,” said Riordan.

Riordan and other urban planning students in the senior planning studio continue to work with the City of Ferndale on their comprehensive plan update throughout the academic year. They are focusing on ways to encourage the development of middle housing options like duplexes, triplexes, cottage housing, and more. At the conclusion of the three-quarter planning studio, students will provide Ferndale with an integrated and cohesive set of plans and strategies to help guide them toward a vibrant and sustainable future.

Lex Clark, a senior majoring in UPSD with a certificate in Geographic Information Sciences, has been working with the Skagit County town of La Conner to update and implement a Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) as part of their comprehensive planning process. 

Through CAOs, the state aims to protect the natural environment, wildlife habitat, and sources of fresh drinking water, and to limit development in areas that are prone to hazards like flooding and landslides.

Clark enjoyed the vocal and active community engagement at a planning commission meeting where she and her group presented. 

“I was inspired by how invested and passionate everyone was about what went on in their town,” she said. “The community members attending thoroughly engaged with every issue on the table.”

Clark loves how hands-on the urban planning program is. “Working with a real community gives students the necessary public engagement experience to succeed in the planning sector or any public service field,” she said. "I see myself working in the environmental field in some way, so this project was a great exercise in getting familiar with environmental protection legislation and processes.”

See examples of and learn more about the Urban Planning and Sustainable Development bachelor’s and master’s programs on the .

Jennifer Nerad covers Western's College of the Environment for the Office of University Communications. Have a great story idea? Reach out to her at neradj@wwu.edu.