Long-Range Planning

The Long-Range Planning Division is responsible for developing, evaluating, and maintaining the City's Comprehensive Plan, also known as the Sarasota City Plan. The Sarasota City Plan is a broad policy document that prescribes how the City will develop in future years. The first comprehensive plan was developed in 1925 by John Nolen. John Nolen was a well-known urban planner of his day. Updates to the Comprehensive Plan were produced in 1960, 1972, 1979, 1986, 1989, 1998, and most recently in 2005.

Beginning in 1979, Comprehensive Plans were prepared under the guidelines of the State of Florida´s Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act of 1975. This Act was amended in 1985 by the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act, commonly referred to as the "Growth Management Act"; and Plans are now prepared under the guidelines of the "Growth Management Act".

Contact Information

Mailing Address/Location: 
Planning Department
1575 Second Street, 4th Floor
Sarasota, FL 34236

Telephone: (941) 263-6756

Sarasota City Plan (2030) [Comprehensive Plan]

On December 1, 2008 the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 08-4792, which revised the Sarasota City Plan [1998] to the Sarasota City Plan [2030]. Support Documents for each Chapter are included in the Plan, although the Support Documents are not formally adopted by the City Commission. For additional information on the Sarasota City Plan (2030) or citizen involvement in the comprehensive planning process, call Planning at (941) 263-6462

A representation of the table of contents is provided below and includes separate links to each chapter.

Chapters

• Introduction

• Neighborhood Plan

• Housing Plan

• Environmental Protection and Coastal Islands Plan

• Recreation and Open Space Plan

• Utilities Plan

• Transportation Plan

• Future Land Use Plan

• Future Land Use Map 2030 (see GIS map by clicking here)

• Governmental Coordination Plan

• Capital Improvements Plan

• Historic Preservation Plan

• Public School Facilities Plan

• Property Rights Chapter

Amendments to the Sarasota City Plan

The Sarasota City Plan amendment process guidelines and the calendar of events relating to amendments are located below.

• Guidelines for Seeking Amendments to the Sarasota City Plan
• Annual Amendment Schedule

The City processes Comprehensive Plan Amendments in accordance with an annual schedule that begins on the fourth Wednesday in May when a pre-application conference request form must be submitted. Once a pre-application conference and a community workshop are held, an applicant is eligible to file a formal development application seeking to amend the Comprehensive Plan. The required forms are included in the City's Development Approval Application Package.

Population Estimates

• Population estimates for the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County from 1910 to 2022.