
Davis: New development regulations look to streamline housing
Mayor Andrea Davis
The ability to afford a home—whether renting an apartment or buying a house—is essential for the health and prosperity of Missoulians. It’s also a cornerstone of Missoula’s economic vitality.
The City of Missoula has a role to play in ensuring more affordable homes are built to meet our residents’ needs. Our housing strategy, A Place to Call Home, emphasizes the importance of updating land use and development regulations to encourage a diverse range of housing options for our community.
Accordingly, the ongoing Our Missoula Growth Policy Update and Code Reform project is a comprehensive effort to shape Missoula’s vision for future growth. After thousands of hours of our staff engaging with residents, the City Council adopted the new Our Missoula 2045 Land Use Plan and Place Type Map in December.
This document guides current and future growth by addressing land use, housing needs, economic conditions, infrastructure and natural resource protection. Missoula’s vision for a healthy community includes:
Increasing housing availability and accessibility across all neighborhoods.
Enhancing resilience and adaptability.
Improving connectivity.
Protecting and improving natural resources such as air and water quality and wildlife habitats.
With the land use plan establishing the vision, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and work on implementation. The next step is modernizing our development regulations—key tools for turning this vision into reality. This effort builds on findings from the Code Diagnostic, an analysis of existing conditions, to align development regulations with the community’s vision.
The goal will be to create a code that is user friendly, accessible and easy to understand and navigate. It will provide predictability for current and future residents. The new code will use plain language, clear graphics and superior mapping to support both vision and detail. The code will consolidate most city regulations related to development, including zoning, subdivisions, public works and parks and open space.
As Mayor, I’ve directed city staff to take immediate action to develop this new code. This includes targeted outreach to frequent code users to identify areas for improvement. We plan to release a public draft of the new code, including a proposed zoning map, in April. Following community engagement and comments, our goal is to adopt the new code by late spring or early summer.
To ensure this process is effective, we’re creating a performance evaluation framework with metrics to assess:
1. Whether the private sector finds the new development codes easier to use.
2. The types of homes and commercial spaces produced as a result.
We’re committed to continuous improvement. I’ve encouraged city staff to prioritize progress over perfection—finish the code, evaluate what works and what doesn’t and make routine updates as needed.
This foundational change will allow for more housing options to meet the needs of our growing community. Some people say Missoula shouldn’t grow or change, but the reality is that change is here. How we guide and shape it will determine whether Missoula remains an incredible place to live, work, learn, and retire.
Join the conversation and help shape Missoula’s future by visiting our Engage Missoula page: www.engagemissoula.com/hub-page/our-missoula.