A. Vision Statement

The Vision Statement is a verbal snapshot of Kirkland in the year 2035. It summarizes the desired character and characteristics of our community. It is an optimistic, affirming and aspiring vision for the community we hope to have. It provides the ultimate goals for our community planning and development efforts.

The Vision Statement and Guiding Principles are an outgrowth of a community visioning process that occurred in 2013. The outreach program was called Kirkland 2035 with the theme of “Your Voice, Your Vision, Your Future.” A series of conversations about the future were held at numerous neighborhood meetings, business forums, and City boards and commissions meetings, including the Youth Council. The City also hosted several community-wide planning days and business events. The City’s web page included interactive forums and a blog as an Internet version of the visioning conversation. Over 900 people participated in the visioning program. Participants were asked questions about key issues they thought important for the future relating to land use, housing, transportation, economic development and environmental issues to help guide the updates to the Comprehensive Plan. Responses were summarized into key themes.

People were also asked to write down one word to describe what they want Kirkland to be like in the next 20 years. The collection of words resulted in the following Wordle with the most common words represented in the largest text. The Wordle and the key themes from the community conversations are the foundation for the following 2035 Vision Statement and Guiding Principles, and for updates to the general element chapters and the neighborhood plans.

The Guiding Principles express the fundamental goals for guiding growth and development in Kirkland over the 20-year horizon of the Comprehensive Plan. They are based on and provide an extension of the aspirations and values embodied in the Vision Statement. The principles address a wide range of topics and form the foundation of the goals and policies contained in the elements of the Comprehensive Plan. They strive to make Kirkland in 2035 an attractive, vibrant and inviting place to live, work and visit.

Although all of the Guiding Principles broadly apply to all Comprehensive Plan elements, some of the principles are more applicable to certain elements than others.