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Purpose of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan

This plan guides where and how Alpharetta grows through 2045—covering land use, housing, transportation, the economy, and quality of life. It updates the Horizon 2040 Comprehensive Plan with current data and refined policies, extending the shared vision forward. Completing this state-required five-year update also preserves Alpharetta’s Qualified Local Government (QLG) status with Georgia DCA, ensuring the city stays eligible for important state and federal funding.

  • Guide growth through 2045. Set a clear framework for land use, housing choices, mobility, economic vitality, and everyday quality of life.
  • Update Horizon 2040 (Current Comprehensive Plan). Refresh conditions, tune policies, and extend the community’s vision forward to 2045—building on what works and fixing what doesn’t.
  • Meet state requirements. Complete the Georgia DCA five-year update to maintain Qualified Local Government (QLG) status—and keep Alpharetta eligible for key state and federal funding.

Comprehensive Plan Priorities

Process Objectives

  • A plan by—and for—the community. Engage neighborhoods, businesses, and diverse voices through a mix of in-person pop-ups, workshops, and online tools so everyone can be heard.
  • Future Land Use & redevelopment. Update the Future Land Use Map and a targeted redevelopment strategy that manages transitions, supports corridors and centers, and thoughtfully repositions Alpharetta’s office stock amid changing markets.
  • Integrate recent initiatives. Carry forward and align recommendations from the North Point Framework Plan, Windward/Hwy 9 Strategic Plan, South Main LCI, and Brookside Small Area Plan into one coherent roadmap.
  • Meet state requirements. Complete the Georgia DCA five-year update to maintain Qualified Local Government (QLG) status and preserve eligibility for key state and federal funding.
  • Action & accountability. Deliver a new Community Work Program (CWP) with clear owners, timelines, and metrics, and update the Report of Accomplishments (ROA) to track progress since 2021.

Process Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - active

    Launch (September 2025 - October 2025)

    • Establish a Project Steering Committee
    • Explore the Community
    • Review Prior Planning Efforts
    • Interview Community Stakeholders
    • Open Public Survey

  • Timeline item 2 - incomplete

    Foundations & Alignment (November 2025 - January 2026)

    • Existing Conditions Trends & Analysis
    • Community Work Program Evaluation
    • Close Public Survey
    • Public Meeting #1

  • Timeline item 3 - incomplete

    Plan Development (February 2026 - May 2026)

    • Develop Draft Plan Recommendations
    • Develop Updated Future Land Use Map
    • Public Meeting #2
    • Draft Implementation Strategy

  • Timeline item 4 - incomplete

    Plan Adoption (June 2026)

    • Presentation to City Council
    • Final Plan Refinement
    • Adoption

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Alpharetta needs a Comprehensive Plan because it’s both a state requirement and a community opportunity. Georgia law requires every city to keep its plan up to date in order to remain eligible for important state grants and funding. Beyond that, the plan is the community’s roadmap for the future. It guides how Alpharetta grows, where to invest in parks, trails, housing, and transportation, and how we keep the city a great place to live, work, and do business. Most importantly, it gives everyone a chance to have a voice in shaping what comes next.

Comprehensive Plans do not change private property rights. They are policy documents that set the community’s long-term vision for land use, housing, transportation, parks, and infrastructure. The plan can recommend future land use patterns and guide decisions about public investment, but it does not regulate what a property owner can or cannot do. Regulations only come through zoning ordinances, subdivision rules, and other local codes, which are adopted separately by City Council.

Comprehensive Plans are not zoning. A Comprehensive Plan is a vision and policy guide that outlines how the community wants to grow and invest over the next 20 years. Zoning, on the other hand, is law. It regulates what a property owner can build or do on their land today, including things like building height, lot size, setbacks, and permitted uses. While the plan can recommend changes that may lead to future zoning updates, it does not itself change zoning or property rights.

The Comprehensive Plan Update will bring together a wide range of voices from across the community. City leaders and staff will guide the process, but the plan will be shaped through input from residents, business owners, neighborhood groups, institutions, and community partners. A steering committee made up of community representatives will help provide direction, and there will be multiple opportunities for the broader public to participate through meetings, surveys, and online engagement tools.

The City of Alpharetta is leading the Comprehensive Plan Update with the support of MKSK, a multi-disciplinary community planning and design firm.

Yes! The Comprehensive Plan Update will be built on community input, and there will be many ways to get involved. You’ll have opportunities to share your ideas through public meetings, an online survey, interactive mapping exercises, and through the project website.

The plan must be adopted by June 30, 2026, so a draft will be available in May 2026.

The final say on adopting the Comprehensive Plan rests with the Alpharetta City Council. They will review the draft plan, which will be shaped by community input, and vote on its official adoption.