Research Corner: Municipal Land Use and Planning

Last year, Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA)’s Community Development Office conducted the 2025 iteration of the Land Use and Planning Capacity Survey (LUPCS). The goal of the survey was to identify planning and land use practices and pinpoint needs so that DOLA can direct resources appropriately.

The 2025 LUPCS respondents include municipalities of all sizes and from all regions of the state. The survey asked about challenges facing planners, assessed trends in comprehensive plans and other planning documents, analyzed zoning types across the state, and considered changes in public engagement and equity initiatives.

Below are some timely highlights from the survey results. You can read the full report here.

71%
of responding municipalities do not regulate data centers

44%
of municipalities report at least some difficulty in securing support and trust from the public in planning decisions, the greatest difficulty across all sizes of municipalities

43%
of municipalities have a comprehensive plan that addresses climate hazards

30%
of respondents with a comprehensive plan address wildfire hazards directly in their planning considerations

60%
of responding municipalities have a parks, trails, and open space plan in addition to a comprehensive plan, the most common type of supplemental plan

The top priority for municipal staff training across Colorado deals with understanding new state legislation around land use and housing, followed by affordable housing strategies and financing.