EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Following extensive community engagement and a public review process, the 2025-2035 Comprehensive Plan was approved by the City Council on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 and will now head to the State of Rhode Island for final passage.
Every decade, the City of East Providence updates its Comprehensive Plan, an urban planning policy document that is used as a guide towards growth and development throughout the city. The Comprehensive Plan is not a list of laws and guarantees, but more so a broad vision and strategic roadmap for the city’s future. The Comprehensive Plan is a detailed policy document that outlines how East Providence plans to use land to meet our goals around housing, economic development, environmental sustainability, transportation and more.
This Comprehensive Plan first started to take shape in late 2020, with a city survey, followed by years of neighborhood workshops, public meetings and feedback from those who make East Providence the best place to live, learn, work and play; our residents. It is their feedback and aspirations to protect and support what they love about living in the city that built the framework of the plan.
With the help of consultant, Horsley Witten Group, who helped to gather all thoughts from stakeholders and compiled a 317-page document with all pertinent information, and the diligence of the City’s Planning Board, making recommendations and approvals to city leaders, this plan is now moving into its final phase.
On a local level, this Comprehensive Plan will guide decision-making and serve as a basis for East Providence’s land use regulations such as zoning regulations and zoning maps to conform with the plan.
The goal of this Comprehensive Plan is the promotion of affordable housing, creating mixed-use housing, the growth of housing units across all tax brackets, increasing the city’s tax base, while most importantly protecting the city’s natural resources and helping to assure resilience in climate throughout our city.
To hear from residents and the business community, the City used a multi-pronged approach of digital and in-person activities. Public input was received through a series of workshops held for each of the City’s four wards, in addition to workshops held on various topics, community surveys, and public hearings before the Planning Board and City Council. One of the community surveys was targeted toward the City’s youth and distributed through local schools and youth programs. Input was also received from the City’s boards and commissions to understand the issues and challenges they see in East Providence and approaches to help them meet their goals.
A webpage was also dedicated to the Comprehensive Plan on the City’s website. Upcoming events were posted and materials from public meetings, such as handouts and presentation slides, were made readily available.
Thank you to the East Providence Planning Board, City Council, and many other municipal boards and commissions for their work over the past several years. The city is also very grateful to the residents of East Providence for their input that made the plan much more valuable.
