Comprehensive Plan

The Department of Planning and Sustainability is responsible for developing a comprehensive plan for Tompkins County. The 2015 Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan(PDF, 3MB) was adopted by the County Legislature in 2015 and underwent a five-year review(PDF, 965KB) in 2019, leading to the adoption of Action Items(PDF, 72KB) to continue its implementation. This plan outlines a vision for the county's future, guided by principles that prioritize sustainability, intergovernmental cooperation, and efficient public investment. These principles aim to ensure the well-being of current and future generations, address regional challenges through collaborative efforts, and optimize the use of taxpayer resources in infrastructure development. 

Key Documents

• Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan(PDF, 3MB)
  Note: This is a low resolution version of the Plan; some graphics may be blurry. Links to high resolution versions of the individual chapters are provided below.
• Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Summary(PDF, 2MB)
  Note: This document is a 13-page summary of the full plan. It includes all the Plan’s principles, policies, and action items.

Links to Individual Chapters

The following are high resolution files of the individual chapters in the 2015 Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan. Some of them may take some time to download. View the plan in its entirety in this low resolution version of the low resolution version of the Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan(PDF, 3MB).

• Cover(PDF, 3MB)
• Foreword(PDF, 133KB)
• Table of Contents(PDF, 43KB)
• Introduction(PDF, 2MB)
• Overarching Principles(PDF, 622KB)
• The Economy, Housing, and Transportation
• The Economy(PDF, 5MB)
• Housing(PDF, 3MB)
• Transportation(PDF, 7MB)
• The Environment
• Natural Resources(PDF, 11MB)
• Water Resources(PDF, 8MB)
• Climate Change
• Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Part 1(PDF, 2MB)
• Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Part 2(PDF, 3MB)
• Adaptation(PDF, 2MB)
• Neighborhoods and Communities
• Healthy Communities(PDF, 4MB)
• Development Patterns(PDF, 2MB)
• Legislature Mission and Vision Statement(PDF, 72KB)
• Appendixes
  • Appendix A - Kickoff Survey(PDF, 460KB)
  • Appendix B - Public Comments and Responses(PDF, 932KB)
  • Appendix C - Data Notes(PDF, 207KB)
  • Appendix D - Map of Proposed Complete Streets Network(PDF, 414KB)
  • Appendix E - Detailed Map of Cayuga Lake Facilities(PDF, 526KB)
  • Appendix F - Watersheds(PDF, 210KB)

Other Documents

2004 Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Documents

• Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan Summary(PDF, 2MB)
• The Entire Tompkins County Comprehensive Plan(PDF, 16MB) - Note: This document includes the 2008 Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Element adopted in 2008.