WILMINGTON, Del. — Governor Matt Meyer has signed a new Executive Order certifying updated statewide land use strategies, a move that marks a major step in advancing smart growth, downtown revitalization, and long-term infrastructure planning across Delaware.
The order certifies the 2025 update to the Delaware Strategies for State Policies and Spending, a statewide roadmap that guides how the state allocates funding for transportation, economic development, and land preservation. The updated framework aims to ensure state and local governments work more closely together to coordinate development in a way that balances economic growth with environmental protection.
“Growth works best when it’s smart, protecting our environment while enabling economic growth and job creation,” Meyer said in a statement. “We urgently must protect open spaces, protect farmland and our farm families, add to the vibrancy of our downtowns, and create policies for workforce housing to be plentiful. By updating the State Strategies, we’re doing just that, in collaboration with local governments.”
The Executive Order, Meyer’s 16th since taking office, directs the Office of State Planning Coordination and the Cabinet Committee on State Planning Issues to establish Corridor Planning Areas. These areas will target key transportation routes across Delaware and tackle traffic congestion, safety, and accessibility — while aligning transportation upgrades with environmental goals.
A major piece of the plan kicks off in January 2026 with a seven-month corridor planning collaboration with Sussex County. That process will help inform the county’s upcoming comprehensive plan update and ensure future growth is supported by necessary infrastructure and services.
The order also calls for a 2026 State Smart Growth Visioning process, bringing together state agencies, local governments, and partners to examine land use patterns, population shifts, infrastructure investments, and how to improve community climate resilience. The process will also evaluate the effectiveness of current planning incentives and help Delaware’s 60 local jurisdictions build their own planning capacity.
In addition, the Executive Order expands the state’s Downtown Development District Program from 12 to the full statutory maximum of 15 districts. Run by the Office of State Planning Coordination and the Delaware State Housing Authority, the program offers incentives for projects that promote job creation and community revitalization. Applications for new or expanded districts will open Feb. 4, 2026.
To further streamline development, the Executive Order modernizes the Preliminary Land Use Service, or PLUS, process. The updated “PLUS 2.0” initiative will aim to accelerate reviews of priority projects, including housing, and set a 45-day timeline for completion.
All state departments and agencies are now required to use the updated Delaware Strategies as a guide for policy, infrastructure, and funding decisions.