IMPLEMENTATION
With the adoption of Forward 2045, staff moves their focus to implementing the goals and objectives outlined in the plan. The implementation phase of the plan will take several years to complete. Area plans, amendments to the Unified Development Ordinances (UDO), and redevelopment/rezoning proposal reviews are some of the tools that will be used to during this phase. Opportunities to participate in the process and provide comments on specific recommendations will be made available to residents.
This page will provide details on the status of implementation items.
For information on current ways to get involved, please go to the Get Involved page of the website.
AREA PLANS
Area plans focus on a specific area of our community and serve as a tool to implement the broader goals of Forward 2045. The plans provide land use recommendations at the parcel level that are developed through public input and review of neighborhood-scale development characteristics.
The recommendations established through the area plan process are formally adopted by the Winston-Salem City Council and Forsyth County Board of Commissioners and used in the review of development proposals and rezoning requests.
There are 18 planning areas that cover all parcels under either Winston-Salem or Forsyth County zoning jurisdiction. Each area will have an individual area plan. Staff started the process in January 2026 with the Northeast Suburban Area Plan. Completion of all areas will take multiple years.
More information on the area plans can be found on the Area Plans page.
HOUSING
During the Forward 2045 planning process, housing was consistently shown to be one of or the most critical issue facing our community. As such, after the adoption of Forward 2045, planning staff held public input meetings to gather feedback on potential UDO amendments that could be drafted to help address the issue. The information gained during these meeting is being used to research and draft amendments and develop residential use recommendation during the area plan process that is currently underway.
More information on housing and the housing input meetings can be found on the Housing page.