Comprehensive Planning

An overhead view of the Landa Park Gazebo and Landa Lake

Envision New Braunfels - A Comprehensive Plan

City plans are strategic documents that guide the various aspects of a community. They provide a "roadmap" for how a city intends to address challenges and opportunities to achieve a collective vision for the future. At the heart of these plans is the City's comprehensive plan known as Envision New Braunfels, which serves as the foundational blueprint for our community's sustainability. Adopted in 2018, it was developed through a robust public engagement effort to capture the long-range goals and aspirations of our residents.

Envision New Braunfels 2025/2026 Update

New Braunfels has grown rapidly since 2018, and we’re updating our Comprehensive Plan to reflect that progress. This quick, 5-minute questionnaire is your chance to share what matters most and help shape the community-driven vision, priorities, and goals for our city’s future. The questionnaire period is now closed.

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What is a Comprehensive Plan and Why is it Being Updated?


Think of it as a roadmap for the city's future. Envision New Braunfels is a creative, community-driven effort. Together, we'll set a shared vision for the city, and outline the goals, strategies, and actions needed to ensure a high quality of life for everyone who calls New Braunfels home.

Why the Update?


Since 2018, more than 30,000 new residents have joined New Braunfels. Our community has grown and evolved in many ways, and we need to ensure that our plans reflect this. We're updating our Comprehensive Plan to make sure New Braunfels continues to move toward a shared vision - one that's shaped by the entire community!

Read the Community Engagement Plan for the Envision New Braunfels Update

Public Input

The City gathered community feedback through several public input opportunities as part of the Comprehensive Plan update:

  • Open House – December 11, 2025:
    Held from 4–7 p.m. at the Westside Library, this open house collected early input on the plan update. Through interactive maps, images, and activities, residents shared feedback on the current plan’s vision and goals, as well as their hopes for the future of New Braunfels.
  • Career Quest – November 6, 2025:
    Attendees at the Career Quest event at the Chamber of Commerce provided input to help inform the Comprehensive Plan update.
  • City University – 2025 Class:
    Participants in the 2025 City University class shared feedback by identifying what they value most about New Braunfels and what they would like to see added or improved in the future.

Use the links below to see the public input collected from each of these opportunities.

Quick Links

Comprehensive Plan Details

Envision New Braunfels is ‘comprehensive’ because it explores the following nine plan element areas:

Parks Trees Open Space Opens in new windowParks and Recreation

Economic Competitiveness Opens in new windowEconomic Competitiveness


About the 2018 Plan

Advisory Groups & Steering Committee


The Plan Element Advisory Groups and the Steering Committee worked together to create a recommended plan. The Steering Committee monitored progress, reviewed the work of Plan Element Advisory Groups, reviewed community dialogue formats and outcomes, and made recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council. Plan Element Advisory Groups created a "roadmap for the future." They met before the second, third, and fourth community workshops to create content for the plan, review public input, and provide recommendations to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee consisted of ambassadors from each of the following, as approved by City Council:

  • City of New Braunfels Planning Commission
  • Comal County Commissioner's Court
  • Guadalupe County Commissioner's Court
  • New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce
  • New Braunfels Independent School District
  • Comal Independent School District
  • New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation (4B Board)
  • New Braunfels Utilities
  • New Braunfels City Council

Community Outreach: How Community Input Shaped Envision New Braunfels


The process informed, involved, and empowered stakeholders. Outreach engaged a total of 8,863 participants, with 1,436 written comments, providing input and feedback about the plan, 5,766 participants engaged online, 1,205 participants engaged on social media, 1,436 written comments from citizens, 37 city-wide community input events, 7 external events with plan element advisory group participation, 707 plan element advisor group volunteers.

Timeline


Dialogue 1: Fall 2016 - Visioning

Introduced process, shared aspirations, & drafted a vision

Dialogue 2: Spring 2017: Spring 2017 - Goals

Created goals, began brainstorming strategies, and mapped future growth scenarios

Plan Element Advisory Groups: Summer 2017 - Goals

Further refined goals and strategies with each advisory group

Dialogue 3: Fall 2017 - Key Findings

Shared future land use scenarios, refined strategies, projects, policies, and programs that achieve the vision

Dialogue 4: Spring 2018 - Actions

Reviewed and commented on a preferred growth scenario and land use plan