Rhode Island Planning Landscape

Rhode Island's federally-submitted economic development strategy. Identifies eight priority sectors including blue economy, food systems, workforce, housing, climate resilience, innovation, infrastructure, and environmental justice. The foundation for Compete RI's work.

RI Commerce's hub for economic development planning resources, including background on the CEDS process, data, and related materials.

Rhode Island's principal programming document for major transportation projects. Identifies funded and partially funded regionally significant projects across RIDOT and RIPTA. Updated December 2024.

How Rhode Island's Transportation Improvement Program works — how projects get added, what fiscal constraint means, and how municipalities can engage with the process.

Annual report identifying Rhode Island roadway safety needs, crash data, and federally-funded safety improvement projects on state and local roads.

The state's Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation. Access to transportation planning data, TIP amendments, and regional planning resources.

Rhode Island's comprehensive statewide housing plan. Sets concrete housing goals, identifies strategies, and serves as the State Guide Plan element for housing. Intended to inform municipal planning and state budget decisions through FY2026 and beyond.

Annual and program-specific reports from the Executive Office of Housing, including the 2023 Integrated Housing Report, LIHTC reports, and transit-oriented development data.

Rhode Island's landmark climate legislation setting enforceable emissions reduction mandates: 45% below 1990 levels by 2030, 80% by 2040, net-zero by 2050. Includes climate justice and health equity provisions.

Overview of current statewide resilience initiatives, programs, and resources. Covers coastal resilience, flood mitigation, and the Municipal Resilience Program — which all 39 RI municipalities have now participated in.

FEMA-approved state hazard mitigation plan. Municipalities must be covered by a hazard mitigation plan to be eligible for certain federal disaster recovery and mitigation funds.

Division of Statewide Planning's climate change planning hub — data, guidance, and planning resources for municipalities integrating climate considerations into local plans.

Rhode Island's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act state plan. Covers adult, youth, and dislocated worker programs and sets workforce strategy through 2027.

Local workforce area plan covering occupational demand, labor market analysis, and workforce development strategies for Greater Rhode Island.

Rhode Island's monthly jobs report, unemployment data, wage statistics by occupation, employment by industry, and occupational projections through 2032. Updated monthly.

Employment and wage data by municipality and sector. Shows average employment, total wages, and average annual wage for every city and town in Rhode Island.

The most recent RIDLT presentation to the Revenue Estimating Conference — RI job counts by industry, unemployment trends, labor force participation, and federal employment data.

Ten-year projections for Rhode Island occupations and industries through 2032. Identifies fastest-growing jobs, highest-paying occupations, and sectors with the most openings.

75-page report from the Governor's AI Task Force. A blueprint for Rhode Island to lead nationally in responsible, inclusive AI adoption — covering education, health, finance, defense and maritime industries, government, and small businesses. Workforce development is the central priority.

The Governor's AI Task Force — established by executive order in 2024 and chaired by former Congressman Jim Langevin. Background, membership, and resources from the task force's work.

Land use, economic development, housing, energy, transportation, water resources, climate change and resiliency, historic preservation, and more. The complete index of Rhode Island's statewide planning elements.

Rhode Island's statewide planning agency and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Prepares and maintains plans for the physical, economic, and social development of the state. Starting point for municipal planning resources.

EPI's signature analysis of what it truly costs to meet basic needs in Rhode Island -- housing, food, child care, transportation, health care -- and how changing federal and state policies affect the ability of families to thrive. More realistic than the federal poverty level, this report is widely used by researchers, advocates, and policymakers.