The General Plan is the primary tool for guiding the future development of the city. On a daily basis the city is faced with tough choices about growth, housing, transportation, neighborhood improvement, and service delivery. A General Plan provides a guide for making these choices by describing long-term goals for the city’s future as well as policies to guide day-to-day decisions.

Eye on the Future 2020, the Maricopa County Comprehensive Plan, provides a guide for decisions concerning growth and development, and considers strategies for addressing growth-related impacts. Among the strategies is the creation of scenic corridors for unique roads in Maricopa County. The Carefree Highway area is one of these roads, and thus the Carefree Highway Scenic Corridor Guidelines are established to help enhance this area’s special characteristics.