At the convergence of New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico, the City of Sunland Park serves as a binational gateway in the Paso del Norte region, connecting communities, markets, and institutions across state and international boundaries. Wilson & Company developed the Sunland Park Binational Comprehensive Plan 2045 to give this growing community of nearly 18,000 residents a long-range, data-driven framework for growth, infrastructure investment, economic opportunity, and binational coordination. The City adopted the Plan on March 3, 2026.

The 2045 Plan builds on the City’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan and responds to rapid change. Sunland Park grew by about 24 percent between 2010 and 2022. Its location next to El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, in a region of 2.6 million residents, creates strong opportunities for trade, tourism, workforce development, and cross-border connectivity.

A four-phase process combined technical analysis with bilingual public engagement and cross-border coordination. Engagement included a Steering Committee, a Stakeholders Workshop, a Binational Committee meeting in Ciudad Juárez hosted by the Instituto Municipal de Investigación y Planeación (IMIP), a public meeting, a community-wide bilingual survey, and a 30-day public comment period. Residents ranked water systems (94.1 percent), safer streets and sidewalks (64.3 percent), and parks (63.8 percent) as top priorities, along with more restaurants, retail, and medical services. These priorities directly shaped the Plan’s goals and strategies.

The Plan addresses community identity, land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, and natural resources. A new Future Land Use Map supports compact, walkable growth and mixed-use corridors along NM 273 (McNutt Road) and Sunland Park Drive. It also preserves neighborhood character and the city’s Mexican colonial and Southwestern architectural heritage. Housing strategies respond to the 59 percent of renters facing cost burden by promoting diverse housing types, homeownership, rehabilitation, and options for seniors, essential workers, and binational families. Transportation initiatives include the 10-mile NM 273 Multi-Purpose Trail, Sunland Park’s role as a Rio Grande Trail trailhead community, Vision Zero principles, and the proposed Camino Real de Tierra Adentro International Port of Entry.

A binational planning framework defines the Plan. Wilson & Company coordinated with IMIP, the Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento (JMAS), and the Ayuntamiento de Ciudad Juárez to bring cross-border perspectives into the Plan. The Steering Committee included the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the New Mexico Border Authority, the City of El Paso, Doña Ana County, the Border Industrial Association, and other regional partners.

A phased strategy guides implementation. Phase 1 (2025–2030) delivers a $15–$20 million municipal complex, $25–$30 million in water and wastewater improvements, and healthcare, digital infrastructure, trail, and roadway projects. Phase 2 (2030–2040) advances the $80 million port of entry, a medical district, and tourism and industry clusters. Phase 3 (2040–2045) completes transportation and trail networks and strengthens the city’s regional role. Federal, state, local, and public-private sources fund the work. Annual reviews and five-year assessments enable City leadership to track progress and adapt.

Wilson & Company also developed the City’s companion unified Land Development Code, which consolidates the former zoning and subdivision regulations into clear standards that carry out the Plan’s land use vision. Together, the Plan and Code give Sunland Park the policy and regulatory tools to guide investment, expand opportunity, and strengthen its role as a binational gateway through 2045 and beyond.