The Town of Taos Vision 2020 Master Plan is a community-based plan with over 350 community members taking part in the planning process during 1998. The plan is a comprehensive vision for the next 20 years that covers the entire geographic area, and encompasses all the functions that make a community work including land use, transportation, housing, economic development, and recreation. It is also a physical plan that not only reflects social and economic values, but also guides the physical development of the community by addressing location of various land uses, design and density of buildings, and the preservation of natural resources and important lands.

The major themes expressed in the Vision 2020 Master Plan are:

• Growth and development that protects Taos' landscape and natural resources
• Diversification and improvement of the economy
• Preservation of open space and agricultural lands
• Enhancement of quality of life, small town character, and sense of community through the use of history and traditions, appropriate technologies, and design
• Provision of community facilities and housing that allow a diverse community of various cultures, classes and ages to flourish

The history of Taos is a story of change, adaptation, and the interaction of three cultures that both complicates and enriches the reality in which Taoseños live today. The most striking feature of Taos, its impressive and nourishing landscape, remains reassuringly stable in a sea of great change. It continues to attract people from around the world just as it attracted its earliest settlers some 8,000 years ago. Through the richness of its history, Taos looks forward to a new millennium that will build upon the opportunities provided by this beautiful land and its diverse and dedicated people.