Read an excerpt from this article below. You can download the full article by using the link at the end of the excerpt.
Whether we label our plan comprehensive, master or general, we are, in most instances, describing the same thing. For most communities, a comprehensive plan is the physical manifestation of putting down on paper the hopes, dreams and goals a community holds for itself.
The plan functions much like a roadmap; it is a means to an end.
Properly done, a comprehensive plan will describe how, and at what pace, the community desires to develop physically, economically, and socially. The plan functions much like a roadmap; it is a means to an end. …
In order to plan for the future, a planning commission needs to understand the community’s past and present. The collection and analysis of this background information is an essential early step in the plan development process. Typically, a planning commission will conduct studies or gather information bearing on the community’s demographics; natural environment; economic base; housing stock; transportation systems; community facilities; and land use pattern. The planning commission will then be in a position to analyze trends and draw conclusions about the community.
Potentialities: The Role of Goals, Objectives & Strategies
A second important plan development consideration involves the prediction of future conditions in the community. With the findings generated by the background studies as a basis, the plan will begin to reflect a futures orientation. In most cases, this orientation will be represented in the plan’s goal statements which, when implemented, will bring the plan to life. …
End of excerpt
