Why Planning Is Necessary.

Adding a Town Planner to Your Staff

Planning in any town is an important part of the growth, development and sustainability of the citizens and businesses in that town. I believe that your town council could greatly benefit from adding a planner to your staff.

Planning suggests a systematic attempt to shape the future. It attempts to link scientific and technical knowledge to actions in the public domain, and processes of societal guidance and of social transformation. Planning entails making decisions and informing actions in ways that are socially rational. Planning serves a public or general purpose, such as ensuring the stability and growth of the economy; undertaking selected public investments and, in the absence of private sector interest, inducing desired actions on part of the private sector through various forms of subsidy; restraining private sector actions to safeguard the well-being of the population at large; redistributing income on grounds of equity; protecting individuals and businesses against the uncertainties of the market; and so forth. The planning process must continuously pursue and faithfully serve the public interest.

Why is planning necessary?

1. To guide the overall economic stability and growth in a community

- achieve a sensible and attractive land-use pattern

- preserving or improving that which all ready exists

- encourage economic development

2. To provide public services to meet the general needs of the community

- location of public facilities

- make sure that all are served with adequate toads, water, and sewer facilities

- protect the general public health; minimizing threats to human health and life

3. To protect the environment

- guide and manage development to minimize environmental damage

- acquiring or developing land for parks or open space; achieving aesthetic and

recreational goals

- preserving resources for future use

- saving nonrenewable energy sources

The Origins of Planning

Before the American Revolution municipalities appointed strong powers to control land use, thus shaping their own forms of “planning.” These powers came out of a European tradition that treated the town or village as an independent corporation, which might own, control, or dispose of most of the land within its boundaries. Many U.S. communities started as grants to individuals or groups, which then, by virtue of the grant, had the power to dispose of land within their borders. Thus colonial towns had formidable powers to shape their pattern of development.

Quite obviously, the Revolution ended the practice of creating municipalities through the mechanism of royal grants to individuals. More important, it placed the bulk of political power in the hands of the states.