Planning and You I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to discuss planning in [insert community name]. Many people who do not work in the planning profession do not realize how much planning touches their lives. From where you live to how you commute, planning plays a vital role in your decision making.

What is planning? Helps guide how a community grows and develops U.S. population expected to reach 400 million by 2043. Considers all resident needs Looks at the “big picture” What are the community’s current and future needs? Examines issues from all angles Social, environmental, hazard, physical The U.S. is facing a potential population explosion. Where will everyone live? How will everyone get around? Planners consider what is the best for the whole community. Senior citizens, workers, children, disabled, business owners, and elected officials. Planners consider the immediate impacts of a decision as well as the future potential impacts of a decision. Planners do not just focus on where to locate (or site) a building, but also consider how that decision impacts the safety of the community, the existing character of the community and how it impacts the environmental balance, and if the decision encourages social and economic diversity.

What is planning? Planning is comprehensive and community-focused, and enables greater choices for residents. You can sum up planning in three words: comprehensive, community-focused and choice.

Let’s look at how planning impacts you. Planning plays a greater role in your daily life than you probably realize.

How do you get to school or work? Drive (solo or car pool) Take the bus or train (mass transit) Walk Bicycle Other Planners work to ensure that residents in a community have different options for getting around.

Where do you live? Do you live in an: Urban setting Suburban neighborhood Rural community Planning preserves and establishes different types of communities, giving you the ability to select the type of community you would like best.

What is your residence? Stand-alone home Apartment Condominium Town house Other Planning also ensures there is a variety of different types of housing within your community.

Planning gives you choices. Where you want to live How you want to commute The type of house you live in Where you play or spend your leisure time

Planning benefits your community Maintains neighborhood character Reduces environmental impacts Provides protection from natural and man-made disasters Preserves parks and open space Helps determine where buildings, businesses, homes, and roads will be located (or sited) Maintains neighborhood character Historic preservation Design guidelines that maintain a certain look and feel or aesthetic in your community Reduces environmental impacts Manages stormwater drainage so it does not pollute existing rivers and waterways Provides protection from natural and manmade disasters Limits building on steep slopes where risk of a landslide is great Not building immediately on a coast to protect against storm surges and flooding Preserves parks and open space Not every piece of available land has a building Opportunity for recreation, connecting with nature Helps determine where buildings, businesses, homes, and roads will be located

Who are planners? Professionally educated and trained Visionaries with a comprehensive view Ability to address the challenges of growth and change within a community Many achieve certification and advanced specialty certification By the American Planning Association’s professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Individuals certified by AICP have met experience requirements and passed a comprehensive examination. AICP-certified planners can be recognized for their knowledge, experience, and leadership skills in specialized areas of planning and earn the credentials of an AICP Certified Transportation Planner or an AICP Certified Environmental Planner.

Planners address challenges Housing affordability Commute times Obesity Pollution and air quality Safety concerns Sustainability Planners address a variety of challenges each day. Here are a few examples of what planners work on. Housing affordability Can you afford to live and work in the same community? Commute times: Are you an extreme commuter (Traveling more than 90 minutes in one direction)? Do you have different commute options? Obesity: Does your community provide opportunities for exercise—parks, walking, reduced reliance on automobiles? Pollution: Is your community reducing your exposure to pollutants? Exploring or engaging in alternative energy sources? Preserving wildlife areas? Safety: Danger of flooding? Increased hurricane damage? Landslide risks?

Some planning tools Comprehensive plan Guides overall community growth and development Zoning Classifying land uses into different ‘zones’ Design standards Set of guidelines regarding the architectural appearance of a building Graphic Information System (GIS) Computer-based system for generating maps Think of Google Earth Just a few of the tools planners use: Zoning: such as residential, business, industrial, etc.

Learn more about planning Attend local planning commission meetings Follow planning stories in your community Read planning books Explore planning as a career choice Join the American Planning Association (APA) Attend local planning commission meetings Follow planning stories in your community Read planning books A few suggested titles are listed at the end of the presentation Explore planning professional opportunities Talk to some planning schools Shadow a planner in your community Interview some planning professionals about their career choices. APA’s membership includes professional planners, academics, citizens, students, business leaders, and elected officials.

American Planning Association (APA) Membership and education organization Represents more than 40,000 members nationwide: Professionals, business leaders, elected officials, citizens, students, educators Advocates for good planning practices In communities, legislatures, and courts Encourages engaging the entire community in planning decisions

National Community Planning Month Annual celebration in October Celebrates the benefits of planning in our communities. Increases awareness about the importance and need for planners and planning. This year’s theme is “Healthy Communities, Healthy People” Visit: www.planning.org/ncpm This year’s theme “Healthy Communities, Healthy People” focuses on how the built environment actually plays an integral role in our health. The way a community is planned – from land development, transportation options, or community design – impacts the individual’s living there. Planners, working with policy makers, public health professionals, environmental health scientists, transportation engineers, educators and other community members, can work to create healthier communities, eliminating adverse conditions and building better places.

Examples of planning in [town name] Example 1 (add picture if available) Example 2 Example 3 Include examples of planning in the community. Also add current planning projects.

Resources APA www.planning.org Association Collegiate Schools of Planning www.acsp.org Local planning department [include link information] [Local APA chapter]

Resources Suggested reading: Citizens Guide to Planning (4th ed.) The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup Smart Growth in a Changing World by Jonathan Barnett True Urbanism by Mark Hinshaw Visit APAPlanningBooks.com for more titles If you’d like to learn more about planning, there is a wealth of books available.

American Planning Association (APA) Contact American Planning Association (APA) 312.431.9100 PublicInfo@planning.org www.planning.org