There are enough published planning documents in America to circle the globe.  That's a lot of thinking, planning, consensus building, writing, editing, and printing! 

With funding resources becoming scarcer, professional planners must be more diligent than ever in efforts to create high-quality planning documents.  So, the question becomes "What is a quality planning document?"  Over the next 4 editions of E-ssentials, we will explore this topic and present 4 key ways to improve overall value and quality. 

TODAY - Identifying Goals and Community Benefits
Edition 2 - Organizing Document Content
Edition 3 - Being Clear and Goal-Focused
Edition 4 - Building Consensus and Improving Implementation

Identifying Goals and Community Benefits

We will be bold here and state that every plan has the same overarching purpose - to be implemented.  No professional planner or anyone else involved in the planning process would likely take the time or energy to prepare a plan unless they wanted to see it used to create positive outcomes.

One of the keys to building momentum and support towards a plan that will be used and implemented is to set realistic and measurable Goals at the onset, including a description of the plan's Community Benefits.  Whether the plan is a general policy document or a detailed design for housing, an employment center, and/or public use, every plan should identify one or more attainable community benefits that will result from its implementation.

Ultimately, high-quality plans seek to effectuate positive changes by improving a community, surrounding neighborhoods, and/or region, and may solve an existing problem or improve a past practice.  Examples of Community Benefits include directing growth to logical areas, improving and encouraging sustainable community practices, protecting natural resources, improving  energy efficiency, protecting community character, constructing key transportation or flood control facilities, providing needed parks, trails, schools, employment opportunities, etc.  The list could go on and on.

Strive to clearly articulate the Goals and Community Benefits of the plan and describe them in sufficient detail.  Although Goals are often meant to be inspiring and motivational, it is best to be honest and realistic- do not over-reach and describe goals and benefits that could never be achieved under practical circumstances. 

Convey the goals and benefits to community stakeholders at the beginning of project, incorporate them into the core of the planning process, and clearly describe them in the planning document. Government agencies, stakeholder organizations, property owners, the general public, and others will more likely support a planning effort when the Community Benefits are clear and attainable.  

Quality planning documents instill confidence that goals will be reached and that community benefits will be realized when the plan is put into action.