What is a Comprehensive Plan?
The comprehensive plan informs public policy, growth, infrastructure development and service delivery for a community. Comprehensive plans typically encompass large geographical areas and address a broad range of topics such as transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing. Typical comprehensive plans cover 15 to 25 years, depending on community size and speed of growth.
Why plan?
Cities engage in planning to better accomodate the needs associated with future growth, development or redevelopment. Comprehensive plans and development regulations need to be reviewed periodically to:
- Determine if the comprehensive plan and its implementing regulations meet community needs and address the problems and opportunities currently facing the city
- Make sure the community is getting the outcomes it wants
- Update the data and analysis on which the plan is based
What are the citizens’ and stakeholders’ roles the planning process?
During the course of the planning process residents, business owners, land owners, and others actively participate in the planning process by:
- Sharing their vision for growth
- Lending their ideas about what places should look like, public facilities, infrastructure and public service delivery
- Providing feedback on plan recommendations
What is the intended outcome of the plan?
The intended outcome of the plan is a set of priorities, policies and projects that accomplish the community goals and better align resources. By providing a road-map for implementing strategies, planning efforts continuously improve environments for all that call Irondale home.