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So often in the routine of daily planning work its true intent and purpose gets lost 鈥� to articulate a long-term future for a community that will help it prosper, and become more livable, safe and equitable. Of course, the day-to-day work is incredibly important, because it attempts to put into place the mechanisms that will implement that 鈥渧ision.鈥� But from time to time it鈥檚 worth revisiting why creating a long-range plan is so important.

The word 鈥渟ustainability鈥� became popular a few years ago as part of our discussions around climate change because it encapsulated the need for environmental, economic and social balance within our communities. The way many planners viewed this discussion was as a different but very compatible description of what planning seeks to accomplish. Creating a long-term direction for how a city should evolve over time is essential to making sure that the myriad public and private decisions made about how physical development occurs will have anticipated as many issues as possible. These can be anything from the need for adequate street and utility capacities to building compatibilities to preserving adequate open space.

But even more important is the need for all of the people who live in a place to have a say in how their community evolves over time. History is full of examples of inefficient and disastrous decisions made without the benefit of appropriate planning processes, including some referred to as 鈥減lanning,鈥� such as the grand building projects of Robert Moses. Pursuing a deliberate process to engage people and thoughtfully create a plan that responds to issues that are critical to their long-term living environment is essential. That means carefully considering environmental, economic and social impacts and making the best choices for the long-term sustainability of the community.