The Planning Process
by Michael Chandler

  • this article is currently only available by mail as part of PCJ Issue #9
    Process is the canvas upon which the practice of planning takes form and shape, notes PCJ columnist Michael Chandler, in a look at planning as a legal, technical, public, and management process.
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    In my last column, I said that planning can be thought of as a forward-thinking process capable of helping move a community from today's reality to tomorrow's possibilities. Central to this proactive view of planning is the word "process."

    Defined as a systematic series of actions directed to some end, process is the backbone of planning. Process is the canvass upon which the practice of planning takes form and shape. ...

    3. Planning as Public Process

    Beyond the procedural requirements governing public hearings and plan adoption processes, a planning commission must decide what role the public will play in the planning process. Increasingly, citizens are being asked by planning commissions to perform key tasks associated with the development of a comprehensive plan. As a result, planning commissioners need to ask themselves:

  • Who are they key "stakeholders" in the community?
  • How will they be involved in the process?
  • What information will the commission need from them, and from citizens-at-large?
  • How will this information be secured?
  • What mix of technical analysis and public input will be needed?
  • Will the plan be developed as a top-down exercise, a bottom-up effort, or some combination?
  • How will citizen involvement be structured and financed?
  • How much time will be allowed for this public process?

    The fundamental challenge is determining in advance how the public will be integrated into the planning process. ...