The importance of community pl
The importance of community plThe Importance of Community Planning
Community planning is an essential part of economic development and establishment of a character unique to the community. Lack of planning leaves all development or lack thereof, up to market forces. In many cases market forces will dominate a communities identity, but they are not always perfectly aligned with the desires and values of community members. A town, city or region, left to develop without the aid of a comprehensive planning strategy may deteriorate or become a "faceless" strip of generic America. In addition to the loss of character a community may suffer, negative effects may be felt in the economy, the environment, the infrastructure, and most importantly the quality of life experienced by the residing members of the community.
O f course, every aspect of a community can not be planned for and controlled, but some effort must be applied. For example, a small fishing community can not plan to develop an economy based on mining. It can however influence the future health of its present economy, and encourage the growth and development of new industries. It can maintain or change the appearance of the town. It can preserve or improve the quality of life within the community.
Most communities are well aware of the importance of planning, when it comes to the economy of an area, but many small towns and cities seem to ignore other aspects of the planning process, which could greatly affect the town. Most people feel that the economy is the single most important aspect to a community's health and vitality. They overlook some simple things, which could easily be changed, and would improve the looks, functionality, and enjoyability of a town.
A modern trend in urban America is the abandonment of downtown centers. These areas need not be lost. They are extremely important maintaining character, and can actually become a nuisance, if left to decay beyond a certain level. They are often left out of a community's plan, because they seem to be outdated, and no longer economically viable. Economic development is allowed or encouraged to take place on the fringe of the community, while the historic center is left to fend for itself. This results in unnecessary sprawl, and causes the centers to decay.
In many cases, buildings and building sites located in the center of town are not as economically advantageous as the inexpensive land, on the outskirts of town. This doesn't mean they are without use. Proactive planning can help insure these sites stay modern and maintained, before it becomes far too expensive to restore or modify a structure for a new use. Many sites, which are appropriate for a certain use, are allowed to stay vacant or housing low rent businesses, which will not generate the kind of money to maintain the...
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