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Fostering Sustainable Development >> Planning and Environmental Management

Selling Planning and Quality Growth

Terminology | Talking Points = Benefits | What if You Don’t Plan | Related Topics | Contact Information

When your community begins to prepare a new or updated comprehensive plan, or to implement quality growth best practices, some groundwork is necessary. The citizens of your community need to know why planning is important and how planning affects them. They also need to understand how quality growth can change the community for the better. This will involve some education. It will also mean that citizens and some constituencies may be asking questions about private property rights, impacts on property taxes and limitations on land uses, as well as other topics. The following offers resources to help set the tone and take away some of the mystery and misconceptions that surround these topics.

Understanding the Terminology

It always helps to understand the “jargon” of the specialized field of community planning. See the Office of Planning and Quality Growth’s Planning and Quality Growth Glossary to get started.

Talking Points: Benefits of Planning and Quality Growth

It always helps to have the points you want to make clearly outlined. These are a couple of the things that planning and quality growth can do in your community:

Planning helps the local government invest taxpayer money wisely
Private property rights are protected.
There is more certainty about where development will occur, what it will be like, when it will happen, and how the costs of development will be met.

Other benefits include: Cost savings, environmental protection, increased economic development potential, and increased public health.

See “Talking Points: Benefits of Planning & Quality Growth” (PDF)

See “Talking in Public about Growth and Development ” (PDF)

See "An Economic Perspective on Zoning" (PDF)

What Can Happen if You Don’t Plan?

Planning is the means to thoughtful decision-making that results in creating and preserving the community that the citizens want for themselves, their children, and future generations. Without planning, each decision is independent of consideration of how it fits the whole community. Here are some negative consequences that are likely without a plan:

Sprawling development
Incompatible land uses adjacent to each other
Deteriorating quality of life
Traffic congestion
Higher taxes

See “Talking Points: Benefits of Planning & Quality Growth” (PDF)

See “Talking in Public about Growth and Development ” (PDF)

Local Planning Process Fact Sheet

This is a useful handout that you can adapt for your community. It can be used at meetings to quickly put citizens and stakeholders at ease about what happens during the planning process: Local Planning Process Fact Sheet (PDF)

Potential Planning Questions and Answers

Here are some typical questions and some ideas to help you answer them.

1. Planning is great, but will the elected officials actually follow/use the plan? (Click here for answer)

With a plan in place, citizens can monitor decision-making about development, infrastructure, and other matters in the plan. The plan will give them a foundation for discussing with elected officials how decisions made today are connected to the future of the community. The plan contains data, strategies, and action-plans. The citizens can use this as a basis to continually request that elected officials act according to the plan.

2. Are you going to tell me how I can use my land? (Click here for answer)

It has long been established that government can interfere with a property owner’s use of his land. As owners we do not have unbridled discretion about what we can do with our land. We must, for example, get a building permit to construct a building or other structure. We must get a permit to dispose of waste into septic tanks. The comprehensive plan provides the basic information needed to ensure that each individual maintains rights to use land in a wide variety of ways, and that those rights do not interfere with the rights of others to be free from nuisance, pollution, congestion, and other negative impacts.

3. What about private property rights? (Click here for answer)

A plan preserves property rights. It ensures that appropriate uses are described to allow an owner to develop his land or to leave it fallow. There are typically a wide range of possible uses along with a means of amending the plan to provide for new uses.

4. Will the plan threaten farming and agriculture? (Click here for answer)

By preserving property rights, farming is able to continue as a use of land. A comprehensive plan does not require a farmer to continue farming, just as it does not interfere with the continuation of farming. In many communities, farming is an important economic activity. Through the visioning and planning processes citizens describe the future, which can and should include all types of uses, including farming.

5. Will the comprehensive plan raise my property taxes? (Click here for answer)

The plan describes a future that may be very long range. It is a guide to development and, importantly, a guide to implementation. Taxes are based on a more immediate ability to use the land, such as zoning and development. While the plan is not directly related to property taxes, if a government plans well its infrastructure investments and development patterns, it can help avoid tax hikes.

For a printable version: Typical Planning Questions and Answers (PDF)

Techniques for Enlisting the Local Media

An important part of telling the planning story is providing information to your local media. Here are some tips, excerpted from American Planning Association information, which will help you define your message, get the word out and more.

Techniques for Enlisting the Local Media (PDF)

Planning Press Kit

Contact Information

Georgia Department of Community Affairs
60 Executive Park South, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231

For more information about Planning and Quality Growth, please contact the Office of Planning and Quality Growth at 404-679-5279.







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	Enabling Economic Development Promoting Housing Options Fostering Sustainable Development Planning and Environmental Management Environmental Management Construction Codes Research		Fostering Sustainable Development >> Planning and Environmental Management Selling Planning and Quality Growth Terminology \| Talking Points = Benefits \| What if You Don’t Plan \| Related Topics \| Contact Information When your community begins to prepare a new or updated comprehensive plan, or to implement quality growth best practices, some groundwork is necessary. The citizens of your community need to know why planning is important and how planning affects them. They also need to understand how quality growth can change the community for the better. This will involve some education. It will also mean that citizens and some constituencies may be asking questions about private property rights, impacts on property taxes and limitations on land uses, as well as other topics. The following offers resources to help set the tone and take away some of the mystery and misconceptions that surround these topics. Understanding the Terminology It always helps to understand the “jargon” of the specialized field of community planning. See the Office of Planning and Quality Growth’s Planning and Quality Growth Glossary to get started. Talking Points: Benefits of Planning and Quality Growth It always helps to have the points you want to make clearly outlined. These are a couple of the things that planning and quality growth can do in your community: Planning helps the local government invest taxpayer money wisely Private property rights are protected. There is more certainty about where development will occur, what it will be like, when it will happen, and how the costs of development will be met. Other benefits include: Cost savings, environmental protection, increased economic development potential, and increased public health. See “Talking Points: Benefits of Planning & Quality Growth” (PDF) See “Talking in Public about Growth and Development ” (PDF) See "An Economic Perspective on Zoning" (PDF) What Can Happen if You Don’t Plan? Planning is the means to thoughtful decision-making that results in creating and preserving the community that the citizens want for themselves, their children, and future generations. Without planning, each decision is independent of consideration of how it fits the whole community. Here are some negative consequences that are likely without a plan: Sprawling development Incompatible land uses adjacent to each other Deteriorating quality of life Traffic congestion Higher taxes See “Talking Points: Benefits of Planning & Quality Growth” (PDF) See “Talking in Public about Growth and Development ” (PDF) Local Planning Process Fact Sheet This is a useful handout that you can adapt for your community. It can be used at meetings to quickly put citizens and stakeholders at ease about what happens during the planning process: Local Planning Process Fact Sheet (PDF) Potential Planning Questions and Answers Here are some typical questions and some ideas to help you answer them. 1. Planning is great, but will the elected officials actually follow/use the plan? (Click here for answer) With a plan in place, citizens can monitor decision-making about development, infrastructure, and other matters in the plan. The plan will give them a foundation for discussing with elected officials how decisions made today are connected to the future of the community. The plan contains data, strategies, and action-plans. The citizens can use this as a basis to continually request that elected officials act according to the plan. 2. Are you going to tell me how I can use my land? (Click here for answer) It has long been established that government can interfere with a property owner’s use of his land. As owners we do not have unbridled discretion about what we can do with our land. We must, for example, get a building permit to construct a building or other structure. We must get a permit to dispose of waste into septic tanks. The comprehensive plan provides the basic information needed to ensure that each individual maintains rights to use land in a wide variety of ways, and that those rights do not interfere with the rights of others to be free from nuisance, pollution, congestion, and other negative impacts. 3. What about private property rights? (Click here for answer) A plan preserves property rights. It ensures that appropriate uses are described to allow an owner to develop his land or to leave it fallow. There are typically a wide range of possible uses along with a means of amending the plan to provide for new uses. 4. Will the plan threaten farming and agriculture? (Click here for answer) By preserving property rights, farming is able to continue as a use of land. A comprehensive plan does not require a farmer to continue farming, just as it does not interfere with the continuation of farming. In many communities, farming is an important economic activity. Through the visioning and planning processes citizens describe the future, which can and should include all types of uses, including farming. 5. Will the comprehensive plan raise my property taxes? (Click here for answer) The plan describes a future that may be very long range. It is a guide to development and, importantly, a guide to implementation. Taxes are based on a more immediate ability to use the land, such as zoning and development. While the plan is not directly related to property taxes, if a government plans well its infrastructure investments and development patterns, it can help avoid tax hikes. For a printable version: Typical Planning Questions and Answers (PDF) Techniques for Enlisting the Local Media An important part of telling the planning story is providing information to your local media. Here are some tips, excerpted from American Planning Association information, which will help you define your message, get the word out and more. Techniques for Enlisting the Local Media (PDF) Planning Press Kit Related Topics Planning Information & Resources Why Do We Plan? Best Practices Toolkit State Planning Recommendations Alternatives to the Conventional Implementation Your Local Government Status Publications Contact Information Georgia Department of Community Affairs 60 Executive Park South, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2231 For more information about Planning and Quality Growth, please contact the Office of Planning and Quality Growth at 404-679-5279.
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