Change is constant and affects all cities, towns, suburbs, counties, and rural areas. Community development and city planners help manage this change. Through effective planning, residents are involved in decisions that determine the shared vision of their neighborhoods, and both public officials and citizens understand, support, and demand excellence as community designs are developed and implemented.
October is National Community Planning Month in the U.S. Throughout this month, the American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, highlight the contributions that sound planning and design implementation make to the quality of our neighborhoods and environment.
This month also gives the City of Woodstock the opportunity to publicly recognize the participation and dedication of the members of its Planning Commission and its city planners who have contributed their time and expertise to the improvement of our community.
Planning can be summed up as comprehensive, community-focused choices that enhance the spaces where people live, work, and play. From where we live, to how we commute, to the types of homes in which we reside, planning has a significant impact on our day-to-day lives and well-being. It helps create access and opportunity for all, and strategic investments in innovation and infrastructure can boost the economy and strengthen communities.
City planners help create communities of lasting value by helping leverage public and private funds that lead to business growth, job creation, robust infrastructure, and economic resiliency. They balance the varied interests and viewpoints that emerge and consider what is best for the entire community — senior citizens, workers, children, people living with disabilities, business owners, and elected officials. How do they arrive at these community-wide decisions? Through conversations with residents and thoughtful, inclusive outreach to community stakeholders.
In order to work for the greater good, planners consult professionals from different fields such as public health, recreation, and engineering to make communities safer, stronger, healthier, and more just. Planning does not stop at a geographic border. Communities are best served when a broader viewpoint is taken that encompasses regional and statewide perspectives. This is especially critical for infrastructure projects, which are most successful when designed on a regional scale. Taking a broader focus ensures the infrastructure system will benefit those well beyond the immediate location of
the project.
Planners have the unique expertise to address the impacts of today's actions on tomorrow's communities with a comprehensive big-picture perspective. They are uniquely positioned to evaluate how decisions about the built environment, including transportation networks, building location and scale, and parks and green space, impact communities. When guided and informed by good planning, these decisions make communities safer, more resilient, healthier, more prosperous, and more equitable.
Learn more about Woodstock's Community Planning efforts at WoodstockGa.gov or Facebook.com/woodstockplanning.