University of Wisconsin - Extension

Everybody plans. People make financial plans, work plans and even grocery lists to efficiently achieve their goals.

"Planning helps each of us work toward accomplishing objectives in an orderly, step-by-step fashion," explains Mike Koles, Winnebago County Community Resource Development Educator. "It also helps a community avoid costly errors by allowing for a good look before it leaps."

Communities that fail to plan are like people who shop without a grocery list, adds Koles. "They spend too much on junk food and not enough on what is actually needed."

The comprehensive planning process encourages governments to think strategically about all elements of their community and how interact with each other. "Planning allows us to take a look at where the community has been, how it got to this point, where it wants to go and how it can get there," Koles adds.

"Without a clear picture of citizen goals, policy makers must often make decisions in a manner that may not be in the best interests of local residents."

Planning encourages a community development process that initiates action rather than one that simply reacts to events. "But comprehensive planning is not easy," says Koles. "Before it is attempted, the concept, purpose and process of planning must be clearly understood."

To help people understand the process, Koles created the fact sheet, "Comprehensive Planning Fundamentals," that explains comprehensive planning history and outlines the planning process, explaining what planning is and what it is not.

The fact sheet also explores the advantages of planning and the negative effects that may result when communities fail to plan.

The fact sheets are available by contacting http://www1.uwex.edu/ces/cty/">County UW-Extension office or by contacting Cooperative Extension Publishing at (877) 947-7827. To see more Cooperative Extension Publications, visit the publications website at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pubs"> http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pubs.