National Community Planning Month 2024

The month of October is National Community Planning Month. No, there are not 31 days of planning gifts to your favorite planner ranging from zoning maps to books written by Jane Jacobs. Unfortunately, there’s also no Community Planning Bunny dropping off eggs full of voting dots. Heck, there isn’t even a Wayfinding Plan Fairy that places signage in appropriate locations with the wave of her wand.

However, it is a good time to sit back and contemplate the impact that planning can have on your community. As the American Planning Association’s website states:

“Planners work to improve the well-being of all people living in our communities by taking a comprehensive perspective. This approach leads to safer, resilient, more equitable, and more prosperous communities. We celebrate the role that planning plays in creating great communities in October with National Community Planning Month.“

Learn more about National Community Planning Month at www.planning.org/ncpm.

Now, after you thank your local planner (preferably with chocolate, coffee, or….more chocolate), go to that bookcase and dust off your existing community plans. Take some time to read them. Don’t just look at the goals or the renderings of what could be. Read it thoroughly to know it inside and out. You’ll have a better appreciation for the plan and will be in a better position to help make it a reality.

Read More on Planning this Month

Rural Resurrection will do our part during National Community Planning Month, providing a series of posts specifically dedicated to planning in October. But for those who can’t wait, here are a few from the past to quench your thirst.

What is a Bypass Impact Study?

There are few critical turning points for communities, highway bypasses are one of them. It’s important to do a bypass impact study for this turning point in a community’s future.

5 Specific Area Plans to Consider

Many states require a comprehensive plan or master plan for communities as a basis for zoning and land use decisions. However, there are a host of other plans a community should consider. Some of these “specific area” plans are often recommended in the community’s comprehensive plan and your community should look into using them.

Plan for a Better Streetscape

Creating a streetscape plan is an effective first step in improving the curbside appeal of your community’s most important corridors.