October is National Community Planning Month

The month of October is National Community Planning Month. No, there’s not 31 days of planning gifts ranging from architectural scales to cohort survival calculation worksheets. There’s no Planning Fairy. Heck there aren’t even take a planner to lunch events…though that’s not a bad idea!

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.“

This year’s theme is planning for infrastructure that benefits all, underscoring the critical role planning plays in ensuring well-planned infrastructure projects strengthen communities, boost the economy, expand opportunity, and promote equitable development.

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

Now, after you thank your local planner (preferably with chocolate, lots of 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.