Overview of the Planning Process
Overview of the planning process
Every land-use planning project is different. Objectives and local circumstances are extremely varied, so each plan will require a different treatment. However, a sequence of ten steps has been found useful as a guide. Each step represents a specific activity, or set of activities, and their outputs provide information for subsequent steps.
Following is an outline of the steps which are described more fully in the next chapter (see also Figs 3 and 4).
Step 1. Establish goals and terms of reference. Ascertain the present situation; find out the needs of the people and of the government; decide on the land area to be covered; agree on the broad goals and specific objectives of the plan; settle the terms of reference for the plan.
Step 2. Organize the work. Decide what needs to be done; identify the activities needed and select the planning team; draw up a schedule of activities and outputs; ensure that everyone who may be affected by the plan, or will contribute to it, is consulted.
Step 3. Analyse the problems. Study the existing land-use situation, including in the field; talk to the land users and find out their needs and views; identify the problems and analyse their causes; identify constraints to change.
Step 4. Identify opportunities for charge.Identify and draft a design for a range of land-use types that might achieve the goals of the plan; present these options for public discussion.
Step 5. Evaluate land suitability. For each promising land-use type, establish the land requirements and match these with the properties of the land to establish physical land suitability.
Step 6. Appraise the alternatives: environmental, economic and social analysis. For each physically suitable combination of land use and land, assess the environmental, economic and social impacts, for the land users and for the community as a whole. List the consequences, favourable and unfavourable, of alternative courses of action.
Step 7. Choose the best option. Hold public and executive discussions of the viable options and their consequences. Based on these discussions and the above appraisal, decide which changes in land use should be made or worked towards.
Step 8. Prepare the land-use plan. Make allocations or recommendations of the selected land uses for the chosen areas of land; make plans for appropriate land management; plan how the selected improvements are to be brought about and how the plan is to be put into practice; draw up policy guidelines, prepare a budget and draft any necessary legislation; involve decision-makers, sectoral agencies and land users.
Step 9. Implement the plan. Either directly within the planning process or, more likely, as a separate development project, put the plan into action; the planning team should work in conjunction with the implementing agencies.
Step 10. Monitor and revise the plan.Monitor the progress of the plan towards its goals; modify or revise the plan in the light of experience.
In a still broader view, the steps can be grouped into the following logical sequence:
The need for flexibility
Planning and implementation
Planning as an iterative process
The land-use plan
Every land-use planning project is different. Objectives and local circumstances are extremely varied, so each plan will require a different treatment. However, a sequence of ten steps has been found useful as a guide. Each step represents a specific activity, or set of activities, and their outputs provide information for subsequent steps.
Following is an outline of the steps which are described more fully in the next chapter (see also Figs 3 and 4).
Step 1. Establish goals and terms of reference. Ascertain the present situation; find out the needs of the people and of the government; decide on the land area to be covered; agree on the broad goals and specific objectives of the plan; settle the terms of reference for the plan.
Step 2. Organize the work. Decide what needs to be done; identify the activities needed and select the planning team; draw up a schedule of activities and outputs; ensure that everyone who may be affected by the plan, or will contribute to it, is consulted.
Step 3. Analyse the problems. Study the existing land-use situation, including in the field; talk to the land users and find out their needs and views; identify the problems and analyse their causes; identify constraints to change.
Step 4. Identify opportunities for charge.Identify and draft a design for a range of land-use types that might achieve the goals of the plan; present these options for public discussion.
Step 5. Evaluate land suitability. For each promising land-use type, establish the land requirements and match these with the properties of the land to establish physical land suitability.
Step 6. Appraise the alternatives: environmental, economic and social analysis. For each physically suitable combination of land use and land, assess the environmental, economic and social impacts, for the land users and for the community as a whole. List the consequences, favourable and unfavourable, of alternative courses of action.
Step 7. Choose the best option. Hold public and executive discussions of the viable options and their consequences. Based on these discussions and the above appraisal, decide which changes in land use should be made or worked towards.
Step 8. Prepare the land-use plan. Make allocations or recommendations of the selected land uses for the chosen areas of land; make plans for appropriate land management; plan how the selected improvements are to be brought about and how the plan is to be put into practice; draw up policy guidelines, prepare a budget and draft any necessary legislation; involve decision-makers, sectoral agencies and land users.
Step 9. Implement the plan. Either directly within the planning process or, more likely, as a separate development project, put the plan into action; the planning team should work in conjunction with the implementing agencies.
Step 10. Monitor and revise the plan.Monitor the progress of the plan towards its goals; modify or revise the plan in the light of experience.
In a still broader view, the steps can be grouped into the following logical sequence:
• Identify the problems. Steps 1-3.
• Determine what alternative solutions exist. Steps 4-6.
• Decide which is the best alternative and prepare the plan. Steps 7-8.
• Put the plan into action, see how it works and learn from this experience. Steps 9-10.
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