Planning is a division of Planning, Housing and Community Development. Planning promotes safe and coordinated growth by providing sustainable long-range land use planning. 

Community land use plans represent the preferences of the local populace and express “how” and “where” development should occur. Good planning recognizes the need to balance the demands of growth with the need to maintain existing development and, at the same time, protect the environment and overall quality of life.

Good planning facilitates orderly development patterns that maximize opportunities for choice and also reflects the wise expenditure of limited public funds and resources. Towards these ends, community plans establish general guidelines for development.