Planning is an approach to problem solving, a process for making informed decisions about the future. Although everyone plans to some extent by trying to anticipate the consequences of possible courses of action and selecting what appears to be the best course, formal planning is usually characterized by a number of activities:
| Identifying the problem or issues; |
| Analyzing them; |
| Formulating goals and objectives; |
| Developing and evaluating alternative courses of action; |
| Selecting the preferred course of action; and |
| Monitoring implementation and adjusting plans and policies. |
In practice, these activities are rarely discrete, sequential steps; they often overlap in a cyclical process in which experience provides the impetus for continuous course corrections. Like budgeting, governmental planning is also a political process for allocating scarce resources among competing demands. In sum, the purpose of planning is not merely to prepare plans but to produce intelligent, informed decisions.
The purpose of a general plan is to document decisions concerning the future of a community. Preparing, adopting, and maintaining a general plan serves to:
| Identify the community's environmental, social, and economic goals. |
| State the local government's policies on the maintenance and improvement of existing development and the location and characteristics of future development. |
| Establish within local government the ability to analyze local conditions and to guide community development in a way consistent with local, regional, and state goals and policies. |
| Provide citizens with information about their community and with opportunities to understand and participate in the planning and decision-making process of local government. |
| Identify the need for and methods of improving the coordination of community development activities among all units of government. |
| Create a basis for subsequent planning efforts, such as the preparation of specific plans and special studies. |
RELATIONSHIP OF THE GENERAL PLAN TO THE CITY'S PLANNING PROGRAM
The General Plan does not constitute the complete planning program of the City. Implementation of the General Plan involves the preparation of neighborhood and district plans as well as policy statements on specific subjects. These three components of the planning program are described more fully in the following paragraphs.
The General Plan
The General Plan is an official public document adopted by the City Board of Directors as a policy guide for making decisions concerning the development of the community according to desired goals. It is a dynamic tool which guides, evaluates, and coordinates the development and revitalization of the community. Because it is general, it continues to be useful as a development guide as the community grows and begins to accomplish its goals. It is characterized by three significant features:
| It is comprehensive. The plan encompasses all geographic units of the community as well as all functional units significant to physical development for a city-wide perspective. |
| It is long-range. The plan goes beyond pressing current issues to the future shape of development some 30 years in the future for a long range perspective. |
| It is general. Policies and proposals are summarized rather than being presented in detail in order to form a general understanding of policy interrelationships. |
Neighborhood and District Plans
Neighborhood and district plans, when available, provide a bridge between the General Plan and the specific development and improvement projects. These more detailed plans look ahead for shorter periods of time than the General Plan (usually five or ten years) and analyze only a portion of the community.
Since area plans are quite specific in their proposals, their adoption by the City Board of Directors will largely determine what development controls will be used in the district. It is essential, therefore, that every individual understand the proposals of the plan concerning both his property and the remainder of the district and that strong neighborhood support for the plan be developed during the process of preparation and approval.
More specifically, area plans provide the following functions in the City's planning program:
| Indication of policy: Since these plans represent the views of city officials and local residents, adopted area plans are official statements of policy and reflections of public sentiment; |
| Guidance of ongoing community development: Because they are more specific, area plans aid evaluation of new development proposals. Specific zoning, design and public improvement issues can be addressed. |
| Coordination of programs for improvement: Because area plans usually look ahead for only a five or ten year period, they are useful in carrying out programs of improvement and revitalization that have approximately the same time frame; |
| Encouragement of neighborhood participation and support for the planning program: Because area plans cover limited geographic areas, residents familiar with the conditions that exist in their neighborhoods can effectively participate in the development and support of plans in conjunction with city officials. |
Policy Statements on Specific Subjects
In addition to general policy statements in the General Plan and area plan policy statements pertaining to specific neighborhoods and districts, there is a need for development of a series of community-wide statements of policy usually dealing with specific subjects. These statements are not part of the General Plan because they are associated with more detailed studies and reports. Nevertheless, they often supplement and refine policies adopted as part of the General Plan of area plans. Recognizing and adopting statements of policy on specific subjects allows the City to respond to changing conditions or needs for more specific development policies.
Examples of such statements of policy include:
| Capital Improvement Programs; |
| Areas, schedules and procedures for underground placement of utilities; |
| Economic development plans such as providing for commercial or industrial special use centers at specific locations; |
| Locational standards for certain activities requiring use permits such as auto sales establishments and card rooms; |
| Specific open space or urban design plans. |
OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL POLICIES PLAN
The General Policies Plan forms the core of the City's general plan. It constitutes the land use, circulation, open space and recreation and recreation elements. Many of the issues addressed in this document are will be addressed in more detail in successive elements. Policies and supporting data contained in successive elements will be consist with the General Plan.
Organization of the Document
The General Policies Plan is presented in ten chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to Barling and includes a socioeconomic profile, physical setting, and regional context. Chapters 2 through nine are organized around major issues related to land use and circulation in the planning area. Each chapter begins with a narrative which includes a description of existing conditions and analysis of proposed or possible actions. At the end of each chapter are found general policy statements and specific strategies which address the major issues. Chapter 10 contains an overview of the Policies Plan Map, which is a graphic representation of major land use and circulation policies and strategies.