From where you live to how you get to work, your decisions are all influenced by planning. Many citizens do not realize the impact planning has on their daily life.

October has been designated National Community Planning Month by the American Planning Association (APA).  In addition, the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission endorsed a proclamation declaring October Community Planning Month in Hillsborough County.  This year’s theme is “Greening Streets, Greening Neighborhoods,” acknowledging the importance of sustainable communities.

The month-long celebration is an opportunity to recognize how planning shapes Hillsborough County and the work of planners and the planning profession in creating communities of lasting value.

Planning is the process of envisioning, mapping or otherwise conceiving how a community will look, grow, and define itself—its characteristics, attributes, and identity. As our communities continue to change and grow, planners play an important role in ensuring that new developments are designed and built in harmony with existing surroundings.

Planning Commission Executive Director and APA President, Robert B. Hunter, FAICP said, “Planners must carefully balance the needs and desires of residents against the challenges presented by growth and change not just in the physical realm, but also economically, socially and environmentally.”

Planning strives to give residents choices. From the type of home an individual lives in, such as a condominium, apartment, town home or single family, to how an individual gets around, whether taking mass transit, walking, bicycling or driving, planning helps ensure communities address the needs of everyone.

To learn more about National Community Planning Month, visit www.planning.org/ncpm.  To learn more about the Planning Commission, visit www.theplanningcommission.org.