Planning
Planning gives a chance for everyone to voice their fears and hopes in a thoughtful, information-rich environment where school principals and police commanders can share insights with block club leaders and other residents.
Planning also has the power to convince people—and organizations—to set aside past differences and work together to create a vision for the community’s future.
Finally, planning creates a road map to help a community achieve its vision. And if the finished product assigns responsibilities and includes a timetable for completing each project, plans have a good chance of becoming reality.
Institute Articles
Read our coverage of Planning issues and ideas in the In The News section of this website.
Practitioner Resources
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Using Data to Assess Fair Housing
- Sep 30, 2017
- Urban Institute guide helps community organizations use data for fair housing planning, assessment and advocacy
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Recovery Can Start Before Disaster Strikes
- Susan Fitter Harris, Oct 11, 2016
- Resources for building disaster-resilient communities
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Working With Lots: A Field Guide
- Detroit Future City, Nov 23, 2015
- Vacant lots never looked so good.
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Succession Planning for CDCs - Archived webinar
- May 22, 2015
- See what webinar participants learned about smart succession planning for CDCs in both rural and urban contexts.
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"The Coffelt Case: A Case Study of the Coffelt-Lamoreaux Public Housing Redevelopment HIA"
- LISC Phoenix, May 30, 2014
- This case study explains how a Health Impact Assessment informed a public housing site's redevelopment plans and covers issues including access to healthy food and physical activity.
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"Creating Connected Communities: A Guidebook for Improving Transportation Connections for Low- and Moderate-Income Households in Small and Mid-Sized Cities"
- Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Apr 1, 2014
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development guidebook for medium- to small-sized communities on how to increase transit connections for low- and moderate-income households.
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"Helping neighbors plan their own communities' future: a model for inclusive revitalization"
- Kaid Benfield, Mar 28, 2014
- An NRDC blog post on green communities, LEED for Neighborhood Development, and planning by LISC and others that incorporates sustainability.
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"Detroit LISC's Sample Request for Proposals and Sample Scoring Sheet"
- LISC, Jan 12, 2014
- A sample RFP and Scoring Sheet for evaluation of the proposals.
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"Organizer's Workbook"
- Great Indy Neighborhoods, Jan 12, 2014
- Lessons, tips and stories to help prepare for comprehensive, quality-of-life planning in communities.
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"Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Planning/Arts Consultant"
- LISC, Jan 12, 2014
- A document to identify a planning and arts consultant team to facilitate the development of Cultural Action Plans.
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"Write Like a Scribe"
- LISC, Jan 12, 2014
- H ow community-based scribes can capture the discussions of a strategic planning process.
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RFP Template to hire a Quality of Life Planning Planning Consultant
- LISC, Jan 12, 2014
- This document can be used to hire a planning consultant to lead a quality-of-life planning process.
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"The 10 Critical Imperatives Facing Cities in 2014"
- National League of Cities, Jan 1, 2014
- The National League of Cities deems ten of the most pressing challenges facing cities today and how local governments can tackle these issues.
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"Creating Equitable, Healthy and Sustainable Communities"
- Office of Environmental Justice & Office of Sustainable Communities, U.S. Environmental Protection A, Feb 1, 2013
- This publication highlights how to integrate environmental justice, smart growth and equitable development approaches to create more inclusive and sustainable communities.
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Quality of Life Planning & Early Action Projects
- LISC, Aug 28, 2012
- Tips for developing and implementing a comprehensive community development program in a small town or rural setting.
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LISC Experts Online: "Complete The Streets: Making Roads and Streets an Integral Component of Sustainable Communities"
- LISC, Apr 6, 2011
- How communities can incorporate streets into community planning processes and develop transportation options that enhance quality of life.
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LISC Experts Online: "Smart Growth Revisited: Community Developers and Sustainability Moving Forward"
- LISC, Mar 17, 2010
- A discussion on smart growth as it relates to community and the work of community development.
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Templates for Strategic Planning
- LISC, Jan 1, 2008
- Two templates to identify local issues and strengths and create plans for future growth.
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"How to Create a Great Indy Neighborhood"
- greatindyneighborhoods.org, Oct 1, 2006
- Eleven principles of health neighborhoods and step-by-step guide to the planning process.
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"NCP Planning Handbook"
- LISC, Jan 1, 2003
- A roadmap to the "quality of life" planning process.