General resources for Community Plans (2024)

FAQs

What are the elements of community based planning? ›

Like other forms of community action, the process of community-based planning typically includes the five common stages of (1) initiation, (2) organization of sponsorship, (3) visioning, goal setting and strategy formation, (4) recruitment and (5) implementation [b].

While there is no requirement for how often to update the General Plan, the planning period has traditionally been every 15–20 years. The Housing Element is the only chapter of the General Plan that is required to be updated every eight years by HCD.

A general plan is each local government's blueprint for meeting the community's long-term vision for the future. The General Plan Guidelines serve as a resource to help jurisdictions draft and update their general plans.

The steps include: 1) Studying the community to understand issues; 2) Mapping out community actors and power relations; 3) Engaging stakeholders through interviews to deepen understanding; 4) Analyzing community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; 5) Mobilizing a specific project plan of action; and 6) ...

The first step is to define the scope of the community development plan, which means identifying the target area or population, the purpose and objectives of the plan, and the time frame and resources available.

Optional Elements: In addition to the elements required by state law, a city or county may adopt other elements that relate to its growth over time. Common themes for optional elements include: recreation, air quality, historic preservation, community design, and economic development.

What is a General Plan amendment? ›

What is a General Plan Amendment? A General Plan Amendment is considered to be any change to the General Plan maps or text. State law provides that each mandatory General Plan element may be amended no more than four times per year.

A general plan is made up of text describing goals and objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals, as well as a set of maps and diagrams. Together, these constituent parts paint a picture of the community's future development.

The seven (7) mandated elements are: Land Use, Open Space, Conservation, Housing, Circulation, Noise, and Safety. The general plan may be adopted in any form deemed appropriate or convenient by the legislative body of the county or city, including the combining of elements.

General plans cover all land in a jurisdiction. Specific plans cover smaller areas. They say what land uses can occur in the area. They set limits on how much building can go on sites (known as the "intensity" of development) and what structures will look like.

A General Plan is a broad, long-range policy document that guides future development, conservation, and is a comprehensive collection of goals and policies related to a multitude of aspects of community life. In California, cities and counties are required by State law to have a General Plan.

Here are 4 components of planning:

Vision casting, goal-setting, habit-building, and mindset. If you've struggled with not only enjoying the process of planning but also activating and achieving your goals, it might be because you didn't have all four of the necessary components to make planning effective.

The Sense of Community has four components: membership, influence, fulfillment of needs, and emotional connection. The Sense of Community is a key characteristic of successful communities, successful meaning active, engaged communities that people want to visit, and where members contribute on a regular basis.

The plan describes what the community wants to achieve, what activities are required during a specified time period, what resources (money, people and materials) are needed to be successful. A community action plan becomes a framework for implementing the activities that are decided by the community itself.

Community Based Planning is a form of participatory planning which is designed to promote community action. It is a convergence of planning and community participation targeted towards addressing mounting urban and social problems at the local level.