The Comprehensive Plan

Planning is constantly evolving. From segregating land uses we now champion integrating them. From creating places that meet current needs we endeavor to create places that are lasting and adaptable to change. From planning done by blue ribbon committees we are democratizing planning. The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century is the latest evolution of our collective, emerging vision of what it takes to make great communities happen, and how. Building from the foundation created by David Godschalk and David Rouse in Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places, David Rouse and Rocky Piro distill insights from numerous exemplary plans and case studies to guide planning in the 21st century. It belongs on every planner's bookshelf, hard drive or cloud. - Arthur C. Nelson, Ph.D., FScSS, FAICP, Presidential Professor Emeritus of City and Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah and Professor Emeritus of Urban Planning and Real Estate Development, University of Arizona Kudos to David Rouse and Rocky Piro for creating a guide to comprehensive planning that emphasizes systems, implementation, and plan presentation. Without being too prescriptive, they provide solid, insightful, and thoughtful direction on how to plan for the whole community with an eye towards resilience, inclusivity, social justice, long-term community health, and sustainability. The Comprehensive Plan is an invaluable tool to planners and community leaders grappling with change and complexity in an increasingly dynamic world, and should become required reading for all planning students. - Carol Rhea, FAICP, Partner, Orion Planning + Design and Past President, American Planning Association David Rouse and Rocky Piro's The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century is an absolute tour-de-force. With dozens of examples from around the country, it puts the word comprehensive back in comprehensive plan. Rouse and Piro help restore faith in the ability of the planning profession to deliver on its core mission of redressing past mistakes and preparing us for new challenges. In a world where human activities are visibly changing the climate of our planet - a possibility which I feel certain was never contemplated by the profession's founders - this publication demonstrates conclusively that there is hope for the planning profession, if only we are allowed to do what we were trained for. Critical thinking and creative problem-solving - which should be every planner's North Star - deliver the results we want and so urgently need. Read the book. - Carlos Rodrigues, FAICP, PP, Principal, Design Solutions for A Crowded Planet, LLC With The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century, David Rouse and Rocky Piro have crafted a must-read, new primer for planners and others involved in creating comprehensive plans. Using easy, precise language, this book delivers a modern framework, along with compelling tangible examples, to help communities address the challenges of our time in a dynamic manner. The Comprehensive Plan re-energizes the planning process, and I am all for it. - Silvia E. Vargas, FAICP, Principal Planner with Calvin, Giordano & Associates, Inc.