Community Strategic Planning

AR 529B – SPECIALIZATION 3
“POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION”

MARCH 12, 2021
GASPAR, RACHEL AR. ERWIN P. GERARDO

BS ARCHITECTURE 05 INSTRUCTOR
REACTION PAPER ON COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLANNING
Community Planning
Planning helps a community understand itself better. It is an opportunity to

take stock of internal strengths and weaknesses and to identify how outside
forces may affect it. Planning research provides a more realistic basis for
decision making. Ideally the community strategic plan should inform the
council and feed into the council’s plan of management. It can help the
council check whether its priorities are consistent with those of the
community.
A community is a group of people tied together by a common

geographical, social, economic, educational and public environment.
Communities are also the product of the choices made by its members
over time. Preferably, the people that comprise a community have a
shared vision of what a community should be.
Communities will be in this dynamic environment for decades to come.

Many will use the narrow short-term approaches of raising taxes and cutting
services. However, these traditional approaches may create long-term
problems in the areas of sustainable growth, public health and safety,
infrastructure support and the ability to adjust to changing conditions.
Communities that identify, develop, implement and evaluate long-term
approaches will be the ones that will grow in ways best suited to both their
desires and their resources.
A community strategic plan can be an excellent tool for pointing

communities in the direction they want to go. This publication, Developing
a Community Strategic Plan, is a straightforward guide designed to lead
local officials, planners and citizens through a strategic planning process.
The publication highlights clear examples of plan concepts and includes
plan “worksheets” which provide local officials with hands-on-tools to
develop a community strategic plan.
The strategic plan is the basis for change in a community. The important
aspect of a strategic planning process is not to have a finished plan but to
have and maintain a framework for the paths that should be followed to
ensure the future of the community. A well thought-out community
strategic plan stresses visioning, goals and objectives, and the plan process
(not the plan itself). The final product will be a collection of very specific
goals, along with specific and detailed objectives of how to achieve these
goals. Each of these is described as follows:
1. The Vision
A community “vision” is the definition of what a community wants to
be. The process of creating the vision is called visioning. The visioning
process itself can be a rather lengthy process involving citizens from
all walks of life.
2. Goals and Objectives
A goal is a specific statement of what the community would like to
be. Goals should be derived from the vision for the future. It must be
clear and concise, providing direction toward your vision. For
example, to work toward the vision as stated above, a goal could
be: “To enhance accessibility for industrial development, our
community will review its development strategies to determine if
there are any inherent weaknesses or biases that would be a
detriment to future industrial development.”
Objectives are tools that are used to determine the progress toward
meeting established goals. As such, the objectives should describe
the key results to be achieved, quantifiable measures of progress if
possible, identification of what parties are responsible for achieving
the objective, and target dates for completion. Objectives must be
detailed, realistic, and attainable. They may also be challenging,
and may involve some element of risk
3. Strategic Planning Programs
There are many strategic planning programs in place in Illinois to assist
communities in the strategic planning process.
A Community strategic plan is developed by community stake holders. It

identifies a list of prioritized projects that stake holders can implement to
enhance the community’s economic, environmental and social welfare. A
community strategic plan generally has a time frame of two to these years,
although it is possible to plan for longer. Projects for the first year are often
developed in more detail.
Communities that identify, develop, implement and evaluate long-term

approaches will be the ones that will grow in ways best suited to both their
desires and their resources. A community strategic plan can be an
excellent tool for pointing communities in the direction they want to go.
Creating the “Community Vision”
The process of creating the vision is called “visioning”. Creating a

community vision requires the development of a “vision statement”.
The community’s vision statement is a foundational part of its strategic

planning efforts and is shared among policy makers, city staff, residents and
business owners alike. It should describe community values, inspire pride
and community spirit and serve as the benchmark to guide future actions.
Developing the Plan “Framework”

How a community strategic plan is structured is absolutely critical in
determining its direction and ultimately, the direction of the community. It’s
much more than developing an outline.
Developing the Plan “Focus”
Assess current conditions in the community and determine potential futures.

In order for a community to attain its vision, it must assess its current
conditions, determine potential futures using various analytical tools,
evaluate its current state based on analysis of information obtained,
determine major priority issues and identify goals and objectives.
There are several approaches to developing the plan’s focus. The

“Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats” (SWOT) process is one that
can be an excellent tool in evaluating a community’s current state.
“Strengths and Weaknesses” are factors that are considered within a
community’s control. “Opportunities and Threats” are factors that also
affect a community but are considered beyond a community’s control. The
flowchart on page 17 illustrates a community strategic plan “SWOT”
process.
From Strategy to Action
To realize the community’s vision, it needs to be translated into an action

agenda.
Plan Evaluation
A strategic plan is never really finished. A community strategic plan is not

just a “paper publication” that is finished when completed but rather a
continuous planning process designed to address short-term and long-term
community needs over time.
An ongoing step in the overall planning process is evaluating the
performance and progress of the effort. This should be done continually
during the planning process
MAPPING the Future of Your Community is a tool that local citizens can use
to build consensus for envisioning and planning their community’s future.
This program brings together community leaders and other interested
citizens in an effort to discover their vision and a plan of action for achieving
it. The process involves four sessions in which community leaders create a
workable action plan for local community and economic development

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AR 529B – SPECIALIZATION 3

“POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION”

GASPAR, RACHEL AR. ERWIN P. GERARDO

Planning helps a community understand itself better. It is an opportunity to

A community is a group of people tied together by a common

Communities will be in this dynamic environment for decades to come.

A community strategic plan can be an excellent tool for pointing

A Community strategic plan is developed by community stake holders. It

Communities that identify, develop, implement and evaluate long-term

Creating the “Community Vision”

The process of creating the vision is called “visioning”. Creating a

The community’s vision statement is a foundational part of its strategic

Developing the Plan “Framework”

Developing the Plan “Focus”

Assess current conditions in the community and determine potential futures.

There are several approaches to developing the plan’s focus. The

From Strategy to Action

To realize the community’s vision, it needs to be translated into an action

A strategic plan is never really finished. A community strategic plan is not

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