ABSTRACT
One of our more difficult writing tasks as planners is to explain scientific or other technical information to a general audience. Often, this involves translating the jargon of many other fields (including law, architecture, traffic engineering, geology, biology, hydrology, and acoustics) into plain language. To do this well, we need to think even more carefully about our readers: How much do they need to know about the subject? What is the best way to explain it? What is the main message?
