ABSTRACT
Hampton, Virginia, lives in a much more complex world today than in 1975. That was before Proposition 13, before the recession of the late 1970s, and revenue to Hampton from federal resources was increasing. American corporations have used formal strategic planning since the 1950s. The methods began to be borrowed by local governments in the late 1970s. Corporations have learned from their generation of experience with strategic planning and their methods have changed accordingly. Many projects in Hampton have been pursued strategically without reference to a formalized process. The construction of the Hampton Coliseum in 1969 was an important example of the city as entrepreneur and risk taker. A strategic plan done in a city can be a plan for the city government institution, a plan for the whole community, or a blend. Hampton's product will be a plan for the whole community, with city government taking the lead role.
