ABSTRACT

This chapter examines both established and predictable trends that will have a measurable impact on municipalities across the nation. Traditional local government planning practices, designed during more stable periods of steady growth and routine change, are being replaced by more modern planning techniques. Societal trends are in motion that will require cities to change in order to meet the public's legitimate expectations for effective governance. Strategic planning must be applied to the public sector to enable government officials to successfully adapt to changing conditions. Many cities and counties throughout the nation have successfully undertaken strategic planning projects. Many of the strategic planning practices in local governments have been diverse, fragmented, and piecemeal in their development and application. For the most part, each local government is doing its own thing in this dynamic and rapidly evolving planning discipline. Public officials must provide a strategic vision for their community and its municipal organization.