ABSTRACT
It is at the local scale – consisting of city and county government plus a wide variety of special-purpose districts – that most urban development planning is done in the United States and many other nations. Cities and counties represent the front lines of planning in that they have primary control over land development, local streets and roads, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, recycling and waste collection, local parks and greenways, K-12 education, and many economic development, housing, and social welfare programs. Although higher levels of government establish the framework within which local planning takes place and may provide incentives, mandates, and funding, implementation of many important policies and programs occurs locally.
