ABSTRACT
The land-use element can be viewed as the culmination of all the other elements of a local comprehensive plan. The natural resources element is prepared in support of sound land-use planning for environmental protection. Comprehensive plans will usually include a housing element, which will set forth needs, policies, and programs for ensuring that existing and future generations have access to adequate and affordable housing. An economic development element of a local comprehensive plan will identify the locality's preferences for where nonresidential development will take place and to what degree. The locations of community facilities are critically important in determining land-use compatibility and in managing a locality's overall development pattern. Land-use data are mainly managed with geographic information systems, or GISs. There are several chief reasons why a GIS is used in land-use planning. Local governments will almost always be the best source of GIS data.
