APA Poll Indicates Citizens’ Desire to Be Involved in Planning Process

A recent poll conducted by the American Planning Association (APA) indicates that community planning is widely supported by the public in our country. There seems to be a nearly universal feeling that "things work better with a plan". In fact, two-thirds of American citizens believe their community needs more planning that many want to be more personally involved with community planning efforts, whether they live in a city, a suburb, a small town, or rural America.

Here’s a snapshot of the poll results we found particularly interesting:

• 67% believe that "community planning is important to economic recovery
• 79% of the general public support community planning
• 66% of Americans believe their own community needs more planning
• More than 50% of Americans want to participate in community planning efforts
• 75% agree that, "Engaging citizens through local planning is essential to rebuilding local economies, creating jobs and improving people's lives."

When asked if they would ever want to participate in local planning efforts whether in person, online, or over the phone, again an overwhelming 51% of respondents indicated that they would indeed want to get more involved in the planning process. Citizens said they would like to be involved in planning efforts surrounding some of these specific key neighborhood factors to create and sustain their ideal community:  

• Making sure that locally owned businesses are nearby  
• Being able to stay in the same neighborhood while aging  
• Availability of sidewalks, bike lanes and good transit system  
• Neighborhood parks and kid-friendly places nearby
• Creating a community that attracts young professionals to live
• Schools, jobs and restaurants within walking distance  
• Unique character and/or culture  

Read the full report >>