2.1.1  Think About the Geographic Area Planning Should Cover

Many local plans include maps that seem to suggest that the community that is being planned for is a world unto itself, unconnected to other communities. Only one community is shown, and everything beyond its borders is blank. Of course, the vast majority of local governments in Wisconsin are not islands in a physical sense. In fact, developments and land use changes beyond a community’s boundaries can have a significant effect on what happens within that community. Therefore, it is important that local governments not feel compelled to limit the scope of planning to rigidly defined local government boundaries. Communities need to have a regional context for planning.