2.3.1  An Effective Plan Presents Essential Data--But Not Too Much

The preparation of plans is an opportunity to collect useful information about communities, and their resources and qualities. This baseline information, once collected, can be extremely interesting. However, plans should not be padded with unnecessary data that is largely irrelevant to the substance of the plan. Some plans are so weighted down with so much data, and so many charts, tables, and lists that citizens and local officials find them too heavy to take home and read.

A plan needs to present data that communicates important facts and insights about the community and how it has been changing. Data should be presented in the plan only if it is informative and meaningful, and sheds light on important issues addressed in the plan.

The message here is not that you shouldn't collect data, but rather that the plan should not be cluttered with unnecessary data that gets in the way of understanding what is really important. With careful editing, the thickness and weight of plans can be considerably reduced. Tables, charts and lists that are interesting but not directly referred to in the plan can just as well be placed in a separate appendix, rather than in the main body of the plan.