Types of Plans & Overview of Implementation Tools

There are many different types of plans, and the variety of plans can be a source of confusion to local officials and citizens. Citizens may begin to wonder why a community prepares a stormwater management plan one year, a sewer service area plan the next year, and then prepares a master plan the following year.

When a community prepares a plan, it is important that the community understand what type of plan it is, its purpose, and how the plan relates to other plans or planning activities in the community. Communities need to provide the framework to coordinate the various planning activities in a meaningful way so the sum of those planning activities can create a meaningful guide to the future of the community.

The Wisconsin Legislature authorizes local governments to prepare a variety of plans. The authorization for these is generally found in what are known as "enabling laws." Planning enabling laws are the basic mechanism through which the state delegates its inherent authority to local government to plan for and regulate the use of land. However, not all types of planning activity depend upon specific statutory enabling authority. For example, special area plans, site plans, and strategic plans are not dependent upon specific enabling legislation. Rather, these planning activities are undertaken as reasonable and necessary functions of local government.

Wisconsin’s planning enabling laws have been developed in a piecemeal fashion over the years, creating a fairly complex set of antiquated laws with little uniformity. As a result of these various laws, the planning document which is ultimately prepared can go by a variety of different names. The plans prepared may be called a "master plan," a "land use plan," or a "development plan." [As explained later, a "land use plan" is technically one element of a master plan or a development plan.] The procedural requirements for preparing and adopting certain plans also vary.

Given the array of different plans that a local government may undertake, it is important to understand the legal framework within which plan preparation, adoption, and implementation must be carried out. Many of the types of plans prepared by local government are discussed below. A good starting point for coordinating the various plans and other activities that impact the operation of local government is the development of a municipal master plan or county development plan that provides a comprehensive look at the community.