The modern era of planning for growth and development began, however, in 1900, when, at an annual meeting of the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C., several papers were presented dealing with the beautification of government buildings in the capital. This resulted in the appointment of a committee responsible for the work of preparing a plan for the District of Columbia's park system. A final plan for the District Park System was completed in 1901. The impression left from this final plan was shared with many cities and villages throughout the country. Public improvement groups in these communities were created and became devoted to applying a new gospel of planning in communities.
Comprehensive planning is an attempt to establish guidelines for the future growth of a community.
The term comprehensive means exactly what it says. It should be a comprehensive or all-inclusive approach at addressing the issue of the future growth of a community. A comprehensive plan is the document that is the final product from the efforts of this process. The document is official in nature, meaning that some form of local government should adopt it into local law. The document should then be used as a policy guide to decisions about the development of the community.