The following types of benefits demonstrate what is meant by the public good, and how planning helps to increase it. Planning for the physical design of new developments and the arrangement of land uses makes it possible for people to carry out their daily lives and activities in attractive and interactive community environments. Land use planning and design can foster a distinctive sense of place. By regulating the design and placement of new developments, planning helps a community preserve those features it feels are important and builds upon the features the community feels help to define it as a special place. Planning can also preserve historic community structures which help to create a sense of place.
Good planning generates pride in the community.
This pride can influence community development in many positive but intangible ways. Pride in community, in its sense of place, adds to the public good. Planning helps protect environmental features like wetlands and forests which provide important public services such as flood water storage, groundwater recharge, and oxygen, that would be difficult and expensive to replace if damaged. It can protect productive farmland, as well. Protecting natural and agricultural resources from inappropriate development protects the public good.