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.
Planning provides predictability regarding future development.
Good planning provides private landowners and developers with information about where and what type of development the community will allow. With good information, private actors can adequately assess the costs and benefits associated with selling or developing land in certain ways. Good planning also provides a standard process by which development proposals are accepted or rejected. This standardization increases the consistency and the fairness of the development process. Treating private actors fairly also serves to enhance the public good.