Regional Planning, Some Examples, Which Will Be

¶ … regional planning, some examples, which will be used, are the Tennessee Valley Authority, Regional Planning in New York City and its surrounding counties and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Regional planning is an important factor, which have to be considered by the government and its authorities. Regional planning departments should be formed in the countries all over the world so that these departments can work in the best interests of the people and can provide them with the better standard of living with in the country. Planning is an initial process in order to gain success and prosperity in any area; regional planning departments are formed for the purpose of serving the people for providing them with better housing and living facilities.

The start of any planning process is to develop a Planning Committee. The committee should consist of no more than seven people that come from a variety of backgrounds. Do not rely totally on in-house or outside expertise for this committee. The committee needs to be divided as equally as possible between in-house and outside professionals. This division within the committee will help balance the workload and the various perspectives that will ultimately result in decisions or recommendations for the Board of Directors. It is suggested that your Planning Committee consist of some combination of the following: In developing a Planning Committee, you should be very aware that the members might change as the focus of the project changes (i.e., from an assessment focus to a design focus) there is a core group of members that should always be on the committee. These members include, but are not limited to: an interested member of the community, a staff member, a teacher, a representative of the local government, the project manager, the architect, and the director (Some will argue the director should not be on the committee. However, having the director on the committee may limit or inhabit the committee from having open and free discussions, especially with employees of the center" http://www.wku.edu/Info/General/TTAS/fac/HTML/planning.htm

Initially the government authorities should develop a planning committee and then this committee should be held responsible for making developments with in the country and the regions, which are present in the country. The committee members should serve their best to provide the people with relative opportunities of better standard of living. It has been noted and observed that due to the presence of regional planning committees the inhabitants of the state are getting better opportunities of living and better health facilities are being provided to the people with the help of regional committees.

Constructing new buildings, altering the use, accessibility and appearance of buildings, and other changes in the way land is used are essential to help the economy grow and meet the need for homes, jobs, shops, leisure and mobility. The nature, quality and location of these new developments are important. Poorly designed developments in unsuitable places can damage the quality of life in a community. It is not easy or cheap to put mistakes right. The planning system is there to encourage positive change in our villages, towns and cities while protecting the things that make local areas attractive and special assets such as historic buildings and the countryside. The system balances competing and often conflicting demands to make sure that land is used and developed in everyone's long-term interest." http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/Planning/planning_guide.aspx#anchor1

The researches have shown that the regional planning committees help the government and its authorities to encourage positive changes with in the town, country and villages. These committees help the government to make the local areas of their country more refined and attractive, it is due to the efforts of the planning committees that barren lands and regions are developed and inhabited with standardized living facilities for the people. The analysis and the observation regarding this topic proves that although there are many hurdles and obstructions which comes in the way of development through regional planning committee but the experienced officials and members of the committee have the confidence to resolve the matters and to overcome the obstacles which comes in their way of development of regions and counties.

The Department of City Planning is responsible for the city's physical and socioeconomic planning, including land use and environmental review; preparation of plans and policies; and provision of technical assistance and planning information to government agencies, public officials, and community boards. The responsibilities of the Director of City Planning, who also serves as Chair of the City Planning Commission, include advising and assisting the Mayor, the Borough Presidents, and the City Council in regard to all matters related to the development and improvement of the city, as well as assisting the Mayor in the preparation of strategic plans that have long-term implications for the city. The Department is responsible for land use analysis in support of the Commission's review of proposals for zoning map and text amendments; special permits under the Zoning Resolution; changes in the City Map; the acquisition and disposition of city-owned property; the acquisition of office space for city use; site selection for public facilities; urban renewal plans and amendments; landmark and historic district designations; and community-initiated plans under Section 197-a of the City Charter." http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dcp/html/subcats/about.html

The department of city planning of the New York city is an excellent example of proving the fact that regional and city planning committees are always interested in the betterment of the people and they want to develop more and more areas for the people to live in. Keeping this concept and objective in view they are in a direction of making strategic plans which could improve the regions and which could provide better opportunities of living for the people of New York city. Discussing the efforts of regional and city planning committees the paper would like to discus on the topic of strategic plans, which the authorities of regional planning committees make for developing the cities, villages and counties of the state.

The Tennessee Valley, drained by the Tennessee River and its tributaries, is an area of approximately 41,000 square miles, including parts of seven States - Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The major portion of the valley lies in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority was created by Congress in 1933 to develop the Tennessee River system in the interest of navigation, flood control, and national defense, and to generate and sell surplus electricity to avert waste of waterpower. Properties in the vicinity of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, were transferred to the Authority. TVA's integrated water control program requires not alone the proper use of water resources, but of necessity, the conservation and preservation of the land resources of the region. The TVA is an independent Government corporation managed by a board of directors. Its activities are directed from headquarters at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, though administrative offices have been set up elsewhere as needed. A contact office, with a small staff, is maintained in Washington, D.C." http://newdeal.feri.org/guides/tnguide/ch09.htm

The Tennessee Valley Authorities is a regional planning department, which is situated in the Tennessee Valley, the authorities are continuously involved in making strategic plans and in developing the regions of the valley. The strategic plans and methodologies are discussed amongst the authorities and then the authorities implement the best possible strategy. It has been noted and observed that the authorities of the region have already made many achievements in this regard and they are still involved in developing the regions of the valley, they are in search of new and improved strategic plans, which could help them in attaining their objective.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), independent U.S. government corporate agency, created in 1933 by act of Congress; it is responsible for the integrated development of the Tennessee River basin. The history of TVA began in the early 1920s, when Senator George William Norris sponsored a plan to have the government take over and operate Wilson Dam and other installations that had been built by the government for national defense purposes during World War I at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. However, legislation to this effect was vetoed in 1928 and in 1931 by Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. The 1933 TVA Act, redrafted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, went far beyond the earlier proposals and launched the federal government into a vast scheme of regional planning and development -- an undertaking that became the model for similar river projects." http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0848169.html

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created in 1933 and since then the members and the authorities of the regional committee are involved in the process of planning and development. They are of the opinion that sustainable development can be attained through strategic planning and the authorities should work hard to achieve a plan, which is methodologically and strategically effective in nature. The strategic plans should be in accordance with the demands and wishes of the people so that after the implementation of the plan the people of the country can be satisfied by the efforts of the regional planning committee.

Give below are the details of the facts regarding the strategic plan of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Fast Facts About the Strategic Plan

Background

TVA is preparing for fundamental changes that we believe increased competition will bring to the entire electric utility industry and to TVA's business environment.

In the past decade, as the electric-utility industry has moved toward open-market competition, many TVA distributor customers have told us that they want the option of buying from other sources.

We have agreed with TVA distributors on legislative language, called the TVA Title, that would open the Tennessee Valley to competition.

While we don't know when legislation might be enacted, the draft Strategic Plan simulates the competitive world created by the TVA Title, and it gives us tools to analyze TVA's operational and financial options in that environment.

The planning process considers how the new market may function, what competitive pressures TVA will face, and how TVA must prepare now for success in the future. • The strategic plan establishes an analytical framework within which TVA can set annual budgets, develop annual performance plans, and make projections about the region's power needs.

The analysis that supports this plan is the most detailed and rigorous competitive-risk analysis in TVA's history.

The analysis focused on assessing how competitive markets are likely to work and how TVA could be impacted.

TVA staff and industry experts examined TVA's total operations and developed and analyzed scenarios to examine such issues as how competitive TVA could be in a changing market, how many customers might switch to other power suppliers if prices changed, and how TVA can gain the financial flexibility needed for survival in a more volatile market." http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/stratplan/index.htm

The relative facts regarding the strategic planning suggests that the authorities are working hard for the development of their country and they have keenly observed the facts and figures before developing strategic plan. TVA has resolved many problems related to health, electricity and housing problems of the people. The authorities were able to solve these problems with the help of their strategic plans.

By the 1960s many of the regional problems of underdevelopment had been overcome, per capita income had increased dramatically, and rapid out migration had ended. However, the TVA continues to seek ways to make the largely rural area an attractive alternative to overcrowded cities. In the late 1960s and early 70s the TVA began to place greater emphasis on environmental protection as industrialization and rising living standards resulted in greater demands on the environment. In the conflict between economic and environmental objectives the TVA sought a suitable balance, particularly in its power program. Despite the TVA's environmental protection efforts, the agency has been criticized principally by environmental groups. Controversial issues have involved construction of the Tellico Dam and Reservoir on the Little Tennessee River, the nuclear power program, and the TVA's purchase of pollution credits from Wisconsin Power and Light in 1992" http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0861487.html

Many achievements have been made by TVA during these years and the authorities are still making new and refined strategic plans so that they could serve their people and can resolve their problems through unhealthy living can be converted into healthy living and the people can get the relative services. The TVA and its authorities are finding new and effective ways and methodologies for the development of regional areas and they have selected authorities who are well experienced in this field and they have the insight and vision to develop strategic plans which could help them in attaining their objectives. Another examples is of Appalachian Regional Commission which is also serving the people and the background of this regional committee is as under:

In December 2003, ARC formally launched a comprehensive strategic planning process to help guide economic and community development work in the Appalachian Region over the next five years. In the first stage of the process, to be completed in late April, Commission partners are gathering information and input by conducting a comprehensive review of socioeconomic changes in the Region; researching key development issues; holding consultations with ARC state partners and advisory councils; and conducting field forums across the Region and in Washington, D.C., with citizens, representatives of private, public, and nonprofit organizations, and local development district officials. The next stage of the strategic planning process, to be completed by the end of June, will involve synthesis of the information gathered. In this stage ARC partners will identify key issues and prioritize development strategies and activities." http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=2163

The analysis of Appalachian Regional Commission declares the fact that the authorities of this regional planning committee have also been involved in the development of strategic plans and they are making efforts to raise the standards of the regions with in the country. The officials and the members of the planning committee are worried about the inhabitants and they want to give them the best services so that they can live happily. The strategic plans of Appalachian Regional Commission is formulated and developed with the discussion and advises of the other related authorities so that a considerable and an effective plan can be formulated in order to fulfill the objective of regional development of the country.

In the mid 1960s, at the urging of two U.S. presidents, Congress created legislation to address the persistent poverty and growing economic despair of the Appalachian Region. A few statistics tell the story: One of every three Appalachians lived in poverty

Per capita income was 23% lower than the U.S. average High unemployment and harsh living conditions had in the 1950s forced more than 2 million Appalachians to leave their homes and seek work in other regions. In 1960, the Region's governors formed the Conference of Appalachian Governors to develop a regional approach to resolving these problems. In 1961, they took their case to newly elected President John F. Kennedy, who had been deeply moved by the poverty he saw during campaign trips to West Virginia. In 1963 Kennedy formed a special panel, which later became the President's Appalachian Regional Commission (PARC), and directed it to draw up "a comprehensive program for the economic development of the Appalachian Region."President Lyndon B. Johnson used PARC's report as the basis for legislation developed with the bipartisan support of Congress. Submitted to Congress in 1964, the Appalachian Regional Development Act (ARDA) was passed early in 1965 by a broad bipartisan coalition and signed into law (PL 89-4) on March 9, 1965." http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=7

The development of Appalachian Regional Commission have provided the people of the country with department who is continuously involved in the developmental betterment of the regions, this department have served the people since its inception and it has been noted that the authorities faced a lot of pressure and hardships during the implementation of theirs strategic plans but they managed to overcome these hardships and finally they implemented their strategic plans which become successful over a period of time. The goal and objective of the authorities in this planning commission proves that the authorities are in constant struggle to attain high standard and better quality of life for the people of the country. The research has also included a brief description of the goals and objectives Appalachian Regional Commission, so that the reader can gain an understanding of the efforts, which the authorities are making in order to provide the people with better standard of living. These goals and objectives are as under: