PLANNING...further research

"Planning is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. Planning is preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific goal. If you do it effectively, you can reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal.

A plan is like a map. When following a plan, you can always see how much you have progressed towards your project goal and how far you are from your destination. Knowing where you are is essential for making good decisions on where to go or what to do next.

One more reason why you need planning is again the 80/20 Rule. It is well established that for unstructured activities 80 percent of the effort give less than 20 percent of the valuable outcome. You either spend much time on deciding what to do next, or you are taking many unnecessary, unfocused, and inefficient steps.

Planning is also crucial for meeting your needs during each action step with your time, money, or other resources. With careful planning you often can see if at some point you are likely to face a problem. It is much easier to adjust your plan to avoid or smoothen a coming crisis, rather than to deal with the crisis when it comes unexpected." - Planning as a form of time-management.
http://www.time-management-guide.com/planning.html

"Planning is not an isolated activity; rather, it involves all segments
of the community." - pdf document about the role of a 'Planner'.
www.planning.org/essay/resources/pdf/planit.pdf

"Planning, also called urban planning or city and regional planning, is a dynamic profession that works to improve the welfare of people and their communities by creating more convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive places for present and future generations.

Planning enables civic leaders, businesses, and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives.

Good planning helps create communities that offer better choices for where and how people live. Planning helps community members envision the direction their community grow and will help them find the right balance of new development and essential services, protection of the environment, and innovative change." - Planning as a profession.
http://www.planning.org/aboutplanning/whatisplanning.htm

"Planning is about how we plan for, and make decisions about, the future of our cities, towns and countryside. Over the centuries, a formal way of making these decisions was set up.

Your local planning authority is responsible for deciding whether a development - anything from an extension on a house to a new shopping centre - should go ahead.

Local planning authority usually means the district or borough council - not the parish or town council.

The planning system is needed to control development in your area." - Planning as a system.


http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/genpub/en/1108751860476.html

"Planning is basically about the development and use of land. It is the resolution of the many, and often conflicting pressures on land and resources. Our members plan the scientific, aesthetic and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services. This is accomplished with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well being of urban and rural communities of the environment. Planners may focus on transportation, recreation, heritage, health care planning, environmental research and assessment, parks planning, economic development, municipal planning and regional planning.

Planners do not act in isolation...

Although planners can or should take a leading role , they are involved with politicians, government agencies, the public, other professions and developers." - Planning as a form of development.

http://www.aacip.com/public/planning.html