We all plan to some extent, whether it’s with our families, our businesses or our churches. We plan on how to save for college, take that next vacation or remodel the kitchen. We plan on how to market our products or services, when to expand a product line or whether to move to a new location. We plan on how to reach others in our community with our message, how to conduct a capital drive and how to conduct Sunday services. Why should a city be any different?
In fact, we should plan for our city’s future for the very same reasons we plan for our families, businesses and churches. In its simplest form, we as a city should work together to plan for a desired future and do so as efficiently as possible.
Everyone benefits when we decide together where we plan to go in the next couple of decades and what we as residents and taxpayers are going to do in light of these trends. Sometimes, it’s maximizing opportunities, such as recognizing the benefits of the projected 40,000 new residents expected to join our community in the next two decades. At other times, it’s preparing ourselves for the impacts of trends, such as identifying what types of streets we need to accommodate new residents, where the streets should be located and how to best pay for their construction. It can also be intervening in a trend that appears problematic, such as identifying the risks of building in areas prone to flooding and how to best reduce such risks.
The good news is that the citizens of College Station have been doing a great job of planning for nearly 75 years. This is a great place to live, conduct business, raise families, get an education and worship. National and regional publications consistently list College Station as the best in a variety of categories. The great parks, wonderful streets, top-tier schools, and outstanding police and fire protection we enjoy exist because our citizens have come together time and again to gain an understanding of current and future trends, identify where they want to go and chart a path that will take them there.
So, why plan? We plan together to continue to live in a city that remains a great place to live, work and play.
