Manual on Urban Planning - Chapter VI: Community Facilities Planning

Community facilities are those buildings, works and land areas which are devoted to public or semi-public uses. They include a variety of public buildings to house the administrative, educational, cultural, recreational, health, safety and service needs; public works and utilities to provide water, power, heat, light, communications, sewage treatment, flood control, and transportation; and public open space for parks, playgrounds, malls, and landscaping. In planning for community facilities, the urban planner must consider population characteristics and projections, present and future land use, local governmental structures, climate, topography, soil, and vegetation. He must consider a community’s objectives and financial ability, as well as the standards of the using agencies. Community facilities may be provided by a local community alone, jointly by several units of government, by higher levels of government, by utility companies, and by private and semi-private agencies. These facilities should be planned jointly since their uses are often complementary and space can be conserved. Consideration must be given to convenience, safety, efficiency, and aesthetics.