Question

How often a long-term comprehensive plan is typically reviewed and updated?

• A. Every year
• B. Every five years
• C. Every ten years
• D. Every seven years

Hint:

\textbf{Long-term comprehensive plans} typically cover a 20-30 year horizon.
They require periodic review and updating to remain relevant and effective.
\textbf{Major updates} are often done on a 10 to 20-year cycle.
\textbf{Intermediate reviews} or updates of specific elements might occur every 5 years.
"Every ten years" is a common standard for significant comprehensive plan revisions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

A long-term comprehensive plan (also known as a master plan, general plan, or city development plan) is a document that guides the future physical development of a city or region over an extended period, typically 20 to 30 years. It addresses various aspects like land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, environment, and economic development. Given the long-term nature of these plans, they cannot remain static. They need to be periodically reviewed and updated to:
Reflect changing demographic, economic, social, and environmental conditions.
Incorporate new data, trends, and projections.
Evaluate the effectiveness of current policies and strategies.
Respond to new community goals and priorities.
Comply with legal or statutory requirements for review. The frequency of review and update varies depending on legal mandates, planning traditions, and the rate of change in a particular area. However, typical review cycles for long-term comprehensive plans are:
Major comprehensive updates: Often occur every 10 to 20 years.
Intermediate reviews or minor updates: Might occur more frequently, for example, every 5 years, to assess progress and make adjustments. An annual review (option a) is generally too frequent for a major update of a long-term comprehensive plan, though annual monitoring of progress or specific elements might occur. A 5-year cycle (option b) is common for intermediate reviews or updates of certain components, or for shorter-term strategic plans that implement the comprehensive plan. A 10-year cycle (option c) is a very common timeframe for a significant review and update of a long-term comprehensive plan. This allows enough time for trends to emerge and for the impacts of previous policies to be assessed, while still keeping the plan relevant. A 7-year cycle (option d) is less standard than 5 or 10 years. Given the options, Every ten years is a widely recognized and common timeframe for undertaking a major review and update of a long-term comprehensive plan. Some jurisdictions might do it every 15 or 20 years. \[ \boxed{\text{Every ten years}} \]