The “comprehensive” part of the plan tells us that we will look at many different aspects of our community – housing, land use, economic development, transportation, and greenspace, just to name a few. And the “plan” outlines the policies and strategies that will guide our decisions to take us each step of the way.
In the early days of the joint Douglasville-Douglas County Joint Planning Commission, several planning studies were undertaken.
- 1958 – “Planning Ahead in Douglasville and Douglas County”
- 1964 – “General Land and Thoroughfare Plan, Douglasville and Douglas County”
In 1968 there was a joint comprehensive plan adopted by the Planning Commission with the intent of forecasting 20 years in the future. It encouraged clustering of residential, commercial and industrial development to appropriate areas. Provision for recreational opportunities and preservation of environmentally sensitive areas were also listed as priorities. New transportation facilities recognized the need to balance highway, transit and pedestrian facilities.*
Completed so close to the 1970 Census, it was determined that an update was needed as soon as the new Census data was available. The county was identified as in the “spillover” phase of development. This was characterized as a time of transition from an agrarian landscape and a suburbanizing environment.
The county population in 1960 was 16,741 people. It was estimated to grow to 66,000 people by 1990. According to the Census, the actual population of Douglas County in 1990 was 71,120 people. We’ll take a look at what changed in those intervening years.
*This information on the 1968 Plan was summarized in the Appendix of the 1994 Plan.