At its core, coordinating plans works to more effectively assist in the resolution of a community need or problem that could not be met by any single agency acting alone. Several federal, state, and regional agencies have developed standards and structures for specific types of planning and project development processes such as comprehensive plans or growth policies. Some of these standard approaches are a response to federal transportation planning requirements to consider environmental and economic issues during the development of major transportation investments. Others are "home-grown" approaches generated by state and regional agencies in response to specific needs within their jurisdictions. The following tools are provided to assist a community in their coordination efforts:
- Charrettes
- Visioning & Scenario Planning
- Workshops
- Resource & Funding Coordination
- Shared Development of Plans & Policies
Case studies that feature coordinating plans with agencies and stakeholders include the following: