Planning a city

A comprehensive plan provides a picture of what a community thinks of itself and wants to become. Cape Girardeau's plan was last updated in 1987 and no longer provides an accurate picture of the city.

Fifty people attended the first meeting, held last week, in a yearlong process of devising a new comprehensive plan for Cape Girardeau. That was an encouraging turnout. Some who attended stressed the need for more moderately priced housing, more green space and walkable neighborhoods.

A second session to talk about business and future development will begin at 6:30 tonight at the Osage Community Centre.

The last comprehensive plan estimated the city's population could top 66,000 by 2010. Closing in on that date, Cape Girardeau's population is about 30,000 people short of that estimate.

A comprehensive plan's usefulness relies on the realism used in its creation. At the same time, this is the rare opportunity to talk with your leaders about the city you'd like to see Cape Girardeau become.