National level
At the national level, planning is concerned with national goals and the
allocation of resources. In many cases. A national land-use plan may cover:
• land-use policy: balancing the competing demands for land among different
sectors of the economy food production, export crops, tourism, wildlife
conservation, housing and public amenities, roads, industry;
• national development plans and budget: project identification and the
allocation of resources for development;
• coordination of sectoral agencies involved in land use;
• legislation on such subjects as land tenure, forest clearance and water
rights.
National goals are complex while policy decisions, legislation and fiscal
measures affect many people and wide areas. Decision-makers cannot
possibly be specialists in all facets of land use, so the planners' responsibility
is to present the relevant information in terms that the decision-makers can
both comprehend and act on.