City planning (or urban planning) is the process of guiding the physical development and land use of communities. Planners work on decisions about where housing, businesses, industry, parks, and infrastructure should be located, how neighbourhoods connect through transportation networks, and how communities grow over time. Planning involves creating long-term plans (official plans, master plans), reviewing individual development proposals, engaging the public in decisions, and balancing competing interests (housing affordability vs. neighbourhood character, economic development vs. environmental protection). Municipal planning departments employ professional planners who analyze proposals, provide recommendations, and implement planning policies approved by council.