One of the most important responsibilities city and county officials have is guiding the physical growth of their communities through local planning. Planning covers a broad range of activities including determining how land will be used, how to provide infrastructure and services to those uses, and what the built environment will look like. Local agencies are given land use planning authority or police power to shape their communities in both the federal and California constitutions. This is because land use planning and community development have far reaching impacts on the general health, safety, and welfare of residents. Economic vitality, environmental health and quality of life are all influenced by land use and community design decisions. The impacts can be community wide such as infrastructure maintenance costs, or they can affect individual quality of life such as increased levels of child obesity. Understanding the complicated laws and regulations that govern planning, and the co-benefits and potential outcomes from planning decisions can help officials make the planning decision that are right for their communities.