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• Be an advocate for engaging youth and diverse communities with government. Engaging younger generations and diverse communities can be a difficult challenge. Mayors can advocate for inclusion by making efforts to meet with constituents in places where they are comfortable — such as coffee shops, community centers, places of worship, and athletic events —rather than city hall. Mayors can promote interaction with school age citizens and encourage city councils to institute youth commissions and advisory boards. Finally, mayors can be advocates for using the Internet and technology to reach new citizen groups. B. Long-term planning The day-to-day demands of local government can be challenging. However, while working on the problems of the immediate present, it is vital to remember the promise of the future. Many cities use long-term planning to guide daily decisions and to ensure that that their communities stay on track with longer -term goals. 1. The value of long-term planning Planning provides an opportunity for policymakers to consider the future impacts of today's decisions. Planning can take many forms, both formal and informal. Some planning may be mandated such as comprehensive land use Minn. stat. § 473.175. planning for many cities in the metro area. Some formal planning that the city may be most familiar with include: • Financial planning. A budget is a yearly plan for how the city will allocate its resources. In addition to budgeting, many cities have long-term financial plans for managing their cash flow, reserves, and investments. • Capital planning. A capital plan sets priorities for city improvements and infrastructure such as a new city hall, recreational and community facilities, streets, and water and sewer facilities. A capital plan identifies the useful life of existing facilities, plans for their replacement or upgrading, and anticipates the need for new facilities in areas of growth. • Land use planning. A land use plan anticipates and regulates future development of land within the city, establishing areas for growth or revitalization, and setting aside areas for preservation. The formal plans discussed above help cities tackle specific concrete issues and challenges. Cities may also engage in broader planning or visioning process for their future. Cities may engage in planning processes with their citizens that ask broader questions such as: How can the city promote more inclusive democracy? How can the city create a more livable or equitable community? Planning may address varying problems and goals. However, successful planning processes typically all have common beneficial secondary effects. Planning can also: Minnesota Mayors Chapter 1-30 Association