Cooperative Land Use Planning — A New Development in Democracy

A movement in democracy about which most people know very little is under way in the rural areas throughout the United States. It goes under the name of "county land use planning," but it is already becoming much more than this name implies—first, because it extends down to all the small local communities in the county; second, because it is not confined to land use but takes in educational conditions, medical care, and a host of other things that are important in each community. The movement is only in its early stages at present, but it goes back to democratic traditions deeply rooted in our early history. It is an effort, in fact, to vitalize these traditions in terms of modern life. Many people believe that it may turn out in the long run to be the most important agricultural development of the past few years—more important than any specific program. Here is the story in brief.