October is National Planners Month.

At Monday’s Knoxville City Council meeting, a proclamation was read by Knoxville Mayor Brian Hatch to honor National Planners Month. The proclamation said change is constant and affects all cities, towns, suburbs, counties, boroughs, townships, rural areas, and other places, and  planners can help navigate this change with data-driven insights and expertise that provide better choices for how people work and live and community planning provides an opportunity for all residents to be meaningfully involved in making choices that determine the future of their community. The full benefits of planning require public elected and appointed officials who understand, support, and demand excellence in planning and plan implementation. Knoxville City Manger Heather Ussery says this month is a way to thank those who oversee all of the planning and development in Knoxville.

“It’s an opportunity to thank our planning department and our planning and zoning commission for the work they do overseeing the planning and development for the community.”

The American Planning Association established this month in 2006.