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The Long-Range Planning Division is responsible for developing, evaluating, and maintaining the City's Comprehensive Plan, also known as the Sarasota City Plan. The Sarasota City Plan is a broad policy document that prescribes how the City will develop in future years. The first comprehensive plan was developed in 1925 by John Nolen. John Nolen was a well-known urban planner of his day. Updates to the Comprehensive Plan were produced in 1960, 1972, 1979, 1986, 1989, 1998, and most recently in 2005.

Beginning in 1979, Comprehensive Plans were prepared under the guidelines of the State of Florida´s Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act of 1975. This Act was amended in 1985 by the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act, commonly referred to as the "Growth Management Act"; and Plans are now prepared under the guidelines of the "Growth Management Act".