Land use plans are preparatory land-use plans that are generally drawn up for the entire area of a municipality. Development plans (binding land-use plans) are developed from them. Land-use plans are intended to prepare and guide the structural and other use of land. For example, land use plans can show

• Building areas (such as residential building areas, mixed building areas, commercial building areas) or building areas (such as mixed areas, urban areas),
• Areas for traffic,
• the provision of the planning area with facilities and equipment that serve to supply goods and services, that counteract climate change and that serve to adapt to climate change,
• Areas for measures to protect, maintain and develop the soil, nature and landscape. Traffic areas, areas to be kept free from development.

Joint land use plans should be drawn up if the urban development of neighboring municipalities is determined by common requirements and needs or if a joint land use plan enables a fair balance of interests. In particular, they should be drawn up if the objectives of regional planning or if public transport facilities and installations, other development facilities as well as communal or other ancillary facilities require joint planning.

As part of the public participation process, private individuals and companies have the right to participate in the process of drawing up, amending or revoking a joint land use plan, regardless of their place of residence or company headquarters. Children are also part of the public. Your participation allows you to contribute to the planning process.

Public participation is organized in two stages:

• The subject of early public participation is the general objectives and purposes of the planning, about which the public must first be informed. The public must then be given the opportunity to comment and discuss.
• The subject of the second stage of public participation is the draft of the joint land use plan, including the explanatory memorandum. The draft must be published on the Internet for a period of 30 days as a rule; at the same time, at least one easily accessible access option must be provided.

Authorities or other public interest bodies are requested by the competent authority or the body responsible for the procedure to participate and submit their comments if an impact is identified.

The joint land use plan generally consists of

• a regulatory part, which in particular includes maps with graphic and textual representations, and
• a plan justification with explanations of the objectives, purposes and main effects of the planning, the environmental report and information on how the public and private interests concerned have been fairly weighed up against each other.