Land use plans are preparatory land-use plans that are drawn up for the 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.

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 significant 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.

The effective land use plan must be accompanied by a summary declaration on the consideration of environmental concerns. must be attached.

The public may inspect the joint land use plan and its explanatory memorandum as well as the summary declaration to be attached after it becomes effective and request information about its content.

The land use plan, together with the explanatory memorandum and the summary declaration, must be posted on the Internet and made accessible via a central Internet portal of the federal state.