Why every growing community needs a city planner, including Demopolis and Linden

Most residents can easily point to a newly paved street, a bustling business, or a fresh housing development as signs of progress. What many people don’t see is the careful, intentional work that must happen long before construction begins. Behind the scenes of every successful project is a professional whose job is to guide how a city grows: the city planner, also known as an urbanist.

The role you don’t see, but feel every day

A city planner/urbanist is responsible for shaping the physical, social and economic layout of a community. They study how people move, where businesses thrive, where families live and what investments make sense for the long term. Their work ensures that a city’s growth is not random, rushed or reactionary, but strategic and sustainable.

Urbanists help answer crucial questions such as:

• Where should new housing be built and how can it remain affordable?
• How can roadways become safer and easier to navigate?
• Which areas should be preserved for parks, green space, or natural protection?
• How do we make sure economic development benefits local residents?
• What policies and zoning tools protect neighborhoods while welcoming investment?

While these questions may seem invisible to day-to-day life, the answers shape everything from traffic patterns to business growth to the quality of life residents enjoy.

Why planning matters for small cities, including Demopolis and Linden

Large cities often have robust planning departments, but the need for experienced planners is just as great—if not greater—in smaller communities. Cities like Demopolis and Linden, Alabama are at pivotal moments. They sit on valuable transportation corridors, have historic downtowns ready for revitalization and are seeking new industries, tourism opportunities and population growth.

What they lack, however, is the dedicated guidance of a trained urbanist who can:

• Develop long-term land-use and infrastructure plans
• Coordinate new development so it strengthens existing neighborhoods
• Attract investors by offering a clear, professional vision
• Protect historic and cultural assets while supporting modernization
• Guide grant writing, federal funding requests, and economic strategies
• Address declining infrastructure and prepare for growth
• Ensure that growth benefits local residents—not just outside interests

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For cities with limited resources, hiring a planner may seem optional. In reality, it is one of the smartest investments a small city can make. A skilled urbanist helps a city avoid costly planning mistakes, attract new businesses, manage traffic problems, expand housing options, and anticipate future challenges before they become crises.

The bridge between vision and reality

Urbanists are often the translators of a community’s vision. When residents say they want a safer downtown, more recreation, more housing, or more jobs, the city planner is the one who turns those hopes into concrete strategies, maps, policies, and action steps.

They also serve as neutral, informed professionals who balance community needs with private development interests. Their job is not to “pick sides” but to ensure the city grows in a way that is fair, equitable, and consistent with an adopted vision.

Planning for a stronger future

As communities across Alabama continue to redefine themselves, the role of the city planner has never been more important. Cities with strong planning make smarter investments, attract better development, avoid unnecessary costs, and protect the quality of life residents depend on.

Demopolis, Linden, and other Black Belt communities are poised for growth, but only if that growth is guided intentionally.

When you see a new project breaking ground or a neighborhood improving, remember: long before the first shovel hit the dirt, a planner—an urbanist—helped shape the path forward. Their work ensures that progress is not only possible, but sustainable, strategic, and built to last.

Richard Benderson is an urbanist and community advocate serving as a Cooperative Development Specialist with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, where he serves as a Cooperative Development Representative for the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives.

A Demopolis native, Benderson has worked for Selma as well as cities in Florida.