We&8217;ve always been amazed at the work of good designers, architects and engineers.

These professionals make things look so simple. When their work is done well, a casual observer may not fully appreciate how much thought is behind it.

The same could be said for residential planning and development. When it&8217;s done well, you can usually tell that it&8217;s working, but you may not know why. Usually the trick is to have a good, well thought out plan.

Natchez, Adams County and Concordia Parish need such a plan for residential planning and land use.

Local leaders seem to be doing a good job pushing industrial and business development, but no one seems to have put much public thought and planning into where potential new workers will live.

Our area is poised for growth, but we need to have our ducks in a row and our plan for residential growth made before the industries show up and the needs are urgent.

Further, government leaders tend to simply ignore the issue and wait for private developers to jump in and make a plan. While private developers will certainly be the key to making any new development a success, elected officials could help the process by leading some public discussion of where the growth would work best and seeking solutions to better organize our land use.

It shouldn&8217;t be left entirely to the whim of a few private developers. Could we, as a community, identify logical areas for residential growth and work to prepare those areas for growth?

Often the first person to the table with a plan gets that plan completed, any good designer or architect will tell you that.