Implementation refers to the objectives, policies and actions that have been identified to carry out “The Lex-Plan 2013.” This portion of the comprehensive plan includes actions designed to improve the long-range planning process, strengthen links between the plan and capital improvement budgeting, establish a process reporting system to monitor the progress of “The Lex-Plan 2013,” and a schedule for updating and amending the plan in the future.

Successful comprehensive plans are ones that are implemented.  While the role of the Planning Commission is to ensure the orderly growth of the community by adherence to the Comprehensive Plan, it is up to the citizenry to champion the projects envisioned to implement the plan. Developing a plan is relatively easy compared to the implementation of it. What happens with the plan, how it is used in day-to-day decision-making, and the extent to which it is followed over time will all influence its overall success. “The Lex-Plan 2013” is a living, breathing document; it is not the end of a planning process but the beginning of a coordinated effort to direct growth and development in ways that are important to the citizens of Lexington.

Rarely will a single tool or category of tools be sufficient to achieve the goals in a comprehensive plan. Most policies, and most of the preferred mix of land uses shown on the future land use map, require the use of several tools from different categories in order to be realized, obtained, and sustained.  The City of Lexington must develop its own set of implementation tools and strategies, recognizing that each has unique strengths and weaknesses.