A city's General Plan is considered the constitution of local government for land use and related policy matters. It serves as a roadmap to guide policy actions and development to further the vision for the community. Each local government must adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan for the physical development of the jurisdiction.

State law does not mandate how often the General Plan must be updated except for the housing element, which is required to be updated every five years. State law, however, does require that a General Plan be updated periodically so that it remains a true reflection of a community's values and goals. It should also be updated as needed to update technical information and address locally relevant issues.

The Torrance General Plan will include the following Elements:

• Land Use Element
• Circulation and Infrastructure Element
• Community Resources Element (Open Space and Conservation)
• Noise Element
• Safety Element

The Housing Element will not be updated at this time. The Housing Element, required by State Law, is updated every five years.

The California Govenors Office of Planning and Research
http://www.opr.ca.gov/

The California 2003 General Plan Guidelines ( PDF File: 1.83 MB)
http://www.opr.ca.gov/planning/PDFs/General_Plan_Guidelines_2003.pdf

American Planning Association
http://www.planning.org/

California Chapter of the American Planning Association
http://www.calapa.org/

Los Angeles Section of the American Planning Association
http://www.la-apa.org/

California Planning Roundtable
http://www.cproundtable.org/