(WI) Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Ten years after a state Legislature adopted a landmark law requiring all Wisconsin communities and counties to adopt a comprehensive plan for their communities by Jan. 1, 2010, most have done so.

Yet at this 11th hour, many governments are still scrambling to adopt their plans in the next 30 days. Some of them will miss the deadline altogether.

Urban sprawl – rampant in the booming economy of the late 1990s – gave rise to the 1999 Smart Growth law as rural areas were being carved up for development in helter-skelter fashion, often with little regard for the public’s interest in protecting open spaces or the future ramifications of unfettered expansion. Planning – with resident participation – would be required, cooperation among communities encouraged. More