Use Active Voice

Use Active vs. Passive Voice

It is important that you use active, rather than passive voice in most of your writing. Sentences written in passive voice often hide the answer to "who is doing what?" in a sentence and increases the chance that pertinent information is omitted. Readers prefer active sentences because they make the message more effective and lively.

Crafting active sentences can sometimes lengthen the text, but it is worth it if the additional words provides the readers with necessary details.

Here are a few examples:

Passive Voice	Active Voice
The community members were asked whether the developer's responses answered their questions.	The corridor project team asked community members whether the developer's responses answered their questions.
The amended application must be submitted by the June 1 deadline in order to have the application reviewed.	The applicant or their legal representative must submit an amended application by June 1 for board review.

CAVEAT: There are, however, some instances when passive voice is acceptable or even necessary:

When the actor is unknown or not relevant to the message.	A new park for the recreation center was designed.
When you want to emphasize the action and not the actor.	A comprehensive plan for sustainable development was created in June.
When writing scientific or technical text.	The water samples were collected and the results analyzed.
When you want to avoid blaming language.	The issues arose due to the wording of the regulations.

Source: plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/conversations/use-active-voice/

Limit Qualifying Language

Qualifying language adds nuance and precision to our communication by adjusting the scope, strength, or certainty of statements. For Planning Department purposes, we've categorized these into three types, with examples listed in the following table:

Type	Common Words and Phrases	Examples
Degree of Certainty	may, might, could, seems, probably, likely, definitely, possibly	The planning project will probably be completed in October.
Scope and Degree	always, almost, sometimes, never, rarely, really, very, extremely, slightly, only, just	The planning project is very detailed.
Condition and Comparison	if, unless, similar to, different from	The planning project is similar to the one completed in 2017.

As a guideline, omit qualifiers that strengthen statements (scope and degree) from documents, but include those that express doubt or limit certainty (degree of certainty) as they are acceptable and often necessary.

Here are some examples:

Type	Type	Example
	General Descriptions	Almost all the industrial space is Class C.
	Data Explanations	Most of the residential units in the development are single-family homes.
	Descriptions of Scientific/Technological Phenomena	The rapid infiltration alternative is rarely used for on-site wastewater management.
	Expected/Possible Actions	DPIE possibly will implement the new program in the next fiscal year.

CAVEAT: Statements with uncertainty or doubt can signal a lack of confidence. Use qualifying terms strategically, as their effectiveness greatly depends on context. And as some qualifiers are on the unnecessary words list, consider whether using the word or phrase enhances your statement or if its removal preserves the original meaning.

Source: Karla Lyles and Jeanine Rauch, Structure of Argument, University of Mississippi WRIT 250 Committee OER Project. Creative Commons License: CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED (https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Keep Your Verbs Visible

The use of hidden verbs (or the transformation of verbs or adjectives into nouns) is called nominalization and should be minimized in your writing. Academic writing relies heavily on nominalization, making it more formal and can make it easier to describe complex ideas succinctly. However, nominalization can make sentences abstract, unnecessarily wordy, and less readable to your audience.

Where to find hidden verbs in the narrative? Hidden verbs are often found when words uses include the following suffixes: -ment, -tion, -sions, and -ance; they are also found when linked to verbs such as: achieve, effect, give, have, make, reach, or take.

Below are some common hidden verb phrases used in the planning field:

Noun Phrase	Verb Phrase
implementation of zoning regulations	implement zoning regulations
development of infrastructure	develop infrastructure
preservation of historic districts	preserve historic districts
establishment of green spaces	establish green spaces
promotion of sustainable practices	promote sustainable practices
enhancement of public transportation	enhance public transportation
reduction of urban sprawl	reduce urban sprawl
regulation of land use	regulate land use
facilitation of community engagement	facilitate community engagement
observance of construction safety regulations	observe construction safety regulations
encouragement of mixed-use development	encourage mixed-use development
integration of cycling lanes	integrate cycling lanes
design of urban landscapes	design urban landscapes
construction of affordable housing	construct affordable housing
assessment of environmental impact	assess environmental impact
formulation of city master plans	formulate city master plans
evaluation of planning policies	evaluate planning policies
inclusion of community voices	include community voices

Use Plain Language

Public-facing Planning Department Documents will follow plain language standards similar to those set out in the federal government's Plain Writing Act of 2010 and move away from academic-style writing. Note that the plain language standards do not apply to internal Planning Department documents.

The goal of using plain language guidelines is to enhance the clarity of Planning Department public-facing documents, ensuring that the public can easily find, understand, and use the information we provide to meet their needs.

Why Should the Planning Department Use Plain Language? Using plain language is crucial for the Planning Department because it

• demonstrates our commitment to the public,
• removes communication barriers,
• reduces staff time spent on explaining unclear information to the public, and
• improves compliance.