Faced with a growing land base and an increasing number of visitors to the reservation, the Grand Traverse Band Tribal Council established the Planning and Development Department in 1997 to build capacity within the community to accommodate new needs. The Department addressed its challenge by embarking on a comprehensive planning process that relies on community involvement at both the reservation and off-reservation levels to help identify key community needs. Since its inception, over 400 tribal members have taken part in the Department’s participatory planning process. Together with the community, the Department has overseen the development of tribal regulatory standards, housing initiatives, state-of-the-art public works projects, and plans for public spaces and public buildings. In sum, the Planning and Development Department improves the Band’s internal governance capacity and lays the groundwork for sound community growth well into the future.