The processes of city planning and development are part of complex networks, often requiring the coordination of diverse tools addressing not only physical, but also social, economic, and political planning. The Master Plan is one of the primary instruments for this purpose, playing a fundamental role in regulating a city's territory.
According to the definition in NBR 12267, which establishes the standards for preparing Master Plans, they are the “basic instrument of a municipal planning process for the implementation of urban development policy, guiding the actions of public and private agents.”
