The preparatory zoning plan must be realised for the entirety of the municipal territory. It organizes the territory for the next 10 to 15 years in zones of future usage (residential, commercial, transportation, agriculture and zones of environmental protection). The plan descibes the objectives and goals for the development of the town. Since the zoning plan is the base for the land-use plans, it is also called the preparatory zoning plan (see Baugesetzbuch).