master plans
Overarching strategic blueprints
Master plans are comprehensive, long-term strategies for achieving a goal or developing something complex.
Urban planners create master plans for cities; architects draft them for campuses or large developments.
The term often implies ambition and scope: The company unveiled its master plan for global expansion.
In popular culture, master plans are associated with villains scheming toward world domination—giving the phrase a slightly grandiose or ironic edge: What's your master plan for getting out of this?
- city planningDesigning how towns develop
- zoningSectioning areas by use
- roadmapDetailed plan forward
- blueprintDetailed technical drawing
- drawing boardFlat surface for sketching
scheme · proposal · evil genius · taking over · transportation networks · regional planning · strategy · big picture · layout · endgame · long game · framework · land use · design · sustainable development · outline · zoning ordinances · plotting
- urban developmenturban development, sprawl, city planning, urban policy, zoning
- land usezoning ordinances, suburban sprawl, land management, arable land, industrial
- landscape designgarden design, landscape plans, plant selection, hardscape, softscape
- municipal recordscity archives, city records, meeting minutes, city ordinance, ordinance
- urban designcity planning, streetscape design, urban design, streetscapes, pedestrian zones
- urban mapscity plans, street maps, district maps, neighborhood maps, metro maps
master plansimprovisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
winging it · spontaneity · ad-libbing · playing it by ear · flying by the seat of your pants
master, mastery, mastermind, mastered, masterful, mastering, masters, headmaster, masterfully