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How a planner use a topographic map as a tool for sustainable planning?

How they detemine an area is suitable to be a town or a place to develop by just looking in a topographic map.

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1. Topographic maps depict a three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional area. That means that planners can see what kind of elevation changes occur in a specific area. You know, hills, mountains, streams, rivers, etc. They don't want to have a large elevation change because it means a lot of expense in leveling the area, grading, drainage, flood prevention. So they look at the topo maps to find an area where the cost of development will be the least. They also want to find an area where the cost of flood control is the least. When you work with these types of maps a lot, it becomes really easy to visualize what the area probably looks like.
2. Planner's don't just use topographic maps! They have a variety of resources at their disposal: including aerial photos, satellite imagery, topographic maps, geologic and soil maps, vegetation type maps, landuse maps, hydrologic and hydrogeologic maps. In addition, they need land ownership records, and any other printed information about the area. So when they planning any kind of development, they utilise as many of these sources as they can get a hold of!