What: This article discusses urban planning and key principles of urban design.
Why: To help highlight the necessity of sustainable urban planning and its implementation strategies. And also challenges faced during urban planning and its sustainable solutions.
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ALT Text: Urban Planning and Development
Urban Planning and development play an important role in shaping our environment. It is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment. This includes air, water, and the infrastructure passing in and out of urban areas.
What is Urban Planning and Development?
Urban Planning is the process of improving existing or creating new urban areas. It deals with the production, structuring, and appropriation process of urban space. The main objective is to improve the quality of life of people. This includes transport, security, access opportunities, and even interaction with the natural environment.
The problems arising from urbanization are dealt with in the process of urban planning. It is essential to discuss those problems in the current context of unmanaged population growth. The practice draws from many disciplines-architecture, engineering, economics, sociology, public health, finance, and more.
Why does Urban Planning Matter?
Urban planning plays a crucial role in shaping the structure of our communities. It serves as a process aimed at improving existing urban areas or creating new ones. For this, it requires a great deal of forward-thinking and thorough planning.
Planned city growth is a key aspect of why urban planning matters. By setting specific objectives for development and holding onto a well-defined framework, cities can meet current and future needs. Here let’s discuss more about why Urban Planning matters.
- Planned City Growth
Planned city growth is one of the reasons why urban planning matters. City development is always efficient when it is in line with a specific vision. It relies on a framework that takes into account the current and future needs of the city’s population.
Planned city growth leads to a strong relationship between local leaders, various departments, and citizens. This results in the entire community pursuing a common goal of productivity and better living. As per experts from CDR Writers Australia, Civil Engineers also play a crucial role in this framework, ensuring the structural integrity and efficiency of various infrastructural developments. Similarly, here are some more benefits of Planned City Growth:
- Infrastructure Development
- Effective use of land
- Environmental Sustainability
- Transportation planning
- Housing Solution
- Improves Health and Quality of Life
Developing urban areas systematically improves health and quality of life. It shapes the environment in ways that positively impact physical, mental, and social well-being.
A planned city can provide its residents with access to all essential services, points of interest, and amenities. At the same time, the unfavorable aspects of urban life are reduced, leading to an overall healthier lifestyle and improved quality of life. Here are some ways urban planning contributes to improving health:
- Accessible Green Spaces
- Social connectivity
- Air and Water quality
- Healthcare Access
- Safety and Security
- Better Economy and Resource Utilisation
Urban planning plays a significant role in promoting economy and resource utilization. In well-developed cities, the availability of markets creates plenty of job opportunities. This relationship between the availability of the market and Job opportunities becomes an important factor for economic growth. This influences every aspect of urban life.
Urban planning plays an important role in improving the economy in several ways:
- Job Creation
- Infrastructure Investment
- Tourism and Recreation
- Resource Efficiency
- Attracting Investments
Challenges in Urban Planning
Urban planning and development face a variety of challenges that reflect the complexity of managing cities. The significant challenges are overpopulation and urbanization. As the population increases, there also increases in the demand for housing, transportation, and other essentials. Balancing this while maintaining the quality of life for residents poses a constant challenge.
Here are some of the challenges of Urban planning:
- Urban Sprawl
Urban Sprawl is the migration of people from populated areas to low-density areas. It is an uncontrolled and often unplanned expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural or undeveloped land. It is characterized as the outward growth of a city.
Urban Sprawl often has a significant impact on the environment resulting in pollution and loss of natural habitats. This is due to the conversion of open space into build-up areas contributing to habitat fragmentation. Similarly, the increasing reliance on automobiles in sprawl cities results in air pollution. This contributes to the “heat island” effect, where large expanses of concrete raise temperatures
Urban sprawl has several features. Some of them are:
- Low-density development
- Automobile dependency
- Loss of Agriculture and Green Spaces
- Infrastructure Challenges
- Individual Control or Small Parcels of Lands
Individual control or small parcels of land refers to ownership or control of a small piece of land by an individual. This approach contains both opportunities and challenges for urban space development.
The fragmentation of land ownership affects the planning and utilization of space within a city. Whereas, owners’ possible refusal to sell or merge their properties with other parcels, may result in densification challenges. This limits the possibilities for planned and coordinated development.
Likewise, Here are a few of the issues this task raises:
- Fragmented Development
- Limited Public spaces
- Zoning and Land Use Conflicts
- Ineffective land use
- Unique Environment Site
Every city occupies a unique environment site that makes one city unique from another. The presence of these sites poses challenges in urban planning. The sites containing sensitive areas, habitats, or natural landmarks, require careful consideration of continuous urban development.
Many unique environment sites provide unique ecological services. Some of them are water purification, flood control, and air quality regulation. Therefore while planning on developing urban areas, these services must be taken into consideration.
Similarly here are some other challenges associated with incorporating unique environment sites.
- Biodiversity Conservations
- Climate Change Resilience
- Cultural and Recreational Value
- Regulatory Compliance
- Housing Affordability
Housing affordability is one of the significant challenges in urban planning. This shows how many people face difficulties in finding affordable houses in city areas.
The availability of affordable housing units is often not sufficient to meet demand. Many cities struggle to provide affordable housing facilities for moderate-income residents, which leads to housing shortages.
Similarly, there are several factors contributing to this challenge. Some of them are:
- Rising real estate price
- Income inequality
- Zoning Regulations
- Construction costs
Here, the points mentioned above are some of the challenges of urban planning.
Urban planning Solutions
Urban planning solutions are strategies designed to overcome the issues of Urban planning. This includes the Innovative solutions that must be applied to address the complex issues invited by rapid urbanization.
Urban planners should consider the policy of sustainable development. To overcome the problems, planners must develop solutions that promote sustainable and liveable cities. Here are some of the solutions for urban planning:
- Sustainable and Affordable Housing
Developing sustainable housing refers to developing a housing layout with social and psychological satisfaction. This includes building housing units and providing affordable housing to help low-income residents in urban areas.
Affordable housing has been a commonly used term to identify housing difficulties in many places. It is a housing that is accessible to low-income residents without negotiating their ability to meet basic needs.
Sustainable housing is designed to minimize its environmental impacts. This involves energy-efficient appliances, water-saving fixtures, and renewable energy sources. Sustainable housing promotes the use of sustainable materials and practices to reduce any type of waste.
- Zero-carbon Cities
Zero-carbon cities are those cities that run entirely on renewable energy. It does not contain any carbon footprint and will not cause any harm to the planet..
An established city must reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses to become a zero-carbon city. Similarly, all the projects that emit those gasses must be closed or must apply alternative practices.
Zero-carbon cities aim to reduce carbon emissions from buildings, reducing waste, transport, and so on. This can be achieved in many different ways; increasing photosynthesis space as part of green infrastructure. Similarly, Improving Eco-Efficiency and increasing Renewable Energy Resources also helps in reducing carbon emissions.
- Green Roofs
Green Roofs are roofs with vegetated surfaces. This provides ecosystem service in urban areas, including improved stormwater management, better regulation of building temperature, and so on.
If this technique is applied in your building it can come with a lot of benefits. Some of these are:
- Stormwater Management
Green roofs can help with controlling the stormwater runoff which is a major problem in many cities. They can retain water at a rate of 50-90% depending on the design of the roofs. - Improvement of Micro-climate
Green roofs can improve the micro-climate by reducing the temperature of the air above rooftops. This is possible as rainwater evaporates, it humidifies the air above it, making the air cooler. - Protection from Noise Pollution
Green roofs can be a great advantage when it comes to noise pollution. Urban areas are mostly subjected to sources of loud sounds and noises particularly.
- Sustainable Transportation
Sustainable transportation promotes a balance between transportation’s economic and social benefits. This also promotes the need to protect the environment and offers innovative solutions to reduce traffic congestion and enhance mobility.
Sustainable Transportation is a transportation system that allows individuals and society to meet their needs safely. It is affordable and offers a choice of transport mode.
A sustainable transportation system limits the emission and waste within the planet’s ability to absorb. Similarly, it minimizes the use of non-renewable resources. Also, it limits the use of renewable resources to the sustainable yield.
Sustainable Urban Planning Strategies
Sustainable Urban planning strategies aim to create socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. These strategies aim to reduce the negative impacts of urbanization on the environment. It improves the quality of life for the residents and creates the most sustainable future.
Many different strategies can be implemented to create sustainable cities. Some of them are:
- Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
TOD is centered around public transportation that creates a sustainable and walkable community. It aims to increase the accessibility and convenience of public transportation.
- Green Building Practices
Green Building practice aims to reduce the environmental impact of buildings. It prioritizes creating structures that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.
- Urban Green Spaces
Urban green spaces are essential to creating balanced, liveable cities. These spaces like parks, gardens, and tree lines contribute to improving both the physical and mental well-being of residents. They may also absorb excess rainwater, and provide shade during heatwaves.
- Complete Streets
The idea of Complete Streets encourages the design and operation of streets that are secure, convenient, and safe for all. The objective is to create roadways that are comfortable for all users, including vehicles, pedestrians, and passengers using public transportation.
- Waste Reduction and Recycling
The main objective of Solid Waste Reduction and recycling is to reduce the negative impact of human activities. This focuses on minimizing the amount of waste generated and promoting the reuse of materials.
- Water Conservation
Water conservation is an important practice that includes the responsible use of water resources. This is to ensure the sustainability of water resources for current and future generations. As the demand rises, it becomes important to adopt water-saving habits.
- Mixed-use Zoning
Mixed-use zoning allows the coexistence of different land uses within a designated area. This encourages the integration of various functions within a single development instead of separating land into different zones. This approach aims to create more lively, walkable communities where people can live, work, and play near.
Key Principles of Urban Design
Urban design is a versatile field. This focuses on shaping the physical and organization of urban areas. This includes planning the layout of streets and buildings to designing public spaces and parks.
Here are some Key principles of Urban Design:
- Human Scale
Human scale places a high value on designing places and surroundings to meet people’s needs. It highlights how important it is to design neighborhoods and cities with a density and scale that promotes comfort and connection among residents.
- Mixed-use Development
Mixed-use development focuses on merging several land uses into a single project. This strategy is predicated on the idea that more lively urban settings can be produced by carefully arranging a mixture of commercial, residential, and recreational places.
- Connectivity
The connectivity concept focuses on creating well-connected and accessible environments. This idea includes a variety of elements that go beyond simple physical connections to create a coordinated and useful urban environment.
- Public Spaces
Public areas significantly influence the liveability of a city. Parks, gardens, and pedestrian zones are some examples of spaces that enhance an urban environment’s social, cultural, and economic aspects.
- Sustainability
Sustainability is a reflection of people’s increasing understanding of the economic, social, and environmental problems that cities face. The goal of urban planning is to build places that respect the environment and improve people’s quality of life.
- Safety and Security
Safety and security influence the planning and layout of cities. The inclusion of safety and security is important to foster a sense of community, promote economic development, and ensure the overall quality of life. It is important to create an environment that prioritizes the well-being of residents and visitors.
Wrapping Up
Urban planning and development are essential processes that shape the structure of our communities. It aims to improve quality of life by promoting sustainable growth and efficient infrastructure all through systematic design and addressing challenges in urban planning.
Urban planning and development reflect various challenges. Some of them are urban sprawl, fragmented development, unique environmental sites, and housing affordability. These types of challenges demand innovative solutions. Some of the suggested solutions are Sustainable strategies, including transit-oriented development, green building practices, and mixed-use zoning. These solutions are expected to contribute to creating socially, economically, and environmentally balanced cities. For more informative blogs, please visit Expert Civil, where we provide articles related to engineering and development.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are the 7 Types of Urban Planning?
Urban Planning is the process of improving existing or creating new urban areas. The 7 types of urban planning are:
- Strategic Urban Planning
- Land-use Planning
- Master Planning
- Urban Revitalization
- Economic Development
- Environmental Planning
- Infrastructure Planning
- What are the 4 Stages of Urban Development?
The four stages of Urban planning are:
- Urbanization
- Suburbanization
- Counter
- Re-urbanization
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