Why town planning

This approach is what is now sometimes termed 'masterplanning' or 'regeneration'. The turn of the 18th Century saw the start of the Industrial Revolution, triggering population moves from the countryside into towns and cities to work in factories.

Without agreed building standards, this led to the development of overcrowded and poorly built buildings, divided up into flats, sometimes without toilets or bathrooms and a lack of lighting and ventilation.

Ebenezer Howard had recognised that planners could change the way people lived when he wrote the book; To-morrow: A peaceful path to real reform , in He proposed a solution of 'cities surrounded by belts of green land' to prevent housing and towns sprawling into the countryside and preserve the environment.

Later, a New Towns Act was passed giving the government powers to designate land for the planning and building of 'New Towns' across the UK, the first being Stevenage.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, the construction of new towns provided new problems for planners in the UK with 4million houses needed. Therefore in , the government nationalised the development and use of land, and created a comprehensive planning system via a Town and Country Planning Act.

These laws were fundamental in laying the foundations for the planning systems that exist today, setting many of the overall principles on how and why to plan. Planners are still required to write policies to promote or restrict where building should go and make decisions on applications for development.

Post war redevelopment led to the construction of new roads and a rise the use of cars. The government therefore commissioned and published what was known as the 'Buchannan report' on traffic in towns in Housing, employment, accessibility and safety are key concerns for urban dwellers. These topics are strongly correlated to urban form.

The right policies on density, land use, public space and the layout of infrastructure and services can make a difference in delivering quality of life at the right price point. Making sure there are plenty of jobs in a city is a priority for local leaders.

Cities compete to attract investment with a view to generating economic activity. Planning coordinates the spatial location and distribution of economic activity and facilitates value capture from public investment and the transformation of rural to urban land. City leaders that are able to see opportunity in urbanization would need to engage all possible contributions toward capturing it.

A collectively held framework gives local leaders a road map to reach out to citizens, energize departments and mobilize partners so that they become engaged in realizing the vision.

Cities do not operate in vacuums. Their footprint is associated with a surrounding region with which they share resources and opportunities.

Rather than just looking within municipal boundaries, cities that plan together can make a competitive advantage out of cross-municipal coordination. In addition to spatial efficiencies, this would allow them to draw on economies of scale to boost their negotiation power. They know that the population might increase, but it could be in five years or 20 years. In order to predict such fluctuations, planners may look to data to track changes , such as new constructions or demolitions, in an area over time.

Rockport, just off the coast in Texas, days after Hurricane Harvey touched down. Many struggling cities in the United States are part of the trend toward urban renewal. This can involve either renovating existing structuring or demolishing them to make way for new buildings. Although a building may be in disrepair, it could be a historic site or landmark. City residents may want to preserve the area in favor of building a new strip mall or, as mentioned previously, an expressway.

Many planners also keep in mind the tax incentives available to different regions. Tax credits help fund sustainable or green designs and provide better access to public transportation or low- to moderate-income housing. Some incentives also help encourage small businesses to open in particular neighborhoods or regions. In the event of a natural disaster , urban planning professionals may play a role in recovery and mitigation efforts. These include rebuilding roads, updating building codes, and strengthening the overall resiliency of a jurisdiction.

Urban planning matters in all communities, large and small. The U. In addition to education, planners must know how to create effective plans for current and future residents. Much of this comes down to having the right data. Planners and other officials often employ a number of GIS solutions that include high-resolution aerial imagery for planning and mapping.

H igh-resolution oblique aerial imagery enables users to view, analyze, and measure objects seen in imagery.