Urban planning, regulation and design of uses of space that concentrates on economic functions, social impacts and physical form impacts of urban environment as well as on location of various activities within it.
Since urban planning relies heavily on architectural, social, engineering and public concerns, it happens to be a very broad technical profession. At the same time, this happens to be a feat that involves political will and public transportation. Not to mention, an academic discipline that should be handled thoroughly.
Requirements of Effective Urban Planning
Urban planning depends itself with the development of both open land as well as revitalization of existing parts of the city. Thereby, it demands several aspects such as:
- Goal setting
- Data collection and analysis
- Strategic thinking
- Public consultation
- Forecasting and;
- Design
In the long run, technology used for GIS or Geographic Information System has been used in mapping the current urban system and also, to forecast consequences of changes.
In late 20th century, the phrase sustainable development has been realized as a way to represent favorable outcome in all of the planning goals.
What Urban Planning should be Like?
United Nations is advocating World Commission on Environment and Development in Our Common Future in 1987. Here, sustainability has a different meaning which refers to development meeting the needs of present world without compromising ability of the future generations in meeting their needs.