Overview of Urban and Regional Planning Theories and Issues Implication to Architectural Practices

OVERVIEW OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING THEORIES AND ISSUES IMPLICATION TO ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICES

Petric Geddes – the founder of modern town and regional planning. The theoretical ideas of Petric Geddes have influenced much subsequent planning practice, regional economic development and environmental management . In particular his focus on the triad ‘Place-Work-Folk’ is fundamental to land use planning. Urban Planning – is a technique and method of development that contributes to the organization, development and evolution of urban areas and their urbanising environs, based on economic, social, legal and aesthetic concepts and conditions in order to promote the welfare of public and quality of environment. Urban Planning Basics Goal of Planning - to guide the development of a city or town so that it furthers the welfare of its current and future residents by creating convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient and attractive environments. Three key aspects of Urban/City Planning:  

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Physical environment - A city's physical environment includes its location, its climate and its proximity to sources of food and water. Social environment - The social environment includes the groups to which a city's residents belong, the neighborhoods in which they live, the organization of its workplaces. One of the biggest issues in most cities is the inequitable distribution of resources. Economic environment - Primary employers, such as manufacturing as well as research and development companies, retail businesses, universities, federal labs, local government, cultural institutions, and departments of tourism all play strong roles in a city's economy.

Regional Planning - It is a specific type of planning, based on a specific planning structure (regional system), for inducing public action aimed at societal well-being. It implies that regional planning is concerned fundamentally with the society in the context of space.

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THEORIES OF EXPLAINING THE EMERGENCE OF TOWNS: 1. Central Place Theory Developed by the German geographer Walter Christaller in 1933 .It explains the reasons behind the distribution patterns, size, and number of cities and towns. Examples. Polders of the Netherlands, the Fens of East Anglia in the UK Basic elements of Central Place Theory are:  A central good  A central place  A complimentary region Assumptions  humans will always purchase goods from the closest place  unbounded isotropic (all flat), homogeneous, limitless surface  evenly distributed population  all settlements are equidistant and exist in a triangular lattice pattern  evenly distributed resources 2. Public Choice Theory Advanced by Paul Peterson in his 1981 book, City Limits .States that urban politicians and governing regimes are subordinate to the overall economic principles that force cities to compete to capture new investment and capital. The competitive nature of cities encourages the business elite and politicians to favour new development. 3. Bid Rent Theory Geographical economic theory that refers to how the price and demand for real estate change as the distance from the central business district (CBD) .This is based upon the idea that retail establishments wish to maximize their profitability, so they are much more willing to pay more for land close to the CBD and less for land further away from this area. The amount they are willing to pay is called "bid rent". THEORIES OF EXPLAINING HOW TOWNS ARE ARRANGED: 1. Grid model/Hippodamian plan Proposed by Hippodamus of Miletus who is considered the father of rational city planning. The center of the city contains the agora (Market

place), theaters, and temples. Private rooms surround the city’s public arenas. The plan can be laid out uniformly over any kind of terrain since it’s based on angles and measurements. Examples; The city of Priene . 2. Concentric Zone model Also known as The Burgess Model, The Bull's Eye Model.Developed in the 1920's by the urban sociologist Ernest Burgess. The model portrays how cities social groups are spatially arranged in a series of rings. The size of the rings may vary, but the order always remains the same. 3. Multiple Nuclei method The Multiple Nuclei Model is an ecological model created by Chauncy Harris and Edward Ullman in the 1945. City grows from several independent points rather than from one central business district. As these expand, they merge to form a single urban area. Ports, universities, airports and parks also act as nodes. Based on the idea that people have greater movement due to increased car ownership. 4. Urban Realms Model Developed by James E. Vance Jr. in the 1960’s. Each realm is a separate economic, social and political entity that is linked together to form a larger metro framework.suburbs are within the sphere of influence of the central city and its metropolitan CBD. Now urban realms have become, so large they even have exurbs, not just suburbs. 5. Core frame model The Core frame model is a model showing the urban structure of the Central Business District of a town or city. The model includes an inner core where land is expensive and used intensively. The outer core and frame have lower land values and are less intensively developed. The various land uses are linked to the bid rent theory. 6. Irregular pattern model Arrangement of Public space that characterizes the stage of "Transition from village to city" especially in Third World. This urban model is due to lack of planning or construction and illegal without a specific order. Includes blocks with no fixed order, or permanent and temporary structures. Structures are not related to an urban centres near the place. http://www.slideshare.net/bgeffa/urban-models-23134278 Issues of Urban Planning 1. Individual Control or Small Parcels of Land

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Arbitrary Political Boundaries Irregularity of Environmental Site Heritage of Past Construction Anticipation of Future Change

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