Key Considerations in Urban Planning

If you can easily navigate your way through a new city, then you should be thankful to its urban planners. Urban planners, who are also known as regional planners, work collaboratively with local officials and city residents to determine what improvements and modifications an area needs for its future development. The entire task is known as urban planning and design that play an indispensable role in developing all major cities and regional areas throughout the world.

At present, more than half of the world’s population live in urban areas. To take care of all the necessities in today’s cities, proper planning and designing are required by adding residential and commercial space to the neighbourhood, planning for future population growth and above all, renewing an economically depressed area. Since planning for all these changes are more complex than it sounds, urban planners need to consider some factors. Here are some key factors of urban planning and design that are required when developing an area:

·         Considering the residents

There was a time, particularly in the 19th century and early 20thcentury when urban planning and management only used to consider the blueprint of design spaces. However, modern cities and urban planning involve their residents in their entire process so that they can figure out the concerned areas where they should give special importance to development.

·         Paying attention to the area’s environment

Urban planning means paying attention to a city’s environment that consists of three major categories – physical environment, social environment and economic environment. When it comes to urban planning and management of a city, the planners need to consider several factors under these categories such as the location of the city and its geologic history, its proximity to food sources and water and current land use. They should also consider demographics in the region and its socioeconomic levels.

·         Choosing progressive plans

Along with considerations for current residents of a city, the urban planners should also think about its future residents. It means that the planners need to figure out the current population trends to know how much space the city requires for future constructions. Based on their considerations, they can decide whether the city should give focus on building apartment buildings and high-rises rather than smaller individual buildings.