Fundamentals of

Urban Development and Planning

An Academic Presentation to BdevS, Center for Development Studies, Kathmamndu University, 2014
Rajendra P Sharma
rpsharma@mailcity.com

Urban
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and
vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it.
Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term
is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages
and hamlets.

Region
On the basis of the elemental factor of space, a region is a geographic
or areal unit with certain limits and bounds. The unit may consist of a
few villages or a number of countries. A region may, therefore, be
thought of as an areal or spatial organization of varying dimensions.
Any portion of earths surface where physical conditions are
homogeneous can be considered as a Region in geographic sense,
ranging from a single feature region to compage, depending on the
criteria used for delineation.
In practice, a prefix is added to highlight the attributes on which the
region has been defined, for example, agriculture region, resource
region, city region, planning region,
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Introduction to Planning
All the daily activities of human beings are carried out on land.
land. Proper
organization of these activities i.e. planning will help the human being
in leading a richer and fuller life in livable surroundings or
environment..
environment
"Planning" means the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of
land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the
physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of
urban and rural communities.
Planning a continuous, time-oriented and cyclic process of
identification and achievement of goals

Cyclic Process of Planning:

a process that includes
a) Identification of goals and objectives,
b) Assessment of problems, potential and priorities,
c) Preparation of alternative conceptual plans and their evaluation to
select most appropriate concept,
d) Preparation of plan based on related concept and its approval,
e) Implementation,
f) Feedback, and
g) Review of the Plan
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Fields of Planning:
i)) Urban
ii) Regional
iii) Environmental
iv) Transport, and
v) Infrastructure
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Urban Planning
is a technique and method of development that contributes to
the organization, development and evolution of urban areas and
their urbanizing environs, based on

economic, social, legal, aesthetic concepts and conditions

in order to

promote the welfare of public and quality of environment.
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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
being.. It implies that regional planning is concerned
fundamentally with the society in the context of space.
space.

Environmental Planning
Environmental planning is a tool for environmental protection
and sustainable development of any area from environmental
point of view
view..

Transport Planning
The process of analysis of travel demand in a city or region having
regard to sociosocio-economic, land
land--use, and other factors and formulation
of policies, programmes
programmes,, plans and projects for its efficient
management..
management

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Infrastructure
The basic components of a human settlement that make it functional
and improve its quality of life and include network of water supply,
sewerage, drainage, electricity, communication, transportation and
facilities and services.

Facility in urban planning a premises where health-care, educational,
socio-cultural and recreational activities take place.

Services - include transportation by rail, road, air, waterways,
telecommunication, police protection, fire fighting, postal etc.
etc.

Utilities basic public services like water supply, sewerage, drainage and
electricity supply
supply..
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Definitions and Bases of Planning

Town and Country Planning
to channelize various types of forces such as physical, social,
economic and administrative in a planned manner to create the total
environment, which is healthy, efficient and satisfying for working,
living, recreation and other activities of human being.
being.
Objective
to provide healthy environment and conveniences to the people of
the area by physical arrangement of landland-use pattern and structure.
structure.
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Definitions and Bases of Planning

Social and economic aims town planning

Socially successful planning tends to make peoples life happier,
because it results in physical environment which is conducive to
health; facilitates social interaction and gives visual
attractiveness

It increases wealth, by efficiently arranging communication
routes to carry out human activities in a more efficient and less
wasteful manner through proper spatial arrangement

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Characteristics of successful Town Planning:

Promotion of accessibility

Employment of resources as economically as possible

Separation of incompatible land uses from each other and
association of compatible or mutually helpful uses.

Carrying out of all developments in a visually pleasant and
practical manner

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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:

a) physical environment
b) social environment
c) economic environment

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Urban Planning Basics

Physical environment
A city's physical environment includes its location, its climate and its proximity to
sources of food and water.
water.

Social environment
The social environment includes the groups to which a city's residents belong, the
neighbourhoods in which they live, the organization of its workplaces
workplaces.. One of the biggest
issues in most cities is the inequitable distribution of resources.
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
economy..
Planners work with local authorities to make sure residents are not excluded from the benefits of
urbanization as a result of physical, social or economic barriers.
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Urban Planning Basics

 All the daily activities of human beings are carried out on land.
 Land is the basic platform of all human activities
 Proper organization of these activities i.e. planning will help the human being in

leading a richer and fuller life in liveable surroundings or environment.

 Land is scare resource. Developed urban land is more scarce. With the increasing

urban population the use of land should be very judicious and optimum; hence, it is
important to use the land in sound principles of urban planning.
 A comprehensive understanding of the process through which land uses get

allocated in a city at a particular point of time and change over a period of time (not
rigid but flexible) is necessary
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Land Use Planning

Land-use - an activity performed on a parcel of land, expressed by
category, through colour or black/white hatch pattern.

Land-use planning is basically concerned with location and amount
of various land use areas such as residential, commercial,
religious, cultural and other activities engaged in by the residents
of a city in conduct of their life.

It takes into consideration the economic, social and environmental
conditions while selecting and adopting best option for future land
use and structure to built upon land.
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Land Use Planning

Land-use planning aims to make the best use of land
resources by:

assessing present and future needs and matching it with
supply;

identifying and resolving conflicts between competing uses,
between the needs of individuals and those of the
community, and between the needs of the present
generation and those of future generations;

seeking sustainable options that best meet identified needs
and bring about desired changes;
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Land Use Planning

General Principles

Location Requirements - Indentify three major functional
areas in the urban complex
i)

the work areas,

ii) the living areas and

iii) the leisure-time areas; and

iv)

distributing them in space as per their locational

attributes.
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Land Use Planning

General Principles
Space Requirements is a basis for assessing land
requirement to accommodate growth in urban areas in the next
20 years.
It consists of three major steps:

study of existing land use pattern;

derivation of space standards e.g. density standards population
in residential areas and works in industrial and business areas;

space requirement for facilities such as school, hospital , parks
and play grounds and others .
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Urban Land Use Planning

Land use planning should aim at integrated and comprehensive
planning

Integrated development of residence, work and recreation areas
Geddesian Triangle
Folk (organism)

Work (Function)

Place (Environment)

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Urban Land Use Planning

Comprehensive Planning

It is not merely a physical activity but of multidisciplinary nature

covering economic and social aspects

Integration of old with the new

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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 PlacePlace-WorkWork-Folk is fundamental to land use planning

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Definitions
Accessibility Available means of communication i.e. roads, rail etc.
Base map map serving as the foundation for subsequent planning
showing all physical features and existing land-use/built-up area of the
area/city .
Density of Population population divided by the areas occupied by
houses
Gross density population divided by the area layout including roads
and open spaces.
Net density population divided by the plots, excluding roads and open
spaces.
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Definitions

Recreation areas an area designated for recreational activities

open spaces, play grounds, parks, botanical gardens, golf course etc.

Water bodies River, lakes, ponds, nallah (open drain)

Ring road a circular road on all side of the proposed

development/settlement

Bye pass a road designed to carry heavy vehicular traffic to

operate without entering the built up area of the city.

O D Survey Origin and Destination survey conducted to count

vehicles coming from and going to another area/city.

Public land the land vested with the government

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Residential land-use the land category in a development or layout plan

devoted to residential activity which may be further sub-divided into
zones/clusters by nature (e.g. Primary residential, mixed residential, informal
residential), intensity (e.g. high, medium or law density), type (plotted or flatted),
ownership (individual or group housing).

Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Public-semi-public (utilities/services),

Transportation

Topo-sheet map prepared by Survey of India for entire country, indicating

every details, e.g. road, rail, forest, river, canal, built-up area etc.

Catchment area or drainage basin - area drained by a stream /river or
other body of water (the area and population from which a facility or region
attracts visitors or customers)
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Urban Agglomeration (UA)

the out growths of urban areas have also been incorporated in
larger urban areas and are designated as urban agglomeration
which comprise:
a) An urban area with continuous urban outgrowth which is
outside the statutory urban limits but falling within the
boundaries of the adjoining village or villages;
b) Two or more adjoining urban areas with their outgrowths, so as
to form a continuous urban spread;
c) Two or more adjoining areas without outgrowths, but which
form a continuous urban spread.
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Thank You