Town Planning LI: To understand the role of a town planner
Warm up In pairs or individually, create an image or idea of your ideal town.
town planning Town planners, sometimes called urban planners are responsible for planning a pre-existing or future urban area a process that considers: The development, use, and modification of natural land Planning, building, and expansion permissions Protection and responsible use of the environment Design of the urban environment, including air, water, and infrastructure Public welfare, including safety and lifestyle considerations
social considerations Town planners must consider the needs and wants of a community before developing or expanding a town. A town without people is pointless, so catering to people s social, physical, and emotional wellbeing is vital to creating an environment that people will want to live in. Identify the aspects of a town below and whether they meets relate to the needs or wants of a community. Playgrounds and parks Access to goods & services Sewerage and water systems NEED WANT Brainstorm the needs and wants of the Springfield community. Public transport
Environmental considerations It is the responsibility of town planners to take the natural environment into consideration when developing or expanding a town. Destruction of natural habitat cannot always be avoided, but relocation of fauna, designated green zones, and sustainable building projects can all help to reduce these negative environmental impacts. Consider the following situations and how the environment may be negatively impacted, as well as how those impacts may be avoided. Road must be built through natural kangaroo habitat Industrial area will create significant air and soil pollution Boat ramp must be built onto shore and into sea Pathways must be constructed around wetland habitat
economic considerations Not only do town planners need to consider the budget freedoms and restrictions related to the development or expansion of a town, they must also consider the potential economic opportunities and barriers for a town and its inhabitants. Financial decisions must be approved by government councils, and must be justified. Brainstorm some economic opportunities & barriers for a new town. GAME In small groups, suggest and justify the modification or expansion of our classroom in preparation for a pitch. You must outline clearly what your plans are, and the economic impacts that your plans will have on the classroom s inhabitants. NOTE: Economic impacts do not just have to refer to money in this hypothetical situation.
Infrastructure Transportation Considerations must be made with regard to how and where people in a town will travel to and from. Road systems must be built to account for traffic flow, public transport must be organised to provide alternative means of transport, and transport networks must be safe and useable by all members of a community. Communications Communication systems must be planned and established in order for people within a town to communicate with each other and with people outside of a town. These systems include phone lines, reception towers, wifi networks, and broadband speeds, and must all be connected to individuals efficiently and safely. Distribution Networks Distribution networks are concerned with the ways that power and electricity are used and distributed in a town. Town planners must consider the locations and processes that transmit power from a central area to individual consumers, including households and businesses.
Activity Research the following cities to discover how they have been planned to account for urbanisation and how effective they have been. In your research you should list the social, environmental, and economic impacts that have been considered in each city. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Eixample, Barcelona Dubai, United Arab Emirates Washington DC, USA Hashima Island, Japan Auroville, India Ordos Kangbashi, China