Strategies For Managing Urban Development

Recent developments, like flood, demolitions has prompted this episode, Strategies For Managing Urban Development. So today on Space.com we have a professional in the built industry to talk us about town planning.

Town planning is the process of managing land resources.

It involves the control of existing and new developments, as well as strategy preparation to ensure manage future requirements.

It is a dynamic process that changes in response to policy, development proposals and local needs.

Historically, the practice of urban planning and applying some level of control to the design to communities, dates back at least as far as the third millennium BC, and the urban designs of the Mesopotamians, Minoans, and Egyptians.

Watch full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnxvX6apuM

Grid-like, or orthogonal, urban plans were first used for structuring cities in the 8th century BC by the Ancient Greeks, and the Roman Empire then dramatically expanded city planning, predominantly for military defence, but also for public convenience, developing the ‘city centre’.

Joining us to discuss this is Niyi Olagoke: Fmr. Hon. Secretary, Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers.

Thank you for joining us.

1. Now what we just heard is a wholistic definition. Let’s break it down. What is town planning?

• Principles of planning better cities

• What are the factors affecting town planning?

ECONOTES

CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-PLANNED CITY

1. Grid

In grid planning, the division is made out of the streets intersecting at right angles, forming a grid.

Grid plans being the first measure for carving out the planned economy facilitate development because developers can subdivide and auction off large parcels of land.

2. Sector

The sector is defined as the self-sustainable unit constituting of the mixed land-use typologies.

Each SECTOR is a self-sufficient unit having shops, schools, health centers and places of recreation and worship.

3. Hierarchy Of Green Areas

A Hierarchy of Green Spaces can be observed in both the layout ranging from Public Greens at City Level to Semi-Private to Private Green Areas.

4. Central Business District

The central area of a city in which a concentration of certain retail and business activities takes place, especially in older cities with rail transportation.

5. Hierarchy Of Circulation

The term ‘circulation’ refers to the movement of people through, around and between buildings and other parts of the built environment.

Within buildings, circulation spaces are spaces that are predominately used for circulation, such as entrances, foyers and lobbies, corridors, stairs, landings and so on.

6. Family-Life And Community Living

Emphasis on community living can be given by designing schools along with green belts safe for children, dispensaries, shopping, community centers, centrally located at a 10-minute walk distance and bus stops on the main road within walking distance.

7. TOD – Transit Oriented Development

Transit-Oriented Development is an exciting fast-growing trend in creating vibrant, livable, sustainable communities.

Also known as TOD, it’s the creation of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high-quality train systems.

8. Land-Use Mapping

Land use mapping is the process of identifying an area of land’s use. It includes the classification of different types of land as well as the distribution and use of the land geospatially within a region.

9. Mixed-Use Development

In mixed-use areas, you can find housing, restaurants, services, schools, cultural facilities, parks, and more.

This connectivity reduces the need for private vehicles, thus increasing the viability of public transport.

10. Norm And Social Role Conflict

The urban community is characterized by the norm and social role conflict.

Factors such as the size, density and heterogeneity of the population, extreme occupational specialization and the class structure prevalent in the urban context, lead to such a state of affairs.

Thanks for holding on. If you just joined in, this is space.com on LN247 and we’ve been discussing town planning.

Niyi Olagoke: Former Hon. Secretary, Nigeria

Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers is still here with us. Let’s take it home.

• Let’s talk about the recent oyan river dam opened in ogun state that has sacked homes, businesses, schools. This is a yearly occurrence. Talking about the estates around and the explanation you have given so far on town planning, is Isheri community well planned?

• Lagos state and Ogun state share isheri community. How true is this?

• Let’s talk about demolitions generally, ajao estate, lekki…where these people given notice and if they were, why would you allow them to build till they’re even living there, then demolition starts!

• Lagos has a masterplan. Is Lagos following it? After Lateef Jakande, have other governors following him followed the Lagos Master Plan? What more can be done set Lagos straight.