Planning Process and Consultation - Assignment Example

Planning process and consultation Name Institution Instructor Subject Date Introduction Urban planning is an essential facet in the society as it ensures individual live in a comfortable environment. This is enhanced by provision of better services that have been allotted to the community members in a given region. All these are geared towards the socio-economic aspects of human growth and development. In the design of urban centers, various challenges are faced which requires appropriate planning and strategies. This has to involve the creative appraisals in the planning techniques. Consultations among the community members are also vital in ensuring that the set plan conforms to the wishes of the surrounding community members. Question 1a Making use of personal or published examples, and explanatory diagrams, illustrate the roles of creative methods in planning appraisal and development of objectives. The planning of urban places entails the appraisal of various techniques. This planning usually happens as a result of an interface between the human mind and the prevailing matter as noted by Cavin (2003). This requires careful examination of human needs for day to day living or rather sustenance. This implies that, these people can live comfortably and can afford to bring food on the table. It is also prudent to ensure that, the issues of shelter are considered as well as, ensuring that the environment is taken care of. The problems always affecting the people should be considered, these are the issues of access, ensuring that the quality of life is improved, ensuring that the pollution is not allowed to happen and ensuring that dwelling s and other places of need are provided. These problems usually elicit the need of an objective but with limitations. Therefore, humans need to open their minds, imagine and use other means to so as to ensure that, the constraints are maximized. This requires the best plan addressing all the objectives. These objectives always aspired to be addressed always remain hypothetical meaning that they it will be good in the future if some things are done. And therefore just like the scientific hypothesis, they must be checked against the facts and assumptions about the changes foreseeable in the future. Consequently, urban and regional planning has been known and still remains an imaginative and creative activity. This has remained to be so for time immemorial in history stretching back to thousands of years ago. As used in planning, thinking and trying to ponder the future is nothing else but an imaginary process whose main aim is to see the development of human life and their living conditions as noted by Hanson and Genevieve (2004). This is intended to be solved by regional planning. Therefore, this termed as an action of idealism all intended to address the problems of the society. Therefore, regional and urban planning is a normative action all intended to being concerned with what should be rather than, being pure empiricism describing and clearly articulating what is supposed to be done. Even though the creative way of planning proved to bear fruits, it was later abandoned just as it had started gaining momentum; power and status. This method was practically used to do most of the reconstruction work after the World War II. It also proved to produce much results as anticipated as it was also engaged to do planning and achieve the desired objectives in Australia during the years of Whitman in (1972- 1975). The practical view of planners during these times were practically of idealism aimed at achieving a better society in terms of living conditions, lifestyle and encouraging achievement of habitable conditions. The town planners during these times were of great importance as they had a role of ensuring they come up with effective plans of the cities, the national parks and other sanctuaries, growth centers. This requires a clear objective of achieving a better habitable condition and the conservation of the environment being pursued. Apparently, there is much evidence that most of the outstanding plans of ancient and modern cities were drawn using creativity where the planners did all they could to imagine about the future. This ensures that, the public settlements and whole settlements are achieved. For instance, the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the great Indus Valley cities were designed to meet the diverse economic and social diversities. Figure 1 Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the great Indus Valley cities (Ardeleanu-Jansen, 2002) Figure 2 Aerial view of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, the great Indus Valley cities (Ardeleanu-Jansen, 2002) These cities were designed to give enough evidence of geometric development with streets and boundaries or rather segregations of the dwelling places, the industrial places, the administrative centers and the religious centers and also have some administrative quarters. Figure 3 The map in which the planning emanated is as shown below (Ardeleanu-Jansen, 2002) This points a finger and affirms that creativity played a great role in the past with objectives being clearly spelt out and maximizing on the minimum constraints. In order to enhance creativity in urban planning, there should be a relationship in the manner in which human interacts with the physical environment. This may be illustrated as in the figure below. Figure 4 Planning problem On the other hand, the effect of industrialization has a massive effect in the manner in which the planning of a given city may be implemented. The planners must employ the creative tactics that would meet the objectives of the firm that has been set. The set up structure has to ensure that human is not affected by the inception of the new project. This has been manifested in the Robert Owen model of manufacturing settlement (Owen, 2000). Apparently, Britain and other parts of the Western Europe, the increasing economic activities and other social political forces attracted people off the agricultural swathes of land and congested them into inhumanly dense cities like Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool. These cities were marked with very poor living conditions with poor sanitation, were polluted and seriously over crowded as stipulated by Rodiek (2002). These cities were not made for human habitants but were more of for industries but had to deal with the problem of people coming and overcrowding there. This rapid growth of the cities occasioned the rise of problems arising mainly health issues. Also the insanitary conditions gave rise to the plague-ridden valleys and winds, the rise of back to back houses, designed without any plans, pollution, lack of fresh air and sunlight. Luckily, a renowned planner conceived an idea on how to solve the menace. As noted by Owen (2000) Robert the New Lenark, through the manufacturing settlement to curb the problem of congestion and fuel some anti- urban kind of lifestyle for the elites. Figure 5View of Lenark source; Robert Owen (1771-1858) (Owen, 2000) Section two Outline, with generous use of your own examples, the main advantages and objections to consultation in community planning. Consultations are an important facet in gathering information on how a given urban planning would be implemented. This is so because, urban and regional planning seeks to utilize the resources available; mostly land to the best for the community and the people at large (Frumkin, Lawrence, and Richard, 2004). Therefore, this call for communication and consultation with other stakeholders like the community, leaders and clergy as his will create a greater bond between the planner and the locals hence achieving what they require since they are given the authority to air their views. These consultations are seriously important to city planners since the problems are better known by the people mostly affected and living in such areas since it is true that what is good for one person maybe bad for the other therefore gives room for airing the issues and compromising the plan to suit everyone. Consulting with the people and the community also has proved to greatly influence the output and enhances or rather multiply the rate of success and realization of development of projects since; it creates what is desired by the people. This process of consultation should therefore incorporate both the stakeholders and the beneficiaries as stipulated by Richard (2000). This approach should come up with such questions as ‘who are the users of the plan ‘and also ask about the needs of the people affected as well as what they are expecting about the projects. However, to the distress of majority, the development projects in some countries or parts of the worlds are imposed to the locals since they do not allow consultation with the locals. This can be said to be an autocratic way of governance since everyone has the right to give views and be heard. This usually leads to a feeling of dissatisfaction and lack of the feel of ownership of the plan since the people mostly affected were not involved. Notwithstanding, success and failure will always remain a worry and a big question in case the community is left out. An instance of planning regarding consultation of community involves the master plan of Delhi- India (Ardeleanu-Jansen, 2002). This master plan was drawn by the technical members and experts and was later taken for discussion with the advisory council and later, notification was made to invite for the participation of the public through the Gazette and the newspapers. Ardeleanu-Jansen (2002) notes that, people were given 90 days to present their views after the notification. Then changes were made in respect to the objections of the people and their suggestion and later presented for implementation by the Ministry of Urban planning. This process points that, there were no attempts made to call for suggestions of the people during the formative stages and these were only done at the final stages leaving no room for their participation due to the constraints of time and budget. Therefore, this can be said to be a non- participatory method. As noted by Pratap (2001), the community should be consulted at the initial stages of development of the plan. Another example of an urban place that was set up due to consultation is the New South Wales in Australia (NSW Government, 2006). Figure 6 Growth centre of Sydney metropolitan (NSW Government, 2006) As it is known by majority, Australia is a country which provides for community participation but this is not reflected when it comes to allowing for the engagement of the voiceless in the projects which are dominated by interested elites and politicians. This country has lagged behind countries like Denmark, Germany and U.S.A. the community is engaged at the initial stages of the planning as indicated in NSW Government (2006). Structure of consultation For effective planning, consultation has to be done in a proper manner. At this point the representatives from the government and the employed consultants meet with the service providers, those representing the community and leaders and will provide the information on the importance of the undertaking and the anticipated impacts on the livelihood of the members of the community as well as the structure of the area. If the government wins the confidence and nod from these people, then the general public is informed (NSW Government, 2006). Additionally, the community is informed about its role in the project, the intended need of the development, the main process to be adopted in the implementation, and the time frame of the project (Rodiek, 2002, p.1-2). In case the community under consideration does accept the project, then a steering committee is hatched. This committee usually involves the committee members representing the community and does understand the underlying issues affecting the people; they understand the government processes and business planning (Pratap, 2001). The committee usually comprises the govt. representatives, the community, the consultants and planners. The aims of consulting Consulting greatly influences the people and hence wins their trust .Consulting greatly enables the locals of the area to fathom the need of the project and the development it would cause (Heikkila, 2000). It has also been proved that consulting the project does benefit the people and that it was not an endeavor undertaken because that’s what the organization wanted to achieve. Consequently, it has been proved that consulting usually leads to a greater commitment by the stakeholder. As indicated in NSW Government (2006). It also helps avert future conflicts which may arise in case they are not consulted. Consultation also contributes to provision of accurate and some more detailed information which without consultation may prove to be hard to obtain. The consultations also offers an improved understanding of the values of the local people, this leads to redesigning of the design and delivery mechanisms and ensure more compatible socio and cultural issues (Hanson and Genevieve, 2004). On the other hand, John (2005, p.28-29) notes that, the objections to consulting include; the assumption that they usually lead to wastage of time, resources and may result to conflicts with the locals. Cavin (2003), argues that, this can be hijacked by politicians or members of elite class who will just influence the people so that their interests can be met. (b) Explore how a consultative approach to planning differs from one which is based mainly on technical knowledge. Essentially, consultative approach usually includes; coming together of stakeholders of a certain development project and the beneficiaries where they come to a common point and decide what best suit the community in terms of the basic needs to their sustenance. This involves the formation of focus groups to check the issues then after this, the plan is drawn while the technical approach usually employs experts from various sections (Paddison, 2001). These groups of experts come up with the best solutions to the problems based on scientific knowledge and try to get what suits the community. This approach does not involve much participation from the locals of the area and other stakeholders since they might be having insufficient knowledge about the subject matter. 3 Section three Select FOUR (4) different views of the bases of knowledge, and explain and illustrate for each the resulting choices of planning methods. Planning has been known to be only realistic on observance and use of knowledge acquired from the past and the present. This knowledge is used as the basis and the framework for the planning of the urban and regional areas. The policies pertaining a situation are equally as god as the information on which they are based. Planning usually raises questions about prediction of the future. It therefore be said that planning is based on three main issues: knowledge, interpretation of information available and prediction of the future. The main views of knowledge are: a) Idealism. b) Empiricism c) Rationalism d) Activism and pragmatism. Rationalism This type of knowledge usually offers first run to human reason but it still acknowledges and supports the need of substantiation of the human senses as well as testing of ideas. As indicated by Ardeleanu-Jansen (2002), this type was first developed and used by Socrates (462-401 BC), who funnily stood everyday at the middle of Athens and questioned every person about the received truths. Empiricism This is school of thought known as critical rationalism. This usually containing a positive approach and it integrates major elements in idealism and empiricism to form a one coherent and strong method. Planning is always trying to spiral upwards and produce the best even though it is not possible to acquire the exact. The rationalists are always on the move to ensure that they merge originality and passion for the purpose of reforming and changing the idealists with the knowledge and information of the existing world. Different planners usually identify the objectives they are aspiring to achieve, they analyze the information at hand, research on the problems they are intending to solve and later analyze the information that is relevant for their proposals (Levent, 2008). For instance, in order to maximize the use of waterfalls at Larnak, planning was done at the vicinity of the hills and ridges as indicated in the figure below. Figure 7 Planning near the water falls (Ardeleanu-Jansen, 2002) The planning method is based on ideas but it relies on the information acquired through surveys and analysis to formulate the plans. Activism and pragmatism This was developed recently by the philosophers. As noted by Landesman and Roblin (2003), outlined the postulation that knowledge cannot clearly give a clear description of the life as it is experienced by humans with all its uniqueness and immediacy as noted in Urban Planning (2008). It says we can only get to understand situations in life by having to enter in them, by having to catch a wave of life at its summit. Essentially, ideas and practices of the community planning and development owe much to the spirit in activism. Landesman and Roblin (2003) notes the teachings were merely based on the campaigns against militant stigmatization and segregation of the Back O’ in Chicago. His campaigned helped curb the problems facing the local communities’ mainly inadequate provision of city services, loan redlining by banks and mortgage problems. It was also used in Bangladeshi were the Seed bank helped bring economic reform in the country and addressed the abject human need and the inequalities present then as noted by John (2005). The economic activism brought with it major reform which spread to reach to the poorest, helped the women economically, helped build more financially and self sufficient institutions, and also impact on clients’ lives and families. Idealism As noted by Landesman and Robin (2002), this was developed due to skepticism by Plato about accuracies of the record of senses mainly due to the differences in time, place and locations and different people in (427-347 BC). This assertion perceived that that knowledge mainly arose from the concepts in human mind and not observation. This aspect has an advantage in planning as, this school of thought contributes to achievement of great ideas which have acted as the impetus for planning and they have acted greatly been used to attract public interest. This provides a platform that enhances listening and talking. Apparently, the communication based planning finds its application in the modern urban planning (Pratap, 2001). This call for solicit of information from the public. This philosophy contains a number of characteristic distinguishing itself from others. These are: 1. Major reliance on discussions- this realizes that these discussions act as the building blocks which the members of the community use to air their views and negotiate (NSW Government, 2006). 2. It beliefs that thoughts are developed within the groups (Landesman and Roblin, 2003). Section 4 What is a System? Making use of diagrams, explain the role of Activity Systems Analysis in planning or design. A system is a set of often interrelated elements as noted by Bhatta (2010). In a system, it is observed that a change in one unit will lead to a notable change in the other and throughout the rest of the system. Rodiek (2002) notes that a system would consist of; a) Input b) Process c) Output. An input can be said to be the incoming elements or the factors into the system. The process is a chain of actions done on the system. These are meant to change the form of parts. The output is the result from the process (Heikkila, 2000). It can be said to be the end effect and its characteristics are affected by the inherent factors in the input and output. Therefore a change in the input will lead to a change in the end effect or the output. Hence in a system, the quality of the inputs and the process has a direct effect on the output. A poor quality or process will lead to a poor quality output. Figure 8 A dwelling system Inputs processes output. Activities in a system can be said to be the most important middle ground used by planners and urban designers (Inside Front Cover-Editorial Board, 2003). These are the ones used to create an effective land use utilizing the available resources and which satisfies the humans. The activities here in the context of regional planning include: recreation, dwelling, transport, administration, education and religion which can be found in an enclosed system say a city. Essentially, activities are systems containing sets of sub systems. Each general category of activities may contain other category of constituent activities. These activities form a sub system. In planning process, these sub activities must be identified and clearly understood. Inherently, the stability of a system is predominantly affected by the subsystems and the activities in it. As noted by Levent (2008), the stability of a system will help the planners predict when things are normal and predict on the future. For instance, in the design and planning of a dwelling system or an estate, one needs to identify the inputs which are the houses for the people. Here we should know how the system are comfortable living, whether a single stand alone houses or in apartments. The class of people should be investigated since they are some sub systems which will greatly influence the planning of the dwelling unit. The process should also be understood. Paddison (2001) notes that, the procedure of implementation of a system is in tandem with the activities of involved in the planning. The process will be the investment to be outlaid and planning and review of the plan. Furthermore, Rodiek (2002) notes that, this may be allotted as indicated in the appendix below. The output is the end results which arise for the plan. These are the metropolitan and the future social life of the people under consideration. The figure 4 indicate shows how the activities that are performed by various individuals may affect the planning process. Various members of the families have various activities that would require setting up of various social amenities. The Environmental phenomena would also influence the allocation of given land as suggested by John (2005). The availability of land would influence what amenities could be built. This would depend on the suitability of land. Figure 9Allocation of land depending on its availability and capital Figure 10 park design The old/ elderly. Activities Families Sitting Entertainment Viewing Meeting Talking Walking Play Organized games Informal activities Other Active Young Children Total Area Land Uses Slope Seats Bandstands Ponds Flower beds Tree groups Etc Paths Play areas Running space Sports space Open space Etc Soil Vegetation Micro-climate Character (b)Show how you would use Activity Systems Analysis to help in the selection, analysis and interpretation of information for one or more particular activity in a planning scheme, which you have undertaken or with which you are familiar. The activity of system analysis bases its application on the fact that the activies that are stipulated are interelated (Heikkila, 2000). There are various sets of activities that depend on the preceding events which would define what is to be planned. This would involve the in cooperation of the input and the output. Activity system identifies the environment where people would be working. For instance, where a factory has to be set up, there is need to identify the places which would occupy working joints, mall for the families, school for the kids and the shopping area (Todd, 2008). This would enhance the manner in which a given city or town would adapt up with new changes. The implementation process should be in tandem with the designated systems that have been set in a given structure. Figure 11 Planning process Input Process Output This requires the exact identification of the required inputs that would be utilized have to be in place. This is a culmination on how a given resource would be acquired, setting up processes and the outputs that are associated with the processes. In the case of the transport system, the planning process may enable the users to accept change. In the development of activities planning various aspects have to be considered. John (2005) notes that, this should be done by ensuring there is provision of health facilities and enivironmental infastruture such as the sewerage systems (Richard, 2000). The community sorrounding should also have ample parking space. In order to utilise the activity system, there is need to identify the activities that would be performed in the planning process. As noted John (2005), this would ensure that the selection of the land users corresonds with the required land uses. The subsystems have to be incooperated and would entail the universal systems, the geography. Ecology and the biosphere. The activity systems bases on the prevailing activities at a given city so as to allocate the facilities that would best suit the required services. Incase of an educational set up, there is need to embrace the facilities that would suit the students, workers, and required stakeholders. References Ardeleanu-Jansen, A., 2002. The Terracotta Figurines from Mohenjo Daro: Consideration of Tradition, Craft and Ideology in the Harappan Civilization (2400-1800 BC). Journal in Indian Archaeology in Retrospect, 2(1), pp. 205-222. Bhatta, B., 2010. Analysis of urban growth and sprawl from remote sensing data. Heidelberg: Springer. Carissa S., Meagan, B., Cynthia, C. and Jenn, R., 2007, enhancing transportation: The Effects of Public Involvement in Planning and Design Processes, University of Minnesota, for the American Institute of Architects. Cavin, I., 2003. Urban planning. New York: H.W. Wilson. Frumkin, H., Lawrence, F, and Richard, J., 2004. Urban sprawl and public health: Designing, planning, and building for healthy communities. Washington, DC: Island. Hanson, S. and Genevieve, G., 2004. The geography of urban transportation. New York: Guilford. Heikkila, J., 2000. The economics of planning. New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Urban Policy Research. Inside Front Cover-Editorial Board, 2003. Landscape and Urban Planning, 63(2), pp.2-12. John, P., 2005, “A Holistic Transportation Planning Framework For Management and Operations,” ITE Journal, 75(5), pp. 28-32. Landesman, C. and Roblin, M., 2003. Philosophical Skepticism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Landesman, C. and Robin, M., 2002. Skepticism: From Plato to Rorty. Oxford: Blackwell. Levent, B., 2008. Urban planning. Cheltenham, Glos, UK: Edward Elgar Pub. NSW Government, 2006. A New Direction for NSW: State Plan (Draft for Consultation). Available at: Accessed http://www.nsw.gov.au/stateplan, [Accessed 12 May 2012]. Owen, R., 2000. Owen of new Lanark and new harmony. Donnachie: Tuckwell press. Paddison, R., 2001. Handbook of urban studies. London: SAGE. Pratap, M., 2001. Urban Planning: Theory & Practice. New Delhi: CBS & Distributors. Richard, W., 2000. The Genie In The Bottle: The Interstate System And Urban Problems, Journal of Public Roads, 64(2) pp.1939-1957. Rodiek, J., 2002. "Landscape and urban planning cover for 2003." Landscape and Urban Planning, 62(1), pp. 1-2. Todd, L., 2008. Introduction to Multi-Modal Transport Planning, VTPI Urban Planning, 2008.Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies. All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai. Read More