Degradation of Land Resources and Their Usefulness - Essay Example

Topic: Lecturer: Presentation: Introduction Populations that are well-planned and designed encourage investment as well as employment opportunities. Land use planning in cities, municipalities and rural landscapes influences peoples’ access to essential resources such as food, healthcare and security. This paper evaluates the role of land use planning in the judicious distribution of population, housing, and infrastructure and orderly development of the built environment. It aims at enhancing awareness of the role of land use planning, its use, misuse and application of land use in the orderly and efficient development of the built environment, as well as resolving adverse consequences of development such as; urban traffic congestion, quality of life, housing, protection of environment and security among others. It assesses the structure of cities, towns and rural landscapes and how land use planning influences them. It also highlights differences in; built form, mix of land uses, density, and size of property / land parcels, street layout and neighborhood pattern, treatment of the public realm as well as public and private transportation.  The Concept of Land Use planning Land-use planning can be defined as the organized evaluation of geographical, social and economic aspects with the aim of supporting and empowering land users in identifying sustainable alternatives that enhance their output and also facilitate accomplishment of societal needs (FAO, 1993). The idea of land use planning should not only be conceptualized in terms of production. Rather, many other aspects such as land utility for example protected areas, leisure neighborhoods, transport, water catchments and dumping sites among others. Berke & Godschalk (2006) observed that land use planning is practiced in all societies although some do not apply the phrase. Failure in land use planning leads to degradation and depletion of land resources as well as conflicts in the use of common resources. In rural landscapes, lack of land use planning leads to poor productivity of land. Built Form The built-up area significantly affects the functioning of cities. This is the area that comprises human activities except the open areas that extend to more than four hectares, land that is under cultivation, forest land, water bodies and other parcels of land that are under no productive use. Airfields and highways that are not adjoining the urban used land are not classified among the built-up land (Honachefsky, 1999). There are differences in the built form of different cities, towns and rural landscapes. Most cities’ built form is characterized by bands of social classes with an outward arrangement from the Central Business District which is the first band at the core. The second band comprises industries and warehouses, which attract a great number of laborers who settle within this band. The settlements are mainly informal and of low class. The third band comprises better housing for mainly the skilled workers. The middle class mainly occupy the fourth band with larger and modern houses. The fifth band comprises bigger homes than the middle class settlements. These are mainly people who commute from their purchased homes daily (Craig et al. 2003). Land Use Mix Mixing of land uses is a modern practice involving development of different land uses within a particular location. For example, buildings can house a supermarket in the ground floor, an educational institution and a bank in the second floor. Residential houses can also be mixed with retail shops as well as offices. Income classes can also be mixed within a particular locality. Craig et al. (2002) observe that the mixing of land use is an aspect of new urbanism that is important in reducing the difficulties encountered in commuting among city and town workers. It is being encouraged by environmentally concerned land use planners in consideration of the green house gas emissions emanating from commuter and personal vehicles as people travel to work. Walking and cycling to work reduces green house gases and also helps in maintaining a healthy population when people exercise daily. On the other hand, people are able to reduce travel costs when they find employment in the neighborhood. Mixing regularly used services increases convenience and service delivery to the people. The emergence of urban villages as a result of land use mix in modern cities and towns has enhanced work-life balance for many workers who have family responsibilities that need constant attention. Moreover, the perception of safety has increased as people do not have to travel far for services. For example, the presence of primary schools in the neighborhood of the residential and working areas enhances the security of children (Evans, 2004). However, land use mixing results in several disadvantages when misused. For example, no matter the reduction in commuting for workers, it poses a health risk for factories to be established in residential areas. Land use planners need to identify the particular businesses or firms that are environmental friendly. Social places also need to be located conveniently in places where they do not generate conflicts such as the location of bars close to schools or residential places. There is need to conduct an assessment of the impacts of land use mix among various stakeholders (Bento et al. 2003). Population Density Population is a critical factor that needs to be considered in land use planning. There is need to evaluate the population dynamics in a particular city to ensure adequate housing is available to cater for any future population increase as well as investment opportunities. Modern land use planning for cities requires future forecasting to determine the built in form that can allow expansion (Bento et al. 2003). For example, it may not be economical to plan for three storey buildings in the central business district of a rapidly growing city. The roads should also allow for increased transport and parking space for vehicles. Berke & Godschalk (2006) observe that overconsumption of land in cities is a major issue that raises concern. The imbalance between rural and urban development has led to increased pressure in cities due to rural-urban migration. The number of people per unit of land is ever increasing thereby exerting pressure on the available resources in cities such as good housing, healthcare facilities and recreation. In most cities especially in less developed countries, sprawling slums are an indicator of the misuse of land use planning. Extreme population densities affect transport, communication and provision of basic services such as fire fighting. Population density is not a significant issue in rural landscapes. They are usually sparsely populated with few land owners occupying many hectares of land. However, land use planning needs to be applied to ensure that land is properly developed. As Randolph (2003) observes, fewer commercial farmers are better than many subsistence farmers who end up depleting land due to over cultivation and overgrazing. Size of Property/Land Parcels The size of land available for planning is a significant determinant of what is to be located where. There is a difference in size between land parcels in the rural landscapes and urban centers. While rural land use planning needs to be focused on maximizing productivity of vast land parcels, the urban setting requires economical utilization of scarce land (Evans, 2004). The size of land in urban areas is usually limited and of high value compared to rural areas. Rather planning for spacious buildings in urban centers, focus is usually directed on the people so that they can cope with minimal space for their day to day activities. Most of the resources in urban areas are shared and planning for their utilization requires a critical assessment of the number of people to be served per facility (Bento et al. 2003). While storey buildings are cost effective in the cities, it may not be necessary in rural landscapes. The size of land parcels also determines the road network. In cities, several access roads are necessary to ease access to various areas within town while fewer roads are required to serve few large parcels of land (Evans, 2004). Street Layout and Neighborhood Pattern City structure refers to the arrangement of communal and private areas in cities as well as the extent of connectivity of various areas forming the urban neighborhood. Some of the cities have streets that run at right angles as hypothesized by the grid model (Honachefsky, 1999). Land use planning to a great extent influences the activities that take place in various areas of the city as well as the extent of spatial buildup. The central areas of cities are intensely concentrated in terms of spatial accumulation. Land use planners need to take in to consideration the movement of urban populations and goods while designating various resources to particular areas. Cities and towns with proper land use planning have a characteristic zonation depending on socio-economic activities. There is need to ensure that industries are located a safe distance from human settlement due to the dangers posed to the environment by emissions. For example, industrial areas need to be set aside for manufacturing and warehousing (Boarnet & Crane, 2001). Rural landscapes usually have serene unpolluted neighborhoods that are significant for conservation of natural systems. They are rich in biodiversity and vegetation that absorbs the green house gases in the atmosphere. Spatial accumulation is minimal in these regions and therefore land use planning needs to take in to consideration their significance in terms of environmental conservation. Parks and arboretums need to be situated in the rural neighborhoods with minimal interruptions (Randolph, 2003). Treatment of the Public Realm Waste disposal is a significant concern in land use planning. The municipal and industrial waste need to be treated before it can get back to the environment. Sewerage systems need to be located in suitable locations where they do not pollute the environment. Future developments must also be taken in to consideration to ensure that waste treatment facilities accommodate increased populations and expansion of industries (Berke & Godschalk, 2006). Sprawling urban settlements with poor access roads are usually congested and prevent rescue missions in case of fire or emergency health cases. People in these areas lack clean water for drinking due to unplanned buildings that do not allow space for the passage of water pipes. Bento et al. (2003) observe that poor land use planning in urban settlements poses a health risk to residents especially when the sewerage services are not in place and electrical power lines in appropriately installed above human settlements. Rural areas do not have significant issues in terms of settlement and disposal of waste. However, poor planning in some cities leads to spill over of pollution with the neighboring rural areas being used for disposal of sewerage and development of land fills. Treatment of the Public and Private Transportation Boarnet & Crane (2001) observe that economic activities involve production, supply and utilization and therefore are predictable due to their frequent occurrence. The activity system of a particular city determines the land use pattern. According to Honachefsky (1999), activities can be divided in to three categories; routine activities that take place frequently and hence they are predictable such as movement to and from work, as well as shopping among other day to day involvements. Such activities are usually zonal in arrangement and require adequate connection from place to place. Institutional activities mainly involve functions that do not occur on a regular basis such as sports and recreation. Production activities involve manufacturing, warehousing and distribution either locally or distant. Effective land use planning needs to provide appropriate linkages between the various areas where different activities take place. In other words, bus terminus and roads linking residential areas to cities as well as the industries should be convenient for travelers to save time and the cost of travelling through ease of traffic congestion. The roads are developed to support heavy commercial vehicles delivering raw materials as well as distributing finished products to wholesalers. Railway lines linking the industries to distance cities and towns as well as ports enhance transportation of products. Roads also need to link the urban centers with the rural areas which are significant sources of agricultural raw materials and food products (Boarnet & Crane, 2001). Conclusion Land use planning encompasses all land utilities including production, recreation, transport and water catchments among others. Lack of land use planning results in degradation of land resources and its usefulness. The built form largely affects the functioning of cities. Many cities are characterized by bands of social classes originating from the central business district. Mixing of land uses involves establishing different land uses in the same locality. It increases convenience in the access of resources. Misuse of land use mixing may be disadvantageous especially when factories are established in human settlements. Evaluation of population dynamics is important in land use planning as it caters for future increase in populations and expansion of cities. The imbalance between rural and urban development increases rural urban migration thereby increasing pressure on urban resources. Land use planning in rural areas is geared towards utilization of the available land for maximal utilization while in urban centers it is focused on the economical utilization of scarce land. Planning for waste disposal is significant in land use planning. Unplanned housing in cities poses a threat to residents. Effective land use planning needs to provide adequate transport linking the various areas where different activities take place. References Bento, A.M; Cropper, M.L; Vinha, K. 2003. The Impact of Urban Spatial Structure on Travel Demand in the United States, World Bank Group Working Paper  Berke, P. R. & Godschalk, D. R. 2006. Urban Land Use Planning, Fifth Edition, UoI Press  Boarnet, M. and Crane, R. 2001. “The Influence of Land Use on Travel Behavior: A Specification and Estimation Strategies,” Transportation Research A, Vol. 35, No. 9 pp. 823-845. Craig, R.C. Brownson, S.E. and Dunn A.L. 2002., “Exploring the Effect of the Environment on Physical Activity: A Study Examining Walking to Work,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, August 2002, Vol.23, No.2S2,s.1; pp. 36-43. Evans, A. 2004. Economics and Land Use Planning: Real Estate Issues, Wiley-Blackwell  FAO, 2003. Guidelines for land-use planning, FAO Development Series 1 Honachefsky, W. B. 1999. Ecologically Based Municipal Land Use Planning, CRC Press Randolph, J. 2003. Environmental Land Use Planning and Management, Island Press Read More