Urban Planning and Social Policy - Coursework Example

Urban Policy Planning: Ventura County Transportation Commission Urban planners play a vital role in the policy decisions that are made related to various issues of concern in a large city or town. As this report has stipulated, planners do not necessarily make final decisions, but they do carry a great deal of weight in discussions that take place with government and state officials. In the end, urban policy and planning remains a politically charged process that can result in shifting priorities with changing administrations in an area. Urban planners, therefore, must be flexible in their approach and be willing and able to implement a variety of different concepts and approaches into their work. In the end, it is important to generate a plan that meets the progressive needs of the community in such a way that benefits the residents of a given region. That should be the approach of urban policy and planning. It is not fruitful to represent only the needs of the few, but the needs of the many must be taken into account above all else. Urban Policy Planning: Ventura County Transportation Commission Introduction As the global community continues to grow exponentially, existing infrastructure has certainly become taxed to the limit. At the same time, the past century has seen the mass migration of individual members of society moving from rural areas of the earth to more urban environments where their needs can be better met, and where enhanced opportunities for prosperity seem to persist. This reality has necessitated urban communities the world over to activate aggressive urban planning policies in order to account for current needs, as well as to anticipate future issues that might arise. Urban planning itself is a caplet process that is often politically charged and encompasses various aspects of land use and the overall design the urban environment present in cities and major towns. This includes the implementation of appropriate air, water, and infrastructure use that creates the safest and most conducive living environment possible for inhabitants. In the modern era, urban planning also involves the complex task of designing transportation and distribution networks throughout the region, such that the movement of large amounts of people and goods can take place with minimum disruption and impact on the environment. This can be seen in the case of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, a group of individuals tasked with managing the urban planning necessary to manage one of the most densely populated regions in the United States. History The need for urban planning dates back to the early days of industry in the mid-19th century. It was at that time that masses of people began to sudden move to the city in search of more prosperous and readily available employment opportunities, usually in one of the many factories that were sweeping the globe. While Ventura Country was certainly not a force to be reckoned with during this time, the roots of its own urban planning efforts today can be seen in the strategic and comprehensive plans that began to be implemented in the major cities of the country over 150 years ago. During those early years of urban planning, much of the focus was on keeping with the explosive population growth, and dealing with situations and problems as they arose (Clavel & Jacobs, 2011). There were many areas of urban planning, however, that did not account for future innovation and technology, such as the modern day automobile, so later efforts stemmed on ensuring the transportation and delivery networks via the roadways were taken into consideration. It is the objective of modern urban planning efforts to anticipate future, as well as current, needs within the scope of how the city is laid out and designed. It can be said that the planning and architecture inherent in urban cities began to undergo a radical shift in scope towards the beginning of the 20th century. Up until this point, industrialized cities were certainly growing at a tremendous rate, yet building design and various aspects of infrastructure fell under the scope of private business concerns. There was little oversight within and throughout the process, so cities were beginning to grow in a rather haphazard manner (Clavel & Jacobs, 2011). Because of this, certain evil aspects of urban life, namely the plight of the poor, were becoming more and more visible, catching the eye of the public and quickly turning into a concern. The hands off and laissez-faire method of governance with relation to the economy, it became evident, could no longer translate into the public arena in terms of city design and planning. It was at this point that models began to be developed to overcome the consequences of the industrial revolution by working to provide urban residents, particularly factor workers during the time, with a healthier living environment. Definitions It is important to establish a few working definitions when writing about urban policy and planning. To begin, let us define urban policy as that which focuses on the various issues that are important to the daily life and function of an urban area. Urban policy typically deals with existing structure and policy decisions to be made to better mitigate future planning efforts within the region. Urban policy typically addresses the problems in the area, and the corresponding need for urban development, with more of a holistic approach, taking into account the needs of a broad spectrum of people and culture. In the case of Ventura County, urban policy can be defined as being focused on ensure adequate and safe transportation routes for the citizenry, concern for logistical and infrastructure related issues that exist in a major urban area consisting of several million people, and zoning issues designed to help better facilitate future growth (Simpson & Chapman, 2009). Urban policy can perhaps best be characterized by the urban planners who are in constant contact with government authorities, consulting together to govern via a more decentralized approach. There is also usually a heavy involvement with private citizens and various partnerships formed to gain a consensus related to the needs of the region that must be addressed. The policy itself is typically broad and covers a wide set of objectives that are of concern specifically to urban areas. Urban planning itself is defined as being, “A technical and political process concerned with the use of land and design of the urban environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas such as transportation and distribution networks” (Simpson & Chapman, 2009). An important area of note is that urban planners do not act alone. In the case of Ventura County, for example, they work in conjunction with various commissions comprised of politicians from throughout the region. Each of these individuals represent different interests and concerns, of which the urban planner then helps prioritize in the form of recommendations made to the commission itself. Politics and Priorities Recent years have seen urban planning take on an increasingly political slant to its operations. There is a great deal of money at stakes, particularly in urban areas such as Ventura County, in terms of transpirations routes, buildings permits, and zoning legislation. As such, it is critical that urban planners prioritize projects that are truly in the best interest of society, that they open up a fair and equitable bidding process, and that partisan politics and bias stay out of the planning process itself. In Ventura County, this has morphed into the formation of the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) which is basically a regional agency responsible for various aspects of transportation planning with the country. They are a body of individuals that have committed themselves to keep Ventura Country moving in a progressive direction, particularly given the size of the population and the reality that it is still growing. The commission itself is part of a broader vision to develop urban planning with Ventura Country in a way that not only handles the current population, but also provides a vision for the future and the needs that populace is likely to have. To do this requires a body of people to come together to discuss priorities for area and, while disagreements certainly abound, it is important to try to keep politics out of the mix (Hoyt, 2009). Role of the Government and State The government and state certainly has a vested interest in any urban planning type endeavor. In this case, it is particularly important to consider the way that the government works with urban planners to develop modern cities in the direct that they need to go, and in a way that benefits the larger segment of society. As Ventura County is a highly developed and prosperous region within America, this task is made simpler, but its importance in nonetheless critical in terms of enabling a future community that enables citizens to move around and enjoy a quality, safe, and healthy environment in which to work and live. It is important to understand that urban planners are ultimately accountable to the government, but that the government is equally accountable to the people of the community in terms of realizing eventual success for the strategies that they are aiming to implement (Hoyt, 2009). Urban planning does carry with it a certain role and objective that is often dictated by the government itself. The government and the state, it its advisory capacity, will typically select a strategy in consultation with urban planners, which will hopefully establish a framework by which the city is to be laid out, particularly in terms of its transportation and associated logistical needs (Donnison, 2009). One of the components that the government closely considers related to land-use regulations, while another component typically related to infrastructure investments that will provide the maximum benefit to the citizenry and the city itself. A final consideration that is often at the forefront of government consideration when working with urban planners relates to the issue of taxation (Drake, 2012). The function of urban planners within their role, then, is to develop a workable framework that will work within the scope of the private sector, while still fulfilling the objectives as set forth by the government and state respectively (Cullingworth, 2014). When considering the role of urban planning, it is critically important to understand the separation of responsibilities between the planner him or herself, and the government. As in the case of Ventura County, it is definitely help to develop a master plan that clearly states the objectives of the municipality, which should be stipulated by the government itself. Even given these objectives, however, it is important that the goals are almost political in nature and, as such, will most certainly change over time and priorities shift and new people are elected to public office. One government, for example, may put a heavy emphasis on creating new jobs throughout the region, while another will focus on housing. It is likely that after 5 or 10 years, however, the government will realize shifting objective or priorities, and this will be reflected the overall urban plan (Cullingworth, 2014). In the case of Ventura County, there are longstanding objectives related to transportation routes, as this is one most densely populated regions in the country. As such, to keep the county moving, plans in one area often have to be shifted to another based upon the availability of resources and the reality of financial constrains that are always a consideration. At any given moment in time, the government and state, in its function, might declare that their priority is either the environment, culture, or transportation policy. In reality, then, the urban planners in Ventura must adjust their framework within the context of the government in control at the time. It is important to remember that urban planners do play a key function in helping to decide urban policy, but it ultimately the private sector and the objectives of the government who are, in the end, going to continue building the city. Consider for a moment any regulation being proposed in an urban community related to land use (Fernandez & Chamusca, 2014). Such an aspect of urban planning typically requires a six step process to be entered into before deciding the most prudent course of action to take. Future Planning Recommendations There are many issues facing Ventura County in both the near and long term. The primary area of concern is to further develop the public transportation network throughout the cities that form the county corridor. While the region has made great strides in this area in recent decades, the system still lags far behind that of similarly sized urban areas on the East Coast. With the explosive growth that the area continues to see, the strain on the existing road system has stalled traffic to the point that major routes and networks are choked on most days. While it can take decades to establish a new freeway system designed to handle the requisite traffic needs of the region, it is more fruitful to promote public transport initiatives that truly live up to the Transportation Commissions self-tagged motto of ‘Keeping Ventura County Moving’. Conclusion Urban planners play a vital role in the policy decisions that are made related to various issues of concern in a large city or town. As this report has stipulated, planners do not necessarily make final decisions, but they do carry a great deal of weight in discussions that take place with government and state officials. In the end, urban policy and planning remains a politically charged process that can result in shifting priorities with changing administrations in an area. Urban planners, therefore, must be flexible in their approach and be willing and able to implement a variety of different concepts and approaches into their work. In the end, it is important to generate a plan that meets the progressive needs of the community in such a way that benefits the residents of a given region. That should be the approach of urban policy and planning. It is not fruitful to represent only the needs of the few, but the needs of the many must be taken into account above all else. References Clavel, P. and Jacobs, H. (2011). Planning and national urban policy. Public Administration Review, 41(1), 87-92. Cullingworth, J. (2014). Planning in urban policies. Cities, 11(4), 271-273. Donnison, D. (2009). Urban planning and social policy. Urban Studies, 6(3), 465-468. Drake, M. (2012). Policy in urban planning. Long Range Planning, 8(4), 93. Fernandex, J. and Chamusca, P. (2014). Urban policies, planning, and retail resilience. Cities, 36, 170-177. Hoyt, H. (2009). An empirical enquiry into the impact of urban planning policy on urban growth. European Planning Studies, 17(5), 791-811. Simpson, F. and Chapman, M. (2009). Comparison of urban governance and planning policy. Cities, 16(5), 353-364. Read More