Sustainable town planning – Architecture Student Chronicles

Four objects of Sustainable Town planning

Beauty

The potential of the natural surroundings is exploited and the architectural finished are used to design various components of the town. The trees, natural greenery are preserved. Architectural control is imposed on the public as well as the semi-public buildings, ancient architectural buildings, temples, churches, mosques, buildings of cultural and historical significance etc.

Convenience

It is important to take care that various economic, social and recreational amenities are given to the public. These amenities include cheap power and electricity, proper sites for industrial wastes, facilities to commercial units etc. Recreational spaces are very important to be designed and appropriately located. Places of recreation include open spaces, parks, town halls, playgrounds, cinema houses, community centres, stadiums etc.

Environment

Towns should be designed in such a way that the environmental factors are taken into consideration. People should be able to carry on with their daily activities without much effort. The problems evolved with the rise in tiresome travel to work, long hours of work, limited time spent within the community etc. These mal-adjustments have tended to destroy the vitality of urban living and the town planning is mainly concerned with bringing about a better relation between man and his environment.

What is town planning?

The difference between town planning and architecture should be noted. The town planning expresses an era. The architecture reveals its spirit.

Evolution of planning

In the ancient times, the primitive men used to stay in tribes and they formed groups for mutual protection for carrying out business activities and maintaining a social life. The location of the settlements was decided taking into consideration the ease of defense, climatic factors, business facilities etc.

radial network london — Combination of concentric and radial pattern | London

As such cities, are as old as civilization as seen from the verbal connection between the words ‘city’ and ‘civilization’. By civilization, we mean urban civilization. There were obviously human groups before that period.

Designing towns today

Today, designing towns is not as easy as it used to be in the past. We have to deal with problems that did not exist in the past.

The requirements for the design of towns today:

Road network for cars

Town planning professionals have to consider the planning for the next 40 years while they plan the road network for the new city. Designing the road network itself constitutes a lot of complex calculations including increase in population density, wealth, increase in the number of private vehicles, public transport etc.

Public transport

We have to hire transportation planning professionals in order to establish an efficient public transport network for the automobiles. But this is not possible only with the help of transportation planning professionals. Town planners and transportation planning professionals have to work hand in hand in order to complement the road network with the new public transport.

Objects of Sustainable Town planning