Principles of spatial planning- There are four spatial principles, which are central to creating positive settlements

There are four spatial principles, which are central to creating positive settlements. These are definition, scale, flexibility and intensity of space-use. In positive environments the public space is defined by buildings and other space-defining elements, such as walls and planting.

1. Principles and methods in spatial
planning
Year 2: Geography 2017-2018
Dr. Ange Felix NSANZIYERA (PhD GIS & Remote Sensing)

2. 1.Planning should be positive, setting out a clear vision for how
areas should look and function in long-term.
Spatialplanningisfarmorethancontrollingdevelopmentthrougha
regulatoryprocess–althoughthisisessentialtogiveitrealbasisin
managinglandusechange.
Consideringwhatdevelopmentthatpeopleneed,beingvisionaryabout
thetypeofplacesthatpeoplewanttoliveandworkin,andmindfulof
long-termneedsoffuturegenerations.
Statutoryplanshaveacrucialrole:lookingforward10or20years,or
evenlonger,andconsideringmanyandvariedneedsoflocal
communities.
Large-scaleindividualprojectscanalsomakeasignificantdifferenceto
qualityofplaces(withbiodiversityandgreeninfrastructure)
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning

3. 2.Spatialplansshouldintegrateallsocial,economicand
environmentalissuesaffectingdevelopmentanduseofland
withinaspecificterritorialarea.
Theworkofgovernmentiscarriedoutonasectoralbasis,withdifferent
departmentsforbusiness,housing,health,education,andenvironment
andsoon.
Spatialplanning,whichcanbeatnational,strategicorlocallevel,
providesanopportunity:
tointegratealltheissuesthataffectthedevelopmentanduseof
landwithinaspecificterritorialarea;and
toresolvecompeting/conflictingusesoflimitedspaceandresources.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

4. 3.Spatialplansshouldconsiderthestrategicissuesthatmay
affectawiderareathanindividualplan,includingfunctional
ecologicalareas:
Administrativeboundariesrarelycorrespondpreciselytoreal
geography.Thisisespeciallytruefornaturalenvironment.
Functionalecologicalareasmaybebasedonestuaries,river
catchmentsorsemi-naturalhabitatssuchashighlandsorforest.
Thisprincipleisparticularlyimportantforspatialplanspreparedby
localplanningauthoritieswherethereisnohigherlevelofspatial
planning,asfunctionalecologicalareasoftencrossmanylocal
authorityboundaries.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

5. 4.Spatialplansshouldcontributetosustainabledevelopmentby
ensuringthatsocialandeconomicdevelopmenttakesplace
withintheenvironmentallimits.
Guidingprinciplesofsustainabledevelopmentaredefinedas:living
withintheplanet’senvironmentallimitsandensuringastrong,healthy
andjustsociety,underpinnedbyasustainableeconomy,good
governanceandresponsibleuseofsoundscience.
Formanyspatialplanningsystems,achievingsustainabledevelopmentis
thecentralpurpose,andspatialplansplayakeyrole.
Ahealthynaturalenvironmentisfundamentaltosustainable
development.Giventhescaleofbiodiversitylossandthedegradationof
ecosystemservices,spatialplansneedtoprotectandenhancewhatwe
havewhereispossible.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

6. 5.Plansandprojectsshouldbebasedonup-to-dateand
scientificallyrobustevidence
Spatialplanningisbothanartandascience.Thepreparationofboth
spatialplansandprojectsshouldbebasedonsoundevidencetested
throughsomeformofexaminationorinvestigationprocess.
Evidencewillbedrawnfromavarietyofsources,butinthecaseofthe
naturalenvironment,itisimportantthatitisscientificallyrobustand
credible.
Itmustbeup-to-date,methodologicallysound,andbasedon
professionalexpertise.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

7. 6.Plansandprojectsshouldbecarefullyassessedfortheir
environmentalimpacts,andtheirresultsusedtoimprovethe
plan.
Manyspatialplansareproposedtoachieveeconomicandsocial
objectives,suchastheneedfornewhousing,businesses,shops,roads
andotherinfrastructure.
Theyneedtobeassessedcarefullyfortheirenvironmentalimpacts.Not
simplytoinformdecision-makerortotickabox,buttoimprovetheplan
sothatitismoresustainable.
Thisistrueforspatialplanswithanenvironmentalobjectives(reducing
floodrisk)astheymaynegativelyimpactonotheraspectsofnatural
environment.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

8. 7.Alternativeoptionsshouldbeconsidered,particularlythose
thatarelessdamagingtoenvironment,andreasonsfor
rejectinganyoptionsshouldbemadepublic.
Consideringalternativeoptionsisanintegralpartoftheplanning
process,particularlyinstrategicplanningwhenawiderangeofoptions
isavailable.
Theseincludearangeofdevelopmentandspatialscenariosfortheplan
area.
Thechallengeforspatialplannersistorationallyconsiderawiderange
ofrealisticalternativesthatputthesocietyonamoresustainableway.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

9. Themitigationhierarchyof:
avoidingenvironmentalharmfulactivities,
mitigatingforanyadverseimpacts,and
Compensatingforresidualimpacts,
Seekingforenvironmentalenhancementwherepossible
Consideringalternativeoptionsthatarelessdamagingto
environmentisrelevanttoallthesesteps,asoptionscanbe
strategicormoredetailed.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning(7)…

10. 8.Publicparticipationisessentialandshouldbebothtimelyand
inclusiveofcivilsociety,whethercommunitygroupsorother
stakeholders.
Publicparticipationinplanningprocessisalong-establishedfeatureof
spatialplanningsystems.
Legislationprovidesmanyopportunitiesforthepublictobeinvolved
inbothplanmakinganddecision-taking.
Therearecloselinkswiththedemocraticdecision-makingprocess.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

11. 9.Decision-makingmustbetransparentandmadebya
democraticallyaccountablebodyorperson.
Planningraisesmanyissues,whichcanmakedecision-makingmore
complex,atboththenationalandlocallevel.
Transparentanddemocraticallyaccountabledecision-makingis
fundamentaltoensuringthatinterestsoftheenvironmentare
properlytakenintoconsiderationintheplanningsystem.
Spatialplanningdecisionshavesignificantconsequencesfor
landowners,developers,communitiesandfrequentlyforthe
environment.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning…

12. Thus,adverselyaffectedbyaplanningdecisionshouldhavean
opportunitytochallengeit.
Itiscrucialthatwhenpoordecisionsaremade,thereisanopportunity
toputthemright.
Planningsystemsthereforeallowfordeveloperstoappealonthemerits
ofthecaseagainstarefusalofplanningpermission,usuallytoan
independentbodysuchasthePlanningInspectorate.
Appealsystemsallowforthirdpartyviewstobetakenintoaccount,
althoughthereisnoopportunityforthirdpartiestochallengedecisions
directly.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning 9…

13. Theplanningappealprocessshoulddealwiththevastmajorityofcases
satisfactorily,
butenvironmentaljusticemayinsomecasesrequirelegalredressfor
affectedindividualsandcommunities.
Thejudicialreviewofplanningdecisionsshouldberestrictedtopoints
oflawratherthanplanningmeritsofthecase,andcanbeprohibitively
expensive.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning 9…

14. 10.Publicauthoritiesshouldbegiventhelegalpowersand
resourcestoenforceplanninglaws,especiallywhereillegal
developmentisresultinginenvironmentaldamage.
Enforcementofplanninglawisamatteroflastresort,butitisessential
tostrengthentheplanningsystem.
Likewise,publicauthorities(localplanningauthority)needtohave
resourcestocarryouteffectiveenforcementofplanninglawsand
regulations.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning 9…

15. 11.Plansshouldberegularlymonitoredandreviewed
Planningisnotaone-offactivityofpreparingaplan.
Itisacontinuouscyclefromcollectingevidenceanddraftingtheplan
toadoptingit,monitoringitsimplementationandreviewingtheplan
inthelightofchangingsituations.
Goodplanningprocessshouldhavethemonitoringandreviewphases
asanintegralpartsofspatialplan-making:
includingmonitoringacrossafullrangeofindicators:economic,
socialandenvironmentaloutcomes.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Guiding Principles of Spatial Planning 9…

16. 1.Respect and plan around the physical characteristics of the
land.
•Slope,
•Soil types,
•Rare geological or
•Vegetation.
2.Consider the capacity and characteristics of the transportation
system
•Transportation is the second most, after spatial configuration of land,
important determinant for land use.
•Heavy traffic generators should be placed on the larger capacity streets.
•Major shopping and other traffic generating uses should be placed at
major intersections so there is access from two high-capacity streets.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

17. 3. Recognise existing land uses and growth centres
•First Law of Geography (Waldo Tobler 1970): "everything is related
to everything else, but near things are more related than distant
things.
•Proximity principle in predicting land use pattern
•Spatial planners are encouraged to recogniseand designate the
existing downtown and any other major shopping or activity
centres, and then plan to allow auxiliary services to group near
them.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

18. 4. Spatial efficiency/Optimum density
•Discovering ways to make increased housing density and
commercial intensity acceptable as land use planning principles in
your community is a very important project.
•The density of the housing allowed also should relate to the
capacity of the transportation system and physical characteristics of
the land.
•This importance stems both from the need to avoidsuburban
sprawland the desire to keep your community'scarbon
footprintsmall by limiting car dependency
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

19. 5. Making land use transitions gradual
•Nearby uses have to be compatible.
•As spatial planner you should not place heaviest industry by
residential core zone.
•Residential should give way to neighbourhood-scale retail, then to
more intense retail and light industry.
•Heavy industry, sanitary landfills, and visually unappealing uses
deserve some well-considered transitions from your most desirable
real estate.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

20. 6. Mixed-use development
•Try to respect the historic pattern of smaller communities that are
naturals at mixed-use.
8. Transit-oriented development
•Allow for intense future land use around future or current fixed
transportation stations.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

21. 9. Consider appropriate scale (right-size) in land use.
•As spatial planner you should not plan for the development of 300
new modern home on the edge of a neighbourhood of 350 historic
homes since it will forever change the character of the historic
area.
•In other cases, this principle will mean aggressively mapping for
additions to current land uses that you have in undesirably small
quantities.
•Also avoid out ofscaledevelopments, like where structures are
toobigor too small inrelation to the surrounding ones. E.g. Some
area surmounted by an enormous structure, utterly out of scale with
the houses.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

22. 10. Use population data as tool for adaptation spatial planning
•Population dynamics should give you important clues about future
land use and development.
•Are population, number of jobs, and property values increasing?
•Is the population composition changing in any way, due to
immigration, aging in place, or lack of in-migration of people from
other cities?
•Are major employers leaving or arriving?
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning

23. 11. Think of agricultural land uses value to future generations
and in case of national emergency threatening the integrity of
the food supply.
•To convert agricultural land use to residential and other urbanized
land uses, make sure that population increases justify this
conversion; Otherwise, do not plan conversion to urban uses.
•Apply containment boundary as way to send the signal that this
marks the end of the urban development, and future expansions
should fit within that boundary.
•Consider establishing open space buffers or greenbelts at the
periphery of your town asurban sprawl solutions.
Ir. Emmanuel NYANDWI Introduction to Spatial planning
Methods of Spatial Planning