Slide4_Urbanisation, Sprawl and Regional planning.pptx

Urban sprawl

1. ARC 422 Urbanization, Sprawl and Regional Planning

2. INTRODUCTION City or Town is a place of urban living. Urban means an environment in which natural surroundings  have been dominated by manmade or artificial  surroundings, which man made for himself, or his working, living and recreation. Urbanization is the physical growth of rural or natural land into urban areas as a result of population immigration to an existing urban area. Urbanization refers to the population shift from rural to urban residency, the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas, and the ways in which each society adapts to this change.

3. GLOBAL TRENDS IN URBANIZATION In 1960, the global urban population was 34% of the total; however, by 2014 the urban population accounted for 54% of the total and continues to grow. Today, 56% of the world’s population (4.4 billion inhabitants) live in urban areas By 2050 the proportion living in urban areas is expected to reach 66%. Uganda’s urbanisation rate is about 5.74% Urbanism started in the caves themselves, where people gathered for protection against the elements or for the defence against rival tribes. These places of communal living gave way to the village. The village was a by-product of development of agriculture in areas of adequate water supply and fertile soil. The village was also a sanctuary for the altar of their deity, a meeting place for assembly and a centre for trade. This environment became increasingly populated and resulted in urbanisation . With the development of diversified economy not totally dependent of food production attracted people into labour pool, providing employment in a variety of forms. This in turn brought about the enlargement of village or hamlets into towns and cities

4. THE CAUSES OF URBAN GROWTH Push Factors: Lack of educational facilities Lack of job opportunities Lack of health facilities Lack of electricity and sewerage system Land lord system Inequality Low living standards Old traditions Pull Factors: Better and higher educational facilities Better and more of job opportunities Better health facilities Availability of electricity and sewerage system Better living standards

5. MAJOR CAUSES OF URBAN GROWTH… Commercialization (better commercial activities and returns) Modernisation (availability of highly sophisticated infrastructure, communication, education, medication, dressing code, etc ) Migration Employment Opportunities (industrialisation) Natural Increase (Rate of death and birth) Population Growth (huge population growth may result in sprawl) Transportation (advancement in transport and communication) Social Benefits and Services (urban areas provide better living standards, better education, better housing, better health care, etc ) Urban Planning Policies

6. URBANIZATION AND ROLE OF PLANNING IN ACHIEVING UN SDGS N otably SDG 11 focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The rapid pace of global urbanization presents both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development. As people migrate to cities in search of better economic opportunities, issues such as inadequate housing, pollution, and infrastructural deficits can arise. On the other hand, urban environments are vibrant hubs of cultural, economic, and social development, and their dense nature allows for efficient service provision and resource use. Urban planning serves as a critical tool for managing these dynamics, enabling cities to maximize the benefits of urbanization while minimizing the downsides. Good urban planning can ensure equitable access to public services and amenities, adequate housing, and a high quality of life for all city residents. It can also help to mitigate environmental impacts by promoting efficient land use, reducing the need for car travel, and enhancing urban green spaces.

7. URBANIZATION AND ROLE OF PLANNING IN ACHIEVING UN SDGS… P lanning contributes to building resilient communities (SDG 11.5, 11.b), by incorporating measures to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as floods and heatwaves. Planning strategies such as the development of green infrastructure, densification, and mixed-use zoning can also reduce cities' environmental footprints and contribute to the mitigation of climate change (SDG 13). P lanning plays a role in promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12) by shaping the built environment in ways that encourage more sustainable behaviours. For instance, designing cities to be more walkable and bike-friendly can reduce reliance on private vehicles, thus lowering greenhouse gas emissions. As such, urbanization and urban planning are intricately tied to the achievement of the SDGs. They highlight the critical importance of managing our cities well to ensure a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future for all.

8. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS Population density Density of physical development Possession of formal plan Proportion of inhabitants engaging in non - agricultural occupation Functional characters Services Political or legal, administrative Life style

9. PROBLEMS OF URBANIZATION Pressure on resources and social services E.g. Water, transport, health and education More unemployment Increased crime rate, especially since the typical migrant may be young, unskilled or inexperienced Development of slums (ghettos) due to inadequate housing. This will add to the problem of pollution Traffic congestion Competition on limited resources Noise pollution Epidemics High levels of stress Poverty Air quality worsens

10. SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS OF URBANIZATION Limit the size of cities by setting boundaries and controlling population size Put a stop to using agricultural lands for non-agricultural purposes such as housing Develop the rural areas by providing recreation, education, health care and other social services Develop basic infrastructure in the rural areas eg . roads, water and electricity Encourage rural population to participate in community activities and use community facilities Create jobs in rural areas by building more factories to employ more people

11. SPRAWL

12. WHAT IS SPRAWL??? It is notoriously ill defined and therefore its often defined by analogy, e.g.; to some sprawl is like beauty – in the eyes of the beholder t o others sprawl is like pornography – you know it when you see it.

13. WHAT IS SPRAWL??? Here we use the indian old proverb to give an analogy of sprawl (the six blind men characterised an elephant after exploring different parts of the elephant’s body ) One who touches the ears, thinks the elephant is like a fan Another who touches a leg, likens the elephant to a tree A third, who touches its side, claims it resembles a wall A fourth, who touches the trunk, view it as a snake The fifth, who touches its tusk, sees a spear And the sixth, who touches the tail, thinks the elephant is like a rope . Moral of the story: so oft in theologic wars, the disputants, I suppose, rail on in utter ignorance of what each other mean, and prate about an Elephant not one of them has seen!

14. SO, WHAT IS SPRAWL??? This is the process in which the spread of development across the landscape far outpaces population growth Development that is unplanned in urban/suburban that takes place over a large area and creates a low-density environment with high segregation of residential and commercial areas. ‘Sprawl is irresponsible development that takes our tax shillings away from our communities and destroys farmland and open space’.

15. WHAT IS SPRAWL??? A pattern of urban regional development that features: Land-extensive, low density, leapfrog development Segregation of land uses Extensive road construction Architectural homogeneity Economic and racial (cultural) homogeneity Shift of development and capital investment from inner-city to periphery Absence of regional planning

16. CAUSES OF SPRAWL Increase in population and therefore increase in demand for housing Demand for increase in floor space as income grows Falling transportation costs Lower land rates Improved/under-priced infrastructure Unpriced environmental Services Poor infrastructure investments Rise in standard of living

17. EFFECTS OF URBAN SPRAWL Increase in public expenditure: Raises taxes to pay for services – police and fire departments – and infrastructure – new schools, roads, water, and sewer structure Increase in traffic/road congestion/fatalities Longer commutes that steal time from family and work Health issues Can reduce water quality by increasing amount of surface runoff Greenhouse gas emissions (increased car dependency) Worsening Water and Air pollution

18. EFFECTS OF URBAN SPRAWL… Lack of affordable housing Loss of habitat for wild life and biodiversity Loss of agricultural capacity/loss of farm/agricultural land Loss of Open fields, Forests and Wetlands Increased Flooding Generally sprawl has significant effects on sustainable development as it causes the destruction of natural habitats and agricultural land

19. SOLUTION TO URBAN SPRAWL Adopting the principle of new urbanism Imparting proper education Application of some smart planning Protect agricultural land Plant trees along sidewalks Strict zoning laws to limit development Improve green modes of transportation like walkability, cycling.

20. CITIES IN EARLY HISTORY

21. THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRANSITION OF CITIES The Age of Pestilence and Filth (high mortality, sickness and disease) The Age of Industrial Pollution The Age of Social Pathology (social problems - social upheavals, crime, poverty) The Age of Urban Sprawl

22. SUMMARY Sprawl has multiple definitions Is caused by many factors Can have multiple adverse effects including: Environmental, health , fiscal, and social effects

23. END