Planning System Design
The
creation and establishment of a planning system depends on the context drivers
such
as:
- Legal system which is a byproduct of the political governance system
- Institutional system that stems from the government agencies mandates and responsibilit
- Development Proces and its various actors
- Existence of a defined urban planning professional bodies
Public
administration efforts focused on managing new developments and improving the
built environment through improving and defining the planning system. Local
governments had no separate identity and were strictly controlled through a
central system .presently, decentralization is happening progressively –
central and local governments are partnering although power and
responsibilities are being transferred, it more has to do with responsibility
and expenditure .Resources and ability to make key decisions still lie with
central governments.
A
Systems
The
planning systems can be structured in three patterns:
1-Centralized
pattern distributed in one or more planning tiers
2-Balanced
responsibility distribution over different tiers
3-Decentralized
system with high degree of autonomy on each tie
Planning
operates within legal frameworks that are either Regulatory framework with
strict public policies and rigid controls. Or Discretionary framework that are
flexible and open
B
Functions
Planning
systems differ in their scope, methods of operation from country. But, they are
formed by three main functions:
Strategic
planning-Focusing
on long term vision that integrates the drivers based on an evaluation of
strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of the built environment and its different
dimensions.
Plan
Making
Providing
spatial frameworks based on which developments are planned on the national,
regional, city, neighborhood and specific locations. Plans may have different
content such as :Strategy ,Policy ,Statutory measures ,Project, Structure Land use, Settlement pattern,Housing, Retail, Leisure and Tourism ,New planned districts
Development
controls
Legal
and administrative procedures operating at the local level aim to control the
location, form, character, activity of the urban development and may include
the use permutations within the building affecting the site use.
Urban
planning profession is now becoming more open to address beside land use
infrastructure programs and integrate more with the sectoral processes
responsible for urban finances. It is producing a more open, flexible and
proactive planning that takes into consideration community inputs.
C
Types of plans
Structural
plans:
Originated
in the United Kingdom – their flexibility and general guiding principles enable
diverse solutions Operating usually at the regional and sub regional level,
they are broad in scope covering in addition to land use, infrastructure,
landscape, social considerations and economic goals as well as the
institutional analysis. Structural plans require intersectoral integration and
a robust financial analysis.
Master
Plans:
Oldest
version of city planning going to 3,000 BC, the plan aims at specifying at the
municipality on local level the land use
zones for an administrative area whether it is a planned district or general
zone.
Local
plans:
Usually
providing detailed and specific spatial design plans for a specific area, they
focus on short term goals either putting in more controls where it is needed or
specifying changes spatially where changes are about to happen .
Action
Plans:
Based
on community participatory processes outputs. It responds to an immediate need
or negotiation over specific issue or challenge. They lack the legal status of
a plan and in that case highly depend on the municipality management team to
support it
D Range of Urban Planning Tools
Planning
tools:
techniques and information to plan transport, residential housing, landscaping
Information
tools:
baseline and periodical data as well as impact monitoring and exchange of
information through networked
Policy
Tools:
general or specific guidelines or indicators
Fiscal
tools
either incentives such as tax relief or disincentives such as tax subsidies, lifecycle
costing, procurement policies
Decision
making tools assessment, mediation sessions, workshops,
stakeholder engagement
Educational
tools
conferences, workshops, task forces, case studies, training,
Participatory
tools:
- § Participatory mapping of settlements for inhabitants
- § Community lead socio economic analysis,
- § collective modeling of housing,
- § collective analysis of trends in life histories of residents,
- § collective goal and priority ranking,
- § inspirational individuals life stories,
- § formal community champions
