Town Planning
Town planning is the process of managing land resources. It involves the control of existing and new developments, as well as strategy preparation to ensure manage future requirements. It is a dynamic process that changes in response to policy, development proposals and local needs.
Characteristics of town planning
Town planning may include:
- Creating new towns and/or villages.
- Balancing community, business and environmental needs.
- Helping to inform and direct local and national policy.
- Safeguarding green and other public spaces.
- Assessing planning applications.
- Attracting investment and industry to an area.
- Protecting buildings of historical and architectural merit/importance.
- Ensuring that land suitable for development is readily available.
- Developing programmes of land reclamation.
- Assessing the effects of proposals on the environment and local community.
- Inspection, monitoring and enforcement action.
- Negotiating and working with professionals such as developers, surveyors and architects.
- Encouraging education and awareness.
- Providing advice on how and when to seek planning permission.
- Undertaking specialist research.
- Advising on issues related to transport traffic and infrastructure.
- Advising on neighbourhood planning issues.
Availability of Amenities
The foremost aspect of town planning is that basic amenities and utilities are easily available. The towns developed in harmony with the rules and regulations have easy access to the public service. This makes a town or a city a more suitable place to live and a desirable place to live. The basic amenities overall define the living standards of the people therefore amenities are amongst the important aspects of town planning. The amenities also correlate with the real estate prices, it has been observed that the prices of those areas are higher that provide basic amenities to the residents.
Impact on Real Estate
Areas that are developed with proper planning and consider the modern techniques are more valuable and offer higher returns on the investment. The investors are keen to invest in those areas where all the merits of town planning are met. Hence, making real estate sector one of the beneficiaries of town planning. Since land management is of utmost priority in town planning dedicated spaces are given for recreational activities, for commercial and residential places which enhances the value of a place. In the same fashion, the planned areas increase in the country, which the government can easily regulate.
Disaster Resilience
The impact of natural disasters can be unprecedented, towns that incorporate precautions of natural disasters in their planning are more resilient to natural calamities. Such areas not only protect the precious lives of people rather they also extend a safe investment opportunity. Depending on the climate of a region and its topography, a town planner particularly pays heed to these factors to avert and minimise the impacts in case of a disaster. Particularly in the monsoon season, many urban areas of Pakistan that do not fulfill the criteria of town planning often get flooded. To avoid the impacts of a natural disaster, town planning can prove handy.