Town planners play a key role in the development, growth and sustainability of new towns and/or cities by controlling how the available land and the resources in it get utilised. Town planning is critical to ensuring the sustainable urban development. Town planners can help achieve this by performing the following tasks:
Selecting an appropriate site for new construction
There are lots of essential factors that have to be considered before a certain site can be deemed fit for a new town construction project. First things first, the site must have enough acreage of land required for the construction of the new town. Usually, local town planning statutes provide guidelines on how much land is required to construct a new town. A town planner will follow these guidelines to identify a site that is large enough to establish a new town.
Classifying the land
Once a town planner has identified a suitable location for the establishment of the new town, they will come up with a plan on how the land will be used. Generally speaking, the land will be classified into three groups: residential land (for homeowners), commercial land (for businesses) and industrial land (for industrial buildings/facilities).
Preserving natural ecosystems
In the past, the natural environment has suffered a great deal due to the unplanned construction of man-made structures. Thanks to the increased awareness of the general public about the need to protect the natural environment, people now demand that new towns be constructed in a manner that does not degrade natural ecosystems. Town planners recommend the use of construction methods that have minimal disruptive impact on the natural landscape, so as to ensure that the maintenance of natural habitats and biodiversity. This is critical to the continued existence of the entire human race. Preservation of natural ecosystems also helps maintain features in the natural environment that are of cultural significance to the people.
Ensuring economic sustainability
For any new town to develop, it must be economically sustainable. Town planners aim to better the quality of life and create communities that are self-reliant. This, for example, may mean ensuring that fertile land is set aside for agricultural use, while the agriculturally unproductive land is used to set up processing plants. Basically, it's all about making sure that the full economic potential of the land is realised.
In general, a well-planned town helps maximise on the capability of the land and its resources, while striking a balance between community needs and the need to protect and preserve natural ecosystems.