New Trends in Planning and City Management

NAEEM AKHTAR,
Lecturer, Department of Environmental Sciences
 Introduction
At a time when worldwide populations are shifting to become primarily
urban, city planning is more vital now than ever before.
In order to accommodate the increasing number of urban-dwellers, the
art of urban Planning has emerged as a preferred tool for the industry,
in both local municipalities and private firms.
The following trends exemplify the bold ideas of planners and designers
in their attempt to maximize quality of life, smart design, social equity,
and accommodate for future growth with long-range, comprehensive
plans.
1. Walkability
2. Higher Education
3. Place making / Pop-Up Open Space
4. Affordable Housing
5. Wayfinding
6. Streetscapes
7. Sustainability
8. Infill Projects
9. Transit-Oriented Development
10. Technology / Innovation
 1. Walkability
As car usage and ownership
continues to decline, and
urban populations opt for
alternative transportation
modes, many cities are waking
up to the notion of a walkable
city being a desirable city.
More feet on the street is
leading to renewed focus on
pedestrian amenities in master
plans such as sidewalks, street
furniture, crosswalks,
pedestrian-exclusive bridges,
and the overall human scale
of cities at the ground level.
 2. Higher Education
Whether suburban or
urban, many university
campuses serve as a
city within themselves.
As campuses grow
and transform into the
future, some are
leading the charge
with smart growth
plans for academic
buildings, student Universities co-creating Urban
amenities, Sustainability
transportation, and
 3. Place making / Pop-Up Open
Space
All the rage during the
recession, pop-up
parks are exhibiting
staying power,
culminating in a
verifiable place making
typology.
Whether it is a parklet
replacing parking, a
street-turned public
plaza, or an open air
greenmarket, many of
these once-temporary
 4. Affordable Housing
As urban populations
rise, so do the prices of
rental housing units. In
an attempt to combat
inequality and provide
housing to all,
affordable housing
endeavors are getting
creative to better serve
the needs of low-income
residents.
 5. Wayfinding
The strive for cities to
brand themselves is
evident even in such
granular elements as
street graphics.
Well-designed
wayfinding now plays
a major role in master
plans, serving as step-
by-step guides to
cultural, art, civic, and
other urban
institutions and points
 6. Streetscapes
A streetscape is defined as the
appearance or view of the street.
In short, the aesthetics, down to
the intimate details and designs.
Street trees, bike racks,
lampposts, signage, bus stops,
sidewalk configurations, curb
bump-outs all the elements
that a ground-level user will
experience.
Streetscapes take aspects of
walkability, place making, and
wayfinding, and wrap them up
into one product to maximize a
neighborhoods visual
attractiveness, often in the form
of Streetscape Design Guidelines.
7. Sustainability
8. Infill Projects
9. Transit-Oriented Development
10. Technology / Innovation
 What is Environmental
Management?
Environmental Management is defined as the process of
allocating natural and artificial resources so as to make optimum
use of the environment in satisfying basic human needs, at the
minimum, and more, if possible, on sustainable basis.
(Jolly, 1978.)

Throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, there is an

urgent need for the management of total environment. In the first
instance environmental management must do three things:

Identify goals

Establish whether these can be met &

Develop & implement means to do what it deems

possible.
 The Need for Environmental
Management
Every Organization Needs an Environmental
Management System
An Environmental Management System (EMS)
helps sustainable businesses implement systems
that help reduce an organizations impact on the
environment while improving operating efficiency.
An EMS is comparable to a financial management
system, but instead of measuring expenditure,
income and financial performance,an EMShelps
an organization meet sustainability goals, comply
with environmental regulations, and improve
health and safety for both employees and the
community.
The Need for Environmental
Management
 How does a Firm go about
Environmental Management?

Inf
o
Environmental Management Tools
One of the outcomes of the three decades of policy
development since 1970 has been the evolution of the
techniques for the analysis and management of
environmental effects.
The tools for environmental management include:
1. Environmental Assessment
2. Economic Assessment, usually cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
3. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)
4. Environmental Audits
5. Waste Management Programmes and Environmental
Management Systems
6. Life Cycle Assessment
7. Environmental Design
Management Responsibility
Management provides resources essential to the establishment,
implementation, maintaining, control, and improving of the
environmental management system.
Resources include human resources and specialized skills, technology
and financial resources, contractors, temporary staff , and so on.
The organizations top management has appointed management
representative who, irrespective of other responsibilities, has defined
roles, responsibilities, and authorities for:
Ensuring that environmental management system requirements are
established, implemented, and maintained in accordance with this
International Standard:
The environmental management system coordinator (management
representative) is responsible for the performance of the
environmental management system to top management for review
and as a basis for improvement of the environmental management
system.
 Management Responsibility
Environmental managers, increasingly known as sustainability managers, are
responsible for overseeing the environmental performance of private, public and
voluntary sector organisations. Examining corporate activities, you'll establish where
improvements can be made and ensure compliance with environmental legislation
across the organisation.
You'll also create, implement and monitor environmental strategies to promote
sustainable development. Your wide remit means you'll review the whole operation,
carrying out environmental audits and assessments, identifying and resolving
environmental problems and ensuring necessary changes are implemented.
Responsibilities
develop and implement environmental strategies and action plans, to ensure
corporate sustainable development
take the lead on sustainable procurement for all goods and services
coordinate all aspects of pollution control, waste management, recycling,
environmental health, conservation and renewable energy
lead the implementation of environmental policies and practices
ensure compliance with environmental legislation and keep up to date with UK,
European Union and international regulation and legislation
liaise with relevant bodies such as local authorities, public bodies and competent
bodies
 Management Responsibility
audit, analyse and report environmental performance to internal and external clients
and regulatory bodies
carry out impact assessments to identify, assess and reduce an organisation's
environmental risks and financial costs
promote and raise awareness, at all levels of an organisation, of the impact of
emerging environmental issues
implement best practice in areas of corporate, ethical and social responsibility and
address any issues arising
develop and implement environmental management systems to continually improve
the impact of the organisation on the environment
coordinate public hearings and consultations on environmental matters
manage relations with the board of directors, senior management and internal staff
train staff at all levels on environmental issues and responsibilities
participate in environmental education and research
negotiate environmental service agreements and manage associated costs and
revenues
write environmental reports, assuming the lead responsibility with the company
set organisational sustainability targets, and develop plans to meet those targets and
oversee their delivery.