Urban Planning Perspectives - Essay Example

In addition, regardless of the answers of the political authorities or stakeholders to the foregoing, additional fundamental planning principles or perspectives can be included. For instance, one planning principle that can be added is that urbanizing areas must also anticipate the needs of the future. Thus, for example, road widths must anticipate the traffic volumes of tomorrow and car volumes rather than the traffic volumes of the present. The needs assumed for planning must assume the needs of the future or perhaps a generation ahead rather than assuming only the needs of the current generation.

The assumption on the demand for water, for example, must also factor in the needs of future generations rather than merely assume the needs of today. Planning must anticipate possible problems that can emerge. Another planning principle that will have to decided upon by political authorities pertain to what planning principle should be adopted by planning authorities pertaining to sustenance. Shall the planning authority assume national and/or international interdependence or sustenance or should the planning authority assume or adopt the principle of self-sufficient or self-sustaining urban areas?

In general, urban areas have generally assumed that regions and areas are interdependent and, thus, did not attempt that all the needs of the city are satisfied by the urban area or the city itself. However, it is conceivable that we can find civil society groups lobbying that the city or urbanizing area adopt a planning principle aiming at self-sufficient urban areas or self-sufficient cities. The “self-sufficient” cities or urbanizing areas are supposedly able to acquire its sustenance entirely or solely from the city or the urbanizing area itself.

Another planning principle that will have to decide by the political authorities in the urbanizing area or city is on the weight of function versus aesthetics in planning. Should the urbanizing area or city