The document discusses preliminary studies that are needed for town planning. It covers studying natural resources like climate, air quality, geology, soils, water resources, woodlands, and wetlands. It also discusses studying a town's economic resources like its economic base and industries. Forecasting techniques like dominant industry analysis are explained. Finally, it addresses the legal and administrative aspects of town planning like development plans, zoning, safety codes, and cultural heritage preservation. The studies and factors discussed are to understand a town's conditions and impacts of future development.

1. Architecture & Town Planning
1
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST
Class# 13: Preliminary Studies for Town Planning

2. Isn’t This a Great Day to Study
Architecture & Town Planning???
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 2
Source: Sydney Opera House “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52fqFVuaBhE”

3. Today’s Agenda
• Natural resources
• Economic resources
• Legal and administrative aspects
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 3

4. Preliminary Studies
• Certain data needs to be collected and transformed into useful
information for town planning
• Helps in understanding past and present conditions of the town and
impacts of any future development
• Studies include:
o Study of Natural Resources
o Study of Economic Resources
o Legal and administrative aspects
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 4

5. Natural Resources
Overview
• Important to recognize the existence of natural resources
• Need of their proper use and adjustment
• Careful assessment of the effects of development plan proposals on natural
resources
• Assessment requires the collection and analyses of data on various factors, like;
climate, air quality, geology, mineral resources, soils, surface water resources,
ground water resources woodlands, wetlands etc.
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 5

6. Natural Resources
Climate:
• Certain climatological data is relevant to town planning and engineering
• Historical data on;
o Ambient air temperatures and prevailing air movements (seasonal and monthly maximum
and minimum average temperatures)
o Precipitation (including annual and seasonal patterns and frequencies)
o Snowfall and snowfall accumulations (seasonal patterns and frequencies)
o Droughts (intensity, duration, and frequency)
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 6

7. Natural Resources
Air Quality:
• Affects the growth and development of an area, and
particularly when ambient air quality levels exceed federal
standards and result in “non-attainment” areas
• Cause significant health concerns
• Includes data on particulate
matter, sulfur oxides, carbon- monoxide,
lead, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen
dioxide etc.
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 7
Source: Pollution; “http://science.pppst.com/pollution.html”

8. Natural Resources
Geology
• Knowledge of the bedrock and surface deposits
• Data like depth to bedrock, directly affects the construction
costs of public utilities, particularly those requiring
extensive trenching or tunneling
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 8
Source: Lancaster Trenching Inc.; “http://www.lancastertrenching.com/”

9. Natural Resources
Mineral Resources
• Mostly relate to non-metallic deposits of sand, gravel, and
building stone
• Can be used as important sources of construction
materials required for continuing development
• Location of these resources should be taken into
consideration (economical construction)
• However, mining of sensitive natural resource areas needs
to be considered
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 9

10. Natural Resources
Soil
• Among the most important natural resources
• Soil study needs to contain;
o Engineering properties of the soils (soil bearing limitations in
design of residential, commercial, and industrial development)
o Biological properties of the soils (soil–plant and soil– wildlife
relationships for the design of permanent agricultural, recreational
green belts and open space)
• Helps to avoid problems and can also contribute to reduce
urban development and maintenance costs (streets and
highways on suitable soils, excavation of basements and utility
trenches in areas of groundwater)
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 10

11. Natural Resources
Surface Water Resources
• Consist of the lakes, streams, and associated flood lands
of a planning area
• Can be a source of water supply
• Focal points for water- related recreational activities
• Provide attractive sites for properly planned residential
development, and enhance the aesthetic aspects of the
environment
• May constitute parts of a major transportation system and
provide settings for port and water-transporta- tion-
dependent industries
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 11

12. Natural Resources
Ground Water Resources
• Major source of water supply for domestic, industrial, and
municipal water users
• Its protection needs to be an important consideration in
town planning (both quantitative and qualitative)
• Data on;
o Historical use of groundwater Historical progression of water
levels or potentiometric surfaces
o The recharge areas
o The susceptibility of the aquifers to contamination
o The hydrogeology of the aquifers
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 12

13. Natural Resources
Woodlands
• Areas of one acre or more in size having at least 50
percent canopy cover and a density of between 15 and 20
trees of four-inch diameter or larger at chest height per
acre
• Reduce stormwater runoff, contribute to atmospheric
oxygen, reduce soil, provide wildlife habitat etc.
• Need to be protected and preserved for their
environmental, scenic and recreational value
• Provide a desirable aesthetic setting for certain types of
urban developments e.g. outdoor recreational centers,
town zoo etc.
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 13

14. Natural Resources
Woodlands
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 14
Source: “http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/forests/11840852/Number-of-trees-halved-since-dawn-of-human-civilisation.html”

15. Natural Resources
Wetlands
• Lowland wooded areas such as tamarack swamps are
classified as wetlands
• Limitations for residential, commercial, and industrial
development (related to the high compressibility, instability, and
low bearing capacity of wetland soils, and high water table)
• Result in corroded metal conduits, wet basements,
unstable foundations, failing walkways and pavements,
failing sewer and pipelines
• Significant onsite preparation and maintenance costs of
development on wetland soils
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 15

16. Natural Resources
Wetlands
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 16
Source: “wikipedia.com”

17. Natural Resources
Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
• Preliminary attempt to evaluate environmental impacts in
order to determine whether a full-scale environmental
impact assessment is required
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
• Process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating
the biological, social and other relevant effects of the
development proposal prior to major decisions being taken
and commitments made
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 17

18. Economic Resources
Overview
• Important to understand town economic dynamics
• Both current and historical data help in understanding of
existing development patterns and historical trends in
development and provides a framework for preparing
employment forecasts
• Three main purposes with respect to city planning:
o To assist the community in formulating economic
development objectives and standards
o To provide an independent basis for projecting and
forecasting future population levels
o To provide quantitative estimates of existing and future
employment levels for use in plan preparation
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 18

19. Economic Resources
Economic Base
• Portion of the total urban economy that is composed of the
producers of goods, services, and capital who export all, or
a predominant part, of their output from the area, and
thereby bring a flow of purchasing power into the area
• Economic base can be best quantified in terms of the
number of employees engaged in basic economic
activities
• Basic vs. Non-basic Employment: Engine of local economy
and allows it to expand while non-basic enables them to
make a living
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 19

20. Economic Resources
Projection and Forecast Techniques
• Dominant-Subdominant Industry Base
o The businesses and industries of an area are, divided into
dominant and subdominant groups for analyses
• Dominant businesses and industries are defined as those with
four percent or more of total employment
• Subdominant establishments are defined as those with 2 to 3.9
percent of total employment
• Each group and employer is then analyzed by an
experienced economist on factors like geographic location
patterns, comparative employment levels, comparative
hourly earnings etc.
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 20

21. Economic Resources
Projection and Forecast Techniques
• Dominant-Subdominant Industry Base
o Long-term historical trends and potential changes are
identified
o Projections are then prepared using a combination of
mathematical formulation or graphical extrapolation and
experienced judgment
o Responsibility of department of commerce
o Assumptions made for the non-dominant and non-
subdominant employment (rate may be set at 0.4 to 0.6
percent per year)
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 21

22. Economic Resources
Projection and Forecast Techniques
• Industrial Cluster Analysis
o Geographic concentration of inter-connected industries
sharing technical, financial, labor, or distributional
advantages, with specialized buyer-supplier relationships
and other inter-dependencies
o Clusters often give regions their economic identity and
character and are often responsible for their wealth
o This cluster of industries is analyzed
o Analysis is similar to those used in the dominant–
subdominant industry method
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 22

23. Economic Resources
Personal Income
• Another economic indicator of interest in city planning is
personal income
• Includes per capita revenue in the area and median
household income
• Personal income data has particular
implications for land use, housing,
and transportation planning
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 23
Source: “http://toastyinnaples.com/2013/03/08/a-good-time-to-sell-according-to-fannie-mae-and-1003-americans/”

24. Legal & Administrative Aspects
Overview
• Related to politics, technicalities and stakeholders
• Principles of law define the systems of town regulation and
development
• Legal aspects vary between countries, states and even
districts
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 24
Source: “http://thompsonhwep.soup.io//”

25. Legal & Administrative Aspects
Legal Aspects in Town Planning
• Town Development Plan
o Sets out a vision and overall strategy for the future
development of the town
o Provides a framework through which new development
proposals can be regulated and assessed
o Takes into account the spaces for facilities like roads, parking
, mass transport etc.
o Needs to be consistent with national or regional strategic
plans
o Zoning plays its part (land use, building heights and area
density)
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 25

26. Legal & Administrative Aspects
Legal Aspects in Town Planning
• Development Management Standards
o Criteria and guidance for developers on how the planning
authority will assess the planning applications
o Typically includes zoning matrix and design principles
• Allocation of Recreational Resorts
o Ensure protection of nature and open areas
o Land accessible to the public for active and passive
recreation
o Green belts or “Boundary Buffer Zones”: Limit the potential of
urban sprawl
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 26

27. Legal & Administrative Aspects
Legal Aspects in Town Planning
• Safety
o Building safety and emergency management
o New development proposals need to incorporate hazard risk
and mitigation measures
• Building codes and regulations
o Need to align with the appropriate building code
o Set out minimum standards that need to be met
• Cultural Heritage Preservation
o Preserve historic monuments and areas
o Any development that may effect them needs to be
scrutinized
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 27

28. Questions ???
Department of Civil Engineering, MUST 28