Which tools are responsible for shaping our cities?

Identifying factors responsible for shaping our cities

Studying and analyzing the growth of towns at a superficial level gives us a complete idea of the growth of towns and its division of towns depending on its size and population.

To study the growth of towns in depth and to identify the reasons for the development of towns and cities for the way they developed, three tools have been studied. These could be used as design tools for the design of new towns.

  1. Transportation Planning
  2. Land use planning
  3. Food

tools for citiesInteresting facts about how food shaped our cities

  • We consume good wherever we go since it is our need for survival.
  • For consumption we need to produce…
  • With more and more people moving into the cities, the natural landscapes are being destroyed.
  • We consume meat.
  • Animals are fed which increase the need for more crop production to feed animals and then animals are consumed by us.
  • By 2050, it is estimated that twice of us are going to live in the cities. So, there will be 6 billion hungry carnivores to feed by 2050
  • There is a lot more to how food shapes our cities…
  • Rain forest destruction
  • Relation of agriculture and urbanism
  • Global trade in good being controlled by five multinational corporations
  • Ancient ancestors – history wasn’t any different
  • Cities and agriculture are inseparable

Relationship between landuse planning and transportation planning

Landuse and transport to a very large extent depend on each other.

These are the tools that should be used together so that they complement each other.

In the past, cities were purely designed on the landuse principles. Transportation planning came into picture after the cities were designed.

Transportation planning was never paid attention to when the cities grew. Historically, cities have gradually grown without much planning. Transportation planning professionals and town planners, urban designers and architects did not work hand in hand. This led to the faulty transportation networks that we have across the world.

Researchers have shown that transportation and landuse planning has to be done with respect to each other. This will help in efficient planning of our new towns and cities. Efficient transportation system largely relies on the landuse planning. If they are planned in a way that they complement each other will help in creating a sustainable transportation system. And sustainability is the need of the day!

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