DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

MODIBBO ADAMA UNIVERSITY, YOLA
COURSE: URP 213 URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING 2024/2025
Ishaku, H.T.(PhD) mnitp,toprec
COURSE OUTLINE
1. Conceptual clarification:-urban, development and planning
2. Forms of cities
3. Factors responsible for urban growth
4. Urban land use
5. Process of space allocation, standards for various land uses
6. Land demand use and projection
7. Planning and cities, operational, restorative and developmental planning
8. General elements of a master plan, new town
9. Social responsibilities of the planners

URBAN

The subject urban means so much to many discipline of study. While the
geographers define an urban area in terms of population and size. The further assert
that for an area to called urban, it must have a relatively large land mass and a
population of not less than 20,000 persons living in a delineated area. The sociologist
sees an urban area in terms of level of intensive interaction among the people. This
interaction must be a two way traffic in which there must be reciprocal. The physical
planner is interested in the level of available infrastructure meant to improve the living
standards of the people. These infrastructures are the life wire of every society without
which living will be precarious. They maintain that the infrastructure should include safe
water supply, good accessibility, proper waste management facilities, drainage system,
electricity sewerage, educational facilities, and health among others. Another way for
defining urban area relates to government policy of the day. For instance, during the
Shagaris’s regime there was a proclamation that all local government headquarters
should be designated as an urban area

DEVELOPMENT

Growth means total increase in gross national product (GNP) plus economic and
social transformation of the society. Growth in the past was seen as the capacity of a
national economy to generate and sustain an annual increase in GNP at the rate of 5-7%
per annum. Development was seen in terms of plan alteration of structures of the
population so that agriculture sector share of production declines and that of
manufacturing increases. Before oil discovery in Nigeria agriculture was the mainstay
for foreign exchange earnings but this was relegated to the background with a total
attention focused on oil and the manufacturing industries. A number of countries that
attained the target growth rate of 5-7% but their living standard remained below the
poverty line. There was a growing realization that development itself was not growth in
GNP of a country rather. Then it was realized that there was something wrong with the
definition of plan alteration of 5-7% increase in GNP

Development was then redefined in terms of reduction or elimination of poverty,

inequality and unemployment within the context of a growing economy. Professor
Dudley Sheers opined that the question to ask of any county’s development is what is
happening to poverty, inequality, unemployment? And that if any 1 or 2 of these factors
is increasing, it is baseless to call the country developed or developing even if the per
capita income in GNP triples.
 In a related development Michael Tadaro stated that development must be
conceived as a multidimensional process involving a change in structures, attitudes and
institutions as well as accelerating economic growth, reduction of poverty, inequality
and unemployment. He finally added that the co-values of development are life
sustenance, self esteem and freedom from servitudes.

PLANNING

A plan is a blue print of action which points out a precise way of reaching a
predetermined goal. Planning has severally been defined by many scholars and
researchers. It is includes dreaming dreams and seeing the dream come through. It is a
future oriented activity based on scientific reasoning. Indeed planning is the production
of physical orderliness the provision of needed infrastructure to improve the living
standards of the people.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

This is the process of improving the improvement in the living standards of the
people living in the urban area through the provision of infrastructure thereby
transforming the social spatial structure of their productive lives and activities. It
implies a broad based reorganization and mobilization of the urban people so as to
enhance their capacity to cope effectively with the task of their lives and changes
consequent upon this. A very crucial aim of urban development is to develop interest
and initiatives on infrastructure which will tend stimulate growth, provide diversified
employment in the urban areas.

Urban planning is primarily concerned with physical and spatial planning in

respect to orderliness, aesthetics and healthy layout of plots, building setting and
communication routes so as to a achieve a maximum degree of economy and social
well being.
CITY FORMS

In the historical evolution of the first urban civilization and their city forms it is
possible to discern three (3) main phases

The first of these phases covers the whole of the Paleolithic age at least half a
million years ago until 10,000 BC. This was followed by the proto-Neolithic and Neolithic
ages which in turn led to the fourth phase that is the Bronze Age starting between 3500
and 3000 BC and lasting for some 2,000 years. During this time the first urban
civilization were firmly established.

Dr. Glyn Daniel in his excellent book “The first civilization: the archeology of their
origins, stated that the first civilization of man started in southern Mesopotamia in
Egypt in the Indus valley, in the Yellow River in China, in the valley of Mexico, in the
jungles of Guatemala and Honduras and the coast lands and highland of Peru

The seven civilizations first occurred at markedly different times. The first three
in assumed order of origin – Mesopotamia, Egypt and India which are referred to as
“dead culture, from which the western civilization developed. Although originating much
recently than Chinese civilization, which was the next oldest, the three American a
mobile one culture-Mexican central America and Peruvian-are also dead brutally
destroyed in their respective stages of development.

THE EARLY SETTLEMENTS

Man like any other creature first appeared on the surface of the earth perhaps as
long as a million years ago and become dispersed from England to China and from
Germany to Transvaal. By about 2500 BC the physical and organic evolution of
Homosapiens is considered to have come to an end the modern process cultural
evolution started.
 From the first appearance down to Neolithic Age, he has existed on much more
the same basis as any other animals by gathering naturally occurring food stuffs in the
form of berries, fruits, roots and nuts and somewhat later by preying on other animals
and by fishing. The social unit was the family, but the society of necessity a mobile one
always searching for fresh sources of food from one place to another. There was no
permanent physical unit about 14,000 BC when as the last great ice age was
approaching men were sufficiently well equipped to find shelter, caves. Men found true
homes, permenace of residence was determined by continuing availability of food
within reach of the home.

What is Urban Growth?

Urban growth refers to the rate at which the population, land area, or significant
land-use increases. Also defined as the growth of metropolitan areas or cities, it is
something that started way back between the 5000 and 6000 B.C., especially due to the
movement of people from rural areas to urban areas – places with high human
population, economic activities, and infrastructure. The 19th century, in particular, was a
mark of actual urban growth.

And since 1800, the urban revolution has rapidly increased, reaching new levels in
the history of the world today. Urban growth is also closely linked to urbanization or
urbanism, a term used to refer to an increasing proportion of a population residing in
urban areas such as cities, suburbs, towns, and contributions.

Urban growth is, therefore, utilized as an indicator for a country’s or an area’s economic
condition as well as development. The growth of urban areas is often influenced by
certain factors such as surplus resources, development of infrastructure,
commercialization, education, and mining, among others.
Factors responsible for urban growth

There are many causes of urban growth this include the following:

1. The natural increase in population

The rate of death and births characterizes the natural expansion of an area. In areas
where births are more than the deaths, the population is bound to increase. People who
migrate to town and cities tend to be young people who are in search of housing, jobs,
or better education. Young men and women have a high fertility rate; therefore, they
increase in numbers quickly and will eventually look for new spaces within the urban
area to settle and fend for their kind.

2. Migration

Immigration is a major contributor to the increase in the population of a place.

Many people are forced to move to urban areas in search of jobs, education, and
housing. Inadequate funding and social infrastructure have also driven people to urban
areas. In other cases, political, racial, economic, or religious conflicts have forced
people to move to neighbor urban areas.

3. Industrialization

The industrial revolution brought about new production techniques. By this,

manufacturing has created more job opportunities by providing people with the
opportunity to be employed in new sectors. With modern farm machinery, employment
in the rural areas reduced, forcing workers to move in search of new jobs in tertiary and
manufacturing industries.
Also, in pursuit of increased wages, men and women continue to abandon jobs in rural
areas by moving to industrial cities. Many people move to urban centers to look for
well-paying industrial jobs as urban centers have uncountable opportunities.

4. Commercialization

Whereas industrialization has played an essential role in the growth of urban areas,
commerce and trade have profoundly influenced the growth of cities. In ancient times,
cities like Athens, Sparta, and Venice were great commercial centers. In modern life
today, the commercial activities in city and industrial areas continue to attract more and
more people as traders and workers, thereby contributing to the growth of cities and
town areas. Business people prefer going to the cities to sell their commodities and in
search of higher profits. The kind of economic pull urban centers have is one that
attracts more and more people to move to urban areas.

5. Advancement of transport and communication

When factories were introduced, the local transportation was weak, forcing the factory
laborers to reside near their place of work. The cities were partitioned into dwelling
areas, market area, factory area, slums, and so on. Increased population led to
congestion of housing and added to the already existing community by extension of
boundaries. Today, people prefer to live near their place work not because of poor
transport but to shorten distance travel and avoid the traffic jam on their way work.
Active transportation helps make the cities more habitable by easing communication,
transportation, and creating convenient accessibility.

6. Availability of educational and recreational facilities

Most training institutions, colleges, elementary schools, and technical institutions are in
urban areas. Also, most libraries are located in the cities. Recruiting agencies, as well as
the examination councils, are situated in the cities. Clearly, due to the location of these
facilities, most students and adult learners are attracted to the town for easy
accessibility of higher education. Opera and Amusement Theaters are also in urban
areas, drawing more people to the cities.

7. Urban planning policies

Urban planning typically forces city leaders to find ways of making a sustainable city,
including proper town development and expansion plans. As a strategy aimed at
converting vision into implementation, it acts as a guide for making the most out of a
city by improving infrastructure and building its economic growth and enhancing the city’
s living standards as well as the resident’s well-being. With better living standards and
infrastructures in the city, more people are attracted to live in the municipality,
consequently increasing its population.

8. Topographical factors

The topography of an area can have huge impacts on the growth of a city. An area with
a suitable topography is usually easy to develop and expand. Urban areas in or around
an excellent topographical area are easily extended and refined, thus drawing more
people to such areas.

9. Unbalanced spatial development

In many countries around the world, there are developed regions and less developed
regions. Many people tend to move to more developed areas. Occasionally, urban
centers (cities) are more developed than rural areas because of the available facilities
and opportunities offered in urban areas. On this account, the population and size of the
metropolitan area will automatically increase within a given period.
10. Transformation and modernization in the way of living

Transformation and modernization play a very significant role in attracting people to the
cities. As technology improves, together with highly sophisticated infrastructure,
liberation, communication, dressing code, medical facilities, and other social services
offered; people tend to believe they can live a more comfortable life in the cities. In
growing urban areas, people easily embrace changes in the styles of living, for instance,
mode of dressing, attitude, habits, and views. As a result, more people are attracted to
the cities, and the cities continue to grow day after day.

11. Mining and investments

As more urban areas continue being successful and well-off due to the discovery of
minerals, resource exploitation, agricultural activities, or business operations, urban
areas continue to grow economically. Societies continue being financially liberal due to
the availability of jobs in urban areas. As a result, more investors are attracted to invest
in such cities, promoting their growth.

12. Presence of functional administrative and social support offices

The presence of administration dominance in an urban center promotes its growth.

Many cities today hold offices for various administration and governance functions,
which influence people to live in these areas for access to better governance and social
amenities like security, sanitation, housing, education, and healthcare.

Differences Between Urban Growth and Urbanization

The difference between urban growth and urbanization can be categorized using three
broad aspects, including:
1. Population (immigration versus rural-urban migration)

Urban growth is characterized by population increase, while urbanization can be termed

as the increasing proportion of a country’s population living in an urban area.
Urbanization is expressed as a ratio or a percentage of the entire population, through
the process of transforming rural areas into urban areas.

Urbanization, therefore, mainly involves rural-urban migration. Contrarily, urban growth

involves the immigration of people. Urban growth happens when the increase in the
number of people is not proportional to the number of urban dwellers in an area.

2. Land area (extensive land area versus intensive land area coverage)

In terms of urbanization, the land area covered is often extensive, owing to large-scale
economic development. In other words, urbanization is linked to economic development
in the sense that urbanization cannot occur if there lacks widespread economic
development that covers a wide geographical area, which often comes about due to
high per capita income.

Urban growth, on the other hand, can take place without far-flung economic growth and
it is not strictly influenced by extensive land area coverage.

3. Infrastructural versus economic/commercial change

Urban growth primarily happens when there is infrastructural development in terms of

manufacturing, invention, housing, and new transport systems or routes that encourage
the immigration of people into new urban spaces.

Urbanization, on the other hand, is mainly influenced by increased commercial or

economic activities within an area. The meaning of this is that the economic hub of an
area defines urbanization. The more the economic, capital investments, and trade
activities within an area, the more urbanized it becomes.

Effects of Urban Growth

1. Increased Air Pollution

Urban sprawl increases car, bus and truck traffic by creating longer and more frequent
commutes, which leads to a major increase in air pollution and ground-level smog.
Vehicles using fossil fuels are the number one cause of air pollution in many urban
areas with serious implications for public, wildlife and ecosystem health.

As more time is spent in cars and more traffic congestion occurs over a larger area, it
contributes to the growing emissions of greenhouse gases and particulates, resulting in
the continued degradation of air quality in urban areas.

2. Increased Water Pollution

Urban sprawl is the cause of water pollution as rainwater picks up gasoline, lawn
chemicals, heavy metals, paints spills, motor oil, pet wastes, construction site erosion
and other pollutants in runoff from lawns, driveways, roads and parking lots, which can
eventually travel in large, concentrated amounts, polluting nearby water sources, such
as a stream, river or lake.

3. High Water Consumption

Urban sprawl can create water distribution issues and lead to water over-consumption
as more water is consumed for lawn watering and other landscape activities, which can
strain and deplete local water supply systems. According to the EPA, “an American
family of four can use 400 gallons of water per day, and about 30 percent of that is
devoted to outdoor uses. More than half of that outdoor water is used for watering
lawns and gardens. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for almost
one-third of all residential water use, totaling more than 7 billion gallons per day. Other
residential outdoor uses include washing automobiles, maintaining swimming pools,
and cleaning sidewalks and driveways.”

4. Health Degradation

As communities are auto-dependent, we need to drive to schools, shops, parks,

entertainment, play dates, etc. Thus people become more sedentary, making it more
difficult for them to get physical activity and maintain a healthy weight. Residents of
sprawling counties were likely to walk less during leisure time and weigh more than
residents of compact counties. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of overall
mortality, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. The effect of low physical
fitness is comparable to that of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

5. Loss of Open Space and Wildlife Habitats

Urban sprawl threatens productive farmland, transforms parks and open spaces into
highways and strip malls and destroys more than one million acres of parks, farms and
open space each year. The increased proximity and accessibility of urban activities to
natural areas impose stress on ecosystems and species through the noise and air
pollution. The natural habitats of wildlife are disappearing beneath the concrete, which
is threatening important ecosystems around the world.

According to National Geographic,” sprawl is claiming farmland at the rate of 1.2 million
acres (10.5 million hectares) a year. Throw in the forest and other undeveloped lands,
and, for a net annual loss of open space, you’re waving good-bye to more than two
million acres (10.8 million hectares).”
6. Increased Traffic Congestion

As urban areas spread out, trip times are lengthened, residents are forced to virtually
drive everywhere like drive to schools, work, shops, parks, entertainment, play dates, etc.,
spending more time in their cars and trucks, and traffic congestion occurs over a larger
area.

7. Increases Risk and Damage from Floods

Sprawling developments drain and destroy wetlands that absorb floodwaters, and can
be built in floodplains, leads to a higher susceptibility to floodwaters. According to the
Sierra Club, ” in the last eight years, floods in the United States killed more than 850
people and caused more than $89 billion in property damage. Much of this flooding
occurred in places where weak zoning laws allowed developers to drain wetlands and
build in floodplains.”

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLANNER

An urban planner or land use planner as he may sometimes be called may focus on
a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town planner, regional
planner, transportation planner, infrastructure planner, environmental planner, parks
planner, physical planner, health planner, planning analyst, urban designer, community
development director, economic development specialist or other similar combinations.

The responsibilities of an urban planner vary between jurisdictions, and sometimes

within jurisdictions. The following is therefore a general description of the
responsibilities of an urban planner, of which an urban planner may well typically
practice two or more of. An urban planner may also specialize in one responsibility only.
The following are some of the social responsibilities of the land use planners.

1. Land use planning

 2. Master/comprehensive planning

3. Regional planning

4. Heritage and conservation planning

5. Urban revitalization/ urban renewal

6. Transportation planning

7. Economic development planning

8. Environmental planning/advocacy

9. Urban design

10. Infrastructure planning

11. Education and training

Land use planning

Urban planners specializing in land use planning are predominantly concerned

with the regulation of land use, development and subdivision, with the intent of
achieving the desired urban planning outcome. Regulation of land use and development
is achieved via the drafting and adoption of planning instruments designed to influence
the land use and built form goals of the jurisdiction. The planning instruments take the
form of legislation and policy, and have a wide variety of terms across jurisdictions
including acts and regulations, rules, codes, schemes, plans, policies, and manuals; and
often a combination of some of these. The planning instruments often spatially zone
land or reserve the land for certain purposes, presented in the form of a zoning map or
plan. The urban planner is tasked with preparing planning instruments and zoning plans.
Further, given urban development is rarely static and the goals of urban planning change
from time to time, the urban planner will be responsible for continuously maintaining
planning instruments and zoning plans to ensure they are kept up-to-date.
Consultation with the community and other stakeholders is generally desired by urban
planners in most jurisdictions when planning instruments are prepared and updated.
The level of consultation will vary depending on the project.

The urban planner will also be responsible for implementing the planning
instruments. This is achieved through a permit process, where the proponent of a
proposed development, a change in land use, or the proposed subdivision of an
allotment will be required to obtain a permit, approval, licenses, or consent for the
proposed development or change of use. An urban planner will be tasked with
considering the proposal and determining whether it complies with the intent and the
specific provisions of the applicable planning instruments and zoning plans. Depending
on the jurisdiction, the urban planner may have authority to determine the proposal;
otherwise the planner will present a recommendation to the decision-maker, often a
panel of non-planners (for example, the elected council of a local government).

While concerned with future development, an urban planner will occasionally be

responsible for investigating development or land use which had been undertaken
without authorization. In many jurisdictions urban planners can require that
unauthorized land use cease and unauthorized development is returned to its
predevelopment condition; or alternatively retrospectively approve the unauthorized
development or land use.

Strategic urban planning

In order to plan effectively for long-term development and growth, an urban

planner will be responsible for the preparation of a strategic plan (also known in
different jurisdictions by names such as development plan, core
strategy, comprehensive plan, planning strategy, structure plan, etc.). Strategic urban
planning sets the high-level goals and growth principles for a jurisdiction, which will in
turn inform the preparation and amendment of the legal planning instruments within
that jurisdiction.

Regional planning

Regional planning deals with the planning of land use, infrastructure and
settlement growth over a geographical area which extends to a whole city or beyond. In
this sense, the urban planner's role is to consider urban planning at a macro scale.
Regional planning is not concerned with planning at the local (neighborhood) level. The
main aim of regional development planning lies in the identification of resource base of
a region, their exact location and finding effective ways for harnessing these resources
so as to improve the living standard of the people in that region.

Heritage and conservation

An urban planner may be responsible for identifying, protecting and conserving/

restoring buildings and places which are identified by a community as having cultural
heritage significance. This may include the task of compiling and maintaining a heritage
register, finding and making available incentives for encouraging conservation works,
and the consideration of proposals to redevelop or use a heritage-listed place.

Urban Revitalization

As urban areas decline, an urban planner may be tasked with preparing a plan for
the redevelopment of an urban area. Such plans are not limited to an individual
development site, but rather encompass a locality or district over which an urban
redevelopment plan is prepared.

Urban revitalization often relies on obtaining funding from government sources to assist
in the regeneration of an area; the funding may be used for a variety of purposes such
as improvement of public roads, parks and other public spaces, development of
infrastructure, and acquisition of land. The urban planner will be responsible for costing
an urban revitalization plan and obtaining funding for infrastructure works necessary to
implement the urban renewal plan.

The urban planner for an urban revitalization project will need to liaise closely with
stakeholders during the preparation and implementation of the plan, including
government agencies, landowners and community groups.

Master planning

A master plan will be prepared for many development projects. The purpose of a
master plan is to plan for the ultimate spatial layout of the land uses for a future
development area. A master plan will consider the required infrastructure to service the
development and determine the need and location of urban amenities including
commercial and industrial land, community facilities, schools, parks, public transport,
major roads, and land uses, both within and outside the master plan area, and consider
the staging of development of a master planned area.

The urban planner will be responsible for coordinating the various professional
consultant inputs, and to lay out the master plan infrastructure and land uses. It will
often be necessary for the urban planner to consult with landowners and government
agencies affected by the master plan.

Transportation planning

An urban planner may be responsible for planning for transport facilities and
infrastructure in urban and inter-regional areas.

Economic development

An urban planner's responsibility may extend to economic development. In this

sense, an urban planner may be responsible for identifying opportunities for economic
growth, and encourage investment in an area.

Environmental planning
 An urban planner may be concerned with the impact of land use, development
and subdivision on the natural environment including land, water, flora, and fauna, to
achieve sustainable outcomes.

Urban design

An urban planner will develop the design of public spaces (streets, squares,
parks, etc.) and the relationship between built form and public spaces. Depending on
the country and planner's training they may work with other design professionals such
as civil engineers, architects or landscape architects to complete and construct the
design.

Infrastructure planning

An urban planner may be required to plan for the future provision of public
works infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage, electricity, telecommunications,
and transport infrastructure, and community infrastructure
including schools, hospitals and parks.

Education and training

Urban Planning as a profession is a relatively young discipline. Urban Planning is

an interdisciplinary field closely related to civil engineering. Few government agencies
restrict or license the profession. As a result, a number of other related disciplines
actively claim to have the training, expertise and professional scope to practice urban
planning.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and the Town Planners
Registration Council (TOPREC) are the leading bodies tasked with the responsibility of
improving the training, education and professional practice of planning in Nigeria.

To be a town planner in Nigeria, one must first complete a degree in Urban and Regional
Planning or a relevant discipline and then complete a final year in the form of a masters
in Urban and Regional Planning which must be accredited by the Town Planners
Registration Council (TOPREC ), or a four-year degree encapsulating all aspects. they
can then become eligible to be a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town
Planners (NITP), but must first complete two years work based training, to be a full
member, and subsequently register and sit for the TOPREC professional examination, to
become a registered town planner