“Land really is the best art” – Andy Warhol
From the day we, the human beings, have stepped on Earth, all we have desired is a healthy existence. While there is a lot to mend internally, external factors affect human well-being as well.
For instance, a wholesome environment can positively influence life on earth. Living beings depend on the environment to source air, water, and food. If the environment degrades, life on the planet will come to a standstill. Hence, the need of the hour is to create awareness among the masses and observe practices that help in conserving the environment.
One of the excellent ways of taking care of the environment is to invest attention in Urban Planning. Even though Urban Planning as a concept has been around for a while now, not many people are aware of its significance from the environmental point of view.
With this in mind, we, at Tribhuvan College, one of the best environmental science colleges in Delhi, decided to throw some light today on the concept of Urban Planning and its contribution to the environment. Read on.
What is Urban Planning?
Urban Planning has a lot to do with the distribution and optimum utilisation of land and other resources. The idea is to strike a balance between the welfare of people and that of the environment.
Sustainable development forms a crucial part of urban planning. It is a step-by-step process that lays down a blueprint for people to operate on the planet without interfering with the environmental equilibrium.
As a multi-disciplinary field of study, researchers and experts from different walks of life come together to give Urban Planning a logical conclusion. Analysis and strategic thinking are vital elements that aid the process of urban planning.
Moreover, urban planning plays a pivotal role in conserving natural landscapes. This, in turn, aids in bringing about an improvement in the quality of life of people while keeping natural disasters and environmental concerns at bay.
Who is Responsible for Carrying Out Urban Planning?
Urban Planning looks like the right thing to do, especially when environmental problems are on the rise worldwide. However, one question here is – Who holds the responsibility for carrying out urban planning?
Coming to the point, authorities and local governments carry out urban planning. However, this is not a one-time affair. For attaining desired results, this process is carried out in phases. Moreover, the idea is to tackle one problem at a time. To achieve this, segmentation is taken into consideration.
Data is a crucial part of Urban Planning. A team of researchers and experts come together to look through the gathered data. This data is divided into blocks and studied in its individual capacity.
During Data Analysis, many findings come out, which are noted on the side. These findings help to come up with valid solutions for the ongoing problems.
We can confidently state that the process of urban planning is data and evidence-backed, which means going wrong with the solution is next to impossible. All it takes is for the community to observe the laid-out plan so that there is nothing coming in the way of the environment and humankind.
Role of Urban Planning in Tackling Environmental Issues:
- Helps in improving air quality:
In a country like ours, air pollution has grown into one of the major environmental concerns. And if you see, fuel-based vehicles are one of the major contributors to air pollution. If gone unnoticed, air pollution can lead to serious health woes such as respiratory infections, heart diseases, and even lung cancer in certain cases.
Hence, the focus should be on improving the quality of air. This is where Urban Planning comes to the rescue. Urban planning focuses on increased use of low energy means of transportation, promotion of active travel, and reduction in carbon emissions.
For instance, a good move in this regard would be to encourage the use of electric vehicles. However, to support such usage, it is vital that charging points be placed at prominent locations. Urban Planners foresee such requirements, which help in better pre-planning. This not only improves the lives of people living in the concerned zones but at the same time ensures that a major environmental hazard such as air pollution is tackled without much hassle.
At Tribhuvan College, the core of our existence is to create a clan of young minds who are environmentally aware and open to passing on relevant environment-oriented information to the masses ahead. This is enough encouragement for us to spread awareness about the subjects like urban planning right from the depth.
- Ensures access to clean water:
We all know that water is available in plenty on the planet. However, if that is the case, then why many of us do not enjoy free access to a sufficient quantity of clean water?
One of the main reasons behind the same is that the concentration of population in the urban areas is on the rise. This leads to the demand for water beating the available supply, which eventually leads to shortage and scarcity.
However, it is possible to take care of this problem by putting a comprehensive plan in place. Firstly, it is important to gather hydrologic data. Once this is done, a thorough analysis needs to be conducted, which in turn would offer assistance regarding the optimum use of water resources.
As a part of the Urban Planning agenda, various water-related concerns like improvement in sanitisation infrastructure, wastewater management, managing rainwater, and of course, reducing the impact of water-related hazards such as floods, droughts, and landslides, are given the due attention they deserve. Thus, urban planning is indispensable from the water management point of view.
- Helps in coping with deforestation:
Deforestation has turned into a major environmental hazard in India. That’s because the population of India is rising at a steady rate. As such, it has become rather difficult for our economy to house the ever-rising heads. To cope with this problem, deforestation is seen as the only viable option.
However, even though cutting down trees seems like an ideal thing to do as far as housing the Indian population is concerned, deforestation has its own set of lasting troubles.
In times wherein we are speaking about planting more trees, how is it acceptable to cut down on the existing ones? Deforestation is no doubt a threat to our environment. Deforestation is leading to climate change, playing havoc with the temperature, leading to storms and heatwaves, and a lot more.
One of the best ways of bringing deforestation under control is by putting faith in Urban Planning. Urban Planning modules are formed in such a manner that they do not disrupt the existing distribution of land, greens, and other resources. The idea is to help the urban population and environment to co-exist. This, in turn, helps in keeping environmental problems away.
However, at Tribhuvan College, we firmly believe that even though deforestation is a bigger problem and needs a proper urban planning structure in place, there is actually a lot that people can do at an individual level. For instance, if we are fearing the loss of greens, then the ideal thing to do is to plant more trees. Even if one person plants one tree, it will make a lot of difference. Right?
This is why, at Tribhuvan College, ranked among the best environmental science colleges in Delhi, we do not just focus on educating our students about the various environmental problems but also teach them about the possible high-level solutions. We encourage them to step ahead and make a difference in whatever big or small way possible. The idea is to focus on a long-term revolution than a one-of solution!
- Helps keep the population under check:
In a country like India, where the population is growing at a blink of an eye, it is important to exercise better control. One of the reasons being the rising population is dependent on natural resources for their survival.
The quantity of natural resources on the planet is limited. When the population starts rising, exceptional pressure is felt by these limited resources. The end result is faster depletion of available natural resources, which further poses a threat to the upcoming generations.
Urban Planning works as a saviour in this regard too. Firstly, it helps in creating awareness among the masses about how detrimental the rising population can be not just for the environment but every living being out there.
Secondly, it speaks extensively about distributing the rising population around different areas. For instance, it is quite possible that the majority of the population resides in Zone A, while Zone B continues to remain comparatively less crowded. This imbalance is addressed by urban planning.
Even though segregating the vast population across different zones is not a long-term solution, it definitely works as a helping hand in the short run. Thus, it won’t be wrong to state that urban planning helps humans to survive and sustain on the planet.
- Tackles global warming:
Even though most people wouldn’t want to accept it, Global Warming is indeed a global concern that needs attention on a rather immediate basis. Global Warming is capable of bringing about alterations in the environment, which can, in turn, not just impact humans but all life forms on Earth.
Global warming is a serious threat, which can lead to woes such as a rise in the sea level, loss of coastal land, change in precipitation patterns, loss of biodiversity, and increased risk of floods and droughts. To prevent the worst-case scenario from coming into the picture, it is important that Urban Planning be given the necessary attention. This is because energy is used extensively in urban areas. This makes it important to carry out urban planning from the energy efficiency point of view.
With Urban Planning in place, the main focus will be on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If this is done, global warming will become controllable to a certain extent.
Moreover, people would come to understand how their choices negatively impact the environment and lead to lasting changes. They would become more aware of their choice of amenities.
For instance, urban planning can bring such an urban design to the table that the need for air-conditioners can be completely ruled out. If you are unaware, air-conditioners are a major source of carbon emissions, which in turn can lead to global warming.
Thus, at times, something which you may view as a minor change can actually have a major positive contribution to the environment!
As one of the leading environmental science colleges in Delhi, we, at Tribhuvan College, have always focussed on sustainability and as such, we are great supporters of the concept of Urban Planning. We firmly believe that it’s high time we begin pouring efforts to reduce the negative impact that we, human beings, are leaving on the environment. This is why all our courses are designed in such a manner that everyday environmental concerns are discussed and taken care of. This is particularly important because the students of today are going to become the leaders of tomorrow. And we wouldn’t want to leave any stone unturned when it comes to creating a batch of change-makers who can make the world a better place to breathe in.
Urban Planning is the First Step Towards Sustainability
At Tribhuvan College, we firmly believe that the time has come when we, as responsible citizens, begin thinking of more than just our own needs and requirements. It is our duty to ensure that we utilize natural resources responsibly and in such a manner that there is no dearth of such resources for future generations.
This is an important area that urban planning takes into account. The idea is to introduce changes that can help preserve the environment. Some of the common introductions here with respect to urban planning are coming out with green roofs, parks, and urban forests. The ultimate focus remains on water conservation, providing a habitat for animals and plants, managing temperature, and of course, keeping air quality under check.
These are all basic yet real environmental problems, which if aptly tackled today, can help humankind to survive on the, planet to its full capacity.
It is important to mention that for the success of Urban planning, two areas that need to be given undivided attention are lower emissions and energy consumption. Urban Planning discusses multiple alternatives which can help in giving people a much-necessary head start.
Having said that, we, at Tribhuvan College, one of the renowned environmental science colleges in Delhi, understand that environmental problems do not result because of any one individual. Thus, it is not possible that any one individual tackle it. The need of the hour is for every responsible citizen to come forward and work towards the larger goal. The larger goal here is environmental conservation while keeping environmental problems miles away.
Once people come to understand that it is this environment that is allowing them to breathe and live, they will not once step back before achieving the balance that urban planning seeks.