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URBAN PLANNING
Urban growth in the past 30 years Pressure on land also results in In the future, urban population will
has largely resulted in crowded slums increased prices and consequent continue to grow, particularly in
and sprawling settlements in the occupation of marginal areas by Africa and Asia; most of this growth
urban fringe. Urban land has grown slums, or leapfrogging development will be in small and intermediate
much faster than urban population with urban sprawl. As a result, living cities of less than 1 million
and cities are consuming more and conditions deteriorate and low inhabitants (see Figure 1).
more space to accommodate new density makes it costly and inefficient
development. This has resulted in to provide services and infrastructure.
less dense and more inefficient land The overall efficiency of settlements
use patterns without a viable spatial is reduced and city development
structure due to lack of adequate hindered.
planning.
Source: UN-Habitat 2011, Global Report on Human Settlements: Cities and Climate Change
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In the developing world, new housing developments Figure 2: Decline in Built-up Area
frequently target only medium- and high-income
populations. Low-income populations cannot afford the 1400 1400
high prices of valuable urban land and, as a consequence, Algiers
Manila
Algiers
Manila
they invade vacant land surrounding the formal city. 1200 1200
1 Angel, Parent, Civco, & Blei, Making Room for a Planet of Cities (Lincoln Institute of
Land Policy, 2011).
optimize the use of land and support the protection and • Large areas of land are made available for
organization of open spaces to the scale required by the development, resulting in reduced land prices and
projected population growth. speculation
• Sufficient public space is demarcated to support high
Guided extensions and densification plans can be realized densities, mobility and infrastructure networks
in large areas of vacant or sub-utilized land in central areas • Urban densities increase incrementally in a
and on the fringes of the city. They can be developed sustainable way thus accommodating population
in a progressive manner by identifying areas for future growth more efficiently
development as demand grows and financial means • The city’s ecological footprint is minimized through
become available. By going back to basics – or focusing on more compact patterns
the definition of the street network and plots – and limiting
functional zoning as much as possible, extension plans Additional benefits of this approach include economic
provide the foundation for public and private investment agglomeration advantages, including lower infrastructure,
and for more complex future interventions. They offer a transport, transaction and services costs; reduced mobility
realistic and cost-effective avenue to manage population demand; and strengthened social interactions and
growth, prevent slum formation and reduce unplanned increased social heterogeneity as a result of mixed land use.
development.
Guided urban expansion plans need to consider different
These interventions increase urban space and the tools to secure public land and manage plot layout. Land
availability of urban land for development, thus reducing readjustment and pooling are particularly crucial, together
speculation and increasing both accessibility for the poor with adequate land management and regulatory tools. The
and local revenue. The transformation of land use from provision of basic services, often done in an incremental
rural to urban and the higher urban densities create new way, should be the key public sector intervention and
space in the city, resulting in the production of assets and should be linked transparently with local taxation and the
income, leading to increased wealth and value. Tapping sharing of value accrued on private land. Collaboration
on such wealth is a key challenge and an opportunity for among different sectors and actors is essential for the
local governments as it can spark a virtuous cycle of local development of an implementable and successful plan.
improvement.
UN-Habitat has identified 5 strategies that can enable cities
Five results can be achieved through the adoption of to expand their urban space in an efficient and organised
guided urban expansion plans: way, in accordance with their differing capacities and
• A spatial structure that supports urban development needs. These strategies address the tendency to decreasing
and attracts investments densities and provide solutions for different economic
groups.
Rapid urban growth leads to slum settlement, Kibera, Nairobi - Lack of a structured and orderly city extension can lead to
Kenya © UN-Habitat/Edward Aput overcrowded, poorly serviced neighborhoods. Favela Rocinha, Rio
de Janerio, Brazil © United Nations/McGlynn
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regions absorbed
0 500m 1km
The street
B B The model offers a clear road
A
connected to internal gard
U rb an Plan n in g fo r Gr o win g C it ie s: Ke y To o ls f o r S u st ain ab l e U r b a n D ev el o p m en t
5
A 303 hectare brownfield redevelopment project of derelict Public space and connectivity are the main focus in the slum
industrial waterfront in San Francisco, USA © Todd Quam, Digital upgrading projects in Medellin, Colombia © Eduardo Feuerhake
Sky/Mission Bay Development Group, LLC
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Satellite towns should be coordinated with the central city to Brasilia, the current capital of Brazil was built in 1956 as a new
capitalize on synergies and economies of scale © UN-Habitat/Pablo town development to relocate the capital to a more central
Vaggione location © Flickr/NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
U rb an Plan n in g fo r Gr o win g C it ie s: Ke y To o ls f o r S u st ain ab l e U r b a n D ev el o p m en t
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Europe: 1
Arab States: 1
Africa: 8
Asia: 1
Latin America: 4
urban.planning@unhabitat.org
www.unhabitat.org