Towards New Urban Agenda: A Radical Reorientation of Urban Planning Education in India

An urbanizing country such as India has its own development challenges given the conditions of dystopias and discontent in the urban areas. In addition, three global agendas, namely the New Urban Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals and the Nationally Determined Contributions towards climate change mitigation also demand actions in the cities. The traditional urban planning approach, based on master/development planning, and stemming from it, urban planning education, is highly technocratic and unable to deal with the reality of development challenges. In addition, urban planning education in India suffers from over-regulation and standardization, which leaves educational institutions devoid of innovation. Thus, for urban planning education to be relevant in India there is a need to revise and broaden the scope of the urban planning profession, non-standardize its contents, pay attention to substantive aspects including issues of equity and sustainability, have a future-facing approach towards dealing with climate change and rethink its pedagogic methods. However, for these changes to occur, urban planning educational institutes must take the lead and initiate radical reforms in country’s higher education regulatory system.

ArcGIS Urban: an application for plan assessment

Most cities in the United States rely on zoning to address important planning-related issues within their jurisdictions. Planners often use GIS tools to analyze these issues in a spatial context. ESRI’s ArcGIS Urban software seeks to provide the planning profession with a GIS-based solution for various challenges, including zoning’s impacts on the built environment and housing capacity.This research explores the use of ArcGIS Urban for assessing the existing zoning and comprehensive plans in meeting the projected residential growth in the near future using the City of Arlington, Texas as a case study. The exploration provides examples and lessons for how ArcGIS Urban might be used by planners to accomplish their tasks and highlights the capabilities and limitations of ArcGIS Urban in its current stand. The paper is concluded with some suggestions for future studies.

The Planning Profession Questioned: Evidence from the Role and Practice of Planners in Zimbabwe

The planning profession is contested, especially in southern Africa where it remains rooted in colonial political economy, the consequential Western ideologies it poses on African cities, and its seeming failure to address the myriad problems inherent in these cities. In exploring the planning profession in Zimbabwe, this commentary involved document analysis and empirical engagement with planning professionals. It was revealed that the planning profession in Zimbabwe is exposed to and frustrated by multiple factors that complicate the integrity of the professionals and their practice. The commentary contributes to the critical reading of planning’s history and contemporary circumstances in Zimbabwe.

Whose smart city? : A framework and discussion guide for planning open and inclusive urban digital experiments

‘Smart cities’ represent the integration of ‘big data’ collected via networked cameras, sensors, and meters into the urban fabric with the overarching goal of making infrastructure more efficient and improving citizens’ lives. While data has been used to support planning efforts for decades, this new paradigm of ‘urban informatics’ means that planning will increasingly be driven by data. However, the planning profession is still grappling with how existing practices might need to adapt to tackle the challenges of planning in the smart city. Accordingly, there is a gap in terms of educational resources on smart cities aimed at planning professionals. Through an action research approach involving a review of recent academic and popular literature on smart cities, this project synthesizes a set of ‘best practices’ and proposes a discussion guide for planning professionals to learn about the implications for their practice in a world where big data shapes our cities. Keywords: smart cities, urban informatics, planning ethics, Big Data, citizen participation

Defining Accessibility: A Snapshot of Accessibility Planning And A Review Of Practice In Ontario

Despite the growing importance of accessibility planning and the legislated recognition of Human Rights in the planning profession, there is no universal, operational definition of accessibility planning. Moreover, the objectives of accessibility planning for municipalities and the private sector are largely ambiguous beyond the point of minimum Ontario Building Code standards. This MRP provides an annotated bibliography on the various subcategories that inform accessibility planning, which can act as a starting point for practitioners who are unfamiliar with the subject. The paper also analyzes the current understanding of accessibility in planning and related fields to provide an immediate understanding of accessibility, as well as note areas of similarity or conflict in varying sectors. The report concludes with a discussion of some potential areas for future research and development within the field.

An application of aerial drones in zoning and urban land use planning in Canada: a preliminary review of current policies, restrictions and planning direction for aerial drones in Canadian cities

The rapidly changing technology of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or drones, has potential uses in many aspects of urban life, including in the planning profession. Compared with current alternatives, UAVs could potentially provide a superior low cost, adaptable and accurate data gathering tool for planners. Presently however, government regulations on the use of UAV's in Canada, especially in urban areas, are very loosely defined with a general focus on safety rather than fostering innovation towards a more efficient system. Urban planning professionals need well-reasoned, flexible, UAV - specific regulations that will address the complex issues related to the urban use of drones, in order to derive the maximum public benefit from use of this technology in planning.

Vibrant Segues: Invisibly Vacant Storefronts, Tactical Urbanism and how embracing Failure may Benefit the Urban Planning Profession

Tactical urbanism initiatives working to combat the presence of vacant storefronts are not yet commonly found in Canadian cities. This paper reports on an interview study investigating the potential for tactical urbanism to enhance the vibrancy of commercial corridors in Toronto, Canada, and how such an initiative may affect a variety of potential stakeholders as well as its compatibility with municipal governance and planning practice. Results show popularity of concept amongst potential stakeholders, the need for changes to provincial legislation and the evolving role of the Toronto planning professional to tap into the experimental enthusiasm of local community players. Key words: tactical urbanism; vacant storefronts; Toronto.

What's Up? Creating The Next Generation Of Engaged Urban Citizens: Examining The High School Geography Curriculum In Ontario For Education On Urban Planning Issues

The consequences of planning issues like suburban sprawl are well-known in academia and the planning profession, however there is a disconnect between this knowledge and the actions of decision-makers, as well as, the populations who elect them. It is argued that if students in Ontario were better informed or knowledgeable about urban planning issues within the high school curricula, then there could be a stronger framework for which to improve upon planning urban regions according to best practices and principles. A focus is placed on geography education and the provincial geography curriculum due to it having the strongest potential for inclusion of this topic. Through a literature review and semi-structured interviews with educators and planners, this paper examines the current geography curriculum, best practices, as well as the barriers to incorporating urban planning issues into high school geography classrooms. Lastly, recommendations are provided for stakeholders in the planning and geography education professions on how to overcome these barriers.

Defining Accessibility: A Snapshot of Accessibility Planning And A Review Of Practice In Ontario

Despite the growing importance of accessibility planning and the legislated recognition of Human Rights in the planning profession, there is no universal, operational definition of accessibility planning. Moreover, the objectives of accessibility planning for municipalities and the private sector are largely ambiguous beyond the point of minimum Ontario Building Code standards. This MRP provides an annotated bibliography on the various subcategories that inform accessibility planning, which can act as a starting point for practitioners who are unfamiliar with the subject. The paper also analyzes the current understanding of accessibility in planning and related fields to provide an immediate understanding of accessibility, as well as note areas of similarity or conflict in varying sectors. The report concludes with a discussion of some potential areas for future research and development within the field.

Whose smart city? : A framework and discussion guide for planning open and inclusive urban digital experiments

‘Smart cities’ represent the integration of ‘big data’ collected via networked cameras, sensors, and meters into the urban fabric with the overarching goal of making infrastructure more efficient and improving citizens’ lives. While data has been used to support planning efforts for decades, this new paradigm of ‘urban informatics’ means that planning will increasingly be driven by data. However, the planning profession is still grappling with how existing practices might need to adapt to tackle the challenges of planning in the smart city. Accordingly, there is a gap in terms of educational resources on smart cities aimed at planning professionals. Through an action research approach involving a review of recent academic and popular literature on smart cities, this project synthesizes a set of ‘best practices’ and proposes a discussion guide for planning professionals to learn about the implications for their practice in a world where big data shapes our cities. Keywords: smart cities, urban informatics, planning ethics, Big Data, citizen participation