Town Planning and Its Effect on Climate Change and Sri Lanka

World Town Planning Day, also known as World Urbanism Day, is an annual event celebrated on November 8^th to recognize and promote the importance of urban and regional planning in creating sustainable, livable communities. This day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the significance of town planning and its role in shaping the future of cities and regions worldwide.

The origin of World Town Planning Day dates back to 1949, when it was first celebrated by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). Since then, it has grown into a global event with various activities, conferences, seminars, and discussions to engage planners, policymakers, and the public in conversations about urban development, environmental sustainability, and social well-being.

This article looks deeper into town planning concepts, the challenges, and the Sri Lankan context.

Town Planning / Urban Planning

Town planning or urban planning is designing and organizing a town or metropolitan area’s physical, social, and economic aspects to ensure efficient, sustainable, and harmonious development. There are a few sectors that include town planning.

1. Land Use: Determining how land within a town or city should be used, whether for residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, or other purposes. This involves zoning and land-use regulations.
2. Transportation: Planning for roads, public transportation, and infrastructure to ensure efficient movement of people and goods within the urban area.
3. Housing: Ensuring the availability of adequate and affordable housing for density, housing types, and accessibility.
4. Environment: Protecting and enhancing the natural environment, including green spaces, parks, and conservation areas, while addressing issues like waste management and pollution control.
5. Infrastructure: Managing utilities and public services such as water supply, sewage systems, electricity, and waste management.
6. Economic Development: Promoting economic growth, attracting businesses, and creating employment opportunities within the urban area.
7. Community and Social Development: Fostering a sense of community, providing social service, and ensuring access to education and healthcare facilities.
8. Aesthetic and Cultural Heritage: Preserving historical and cultural landmarks and ensuring the urban environment is an aesthetic pleasure.

Town planning is an essential process in a country. The primary goal of town planning is to create well-organized, sustainable, and livable communities in an area. This manages many issues that occur in the urban lifestyle as well. So, town planning is essential for quality communities and areas worldwide.

Town planning is mainly focused on sustainable development due to the process. Town planning ensures that urban areas develop sustainably, considering environmental, social, and economic factors. This helps conserve resources, reduce environmental impact, and address climate change challenges. 

Land is now becoming a limited resource in the world with higher population growth, especially in urban areas in almost every country. Proper planning optimizes land use, reducing urban sprawl and promoting compact, well-organized cities. This efficient land use minimizes the need for long commutes, which can also reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

Town planning guides the development of essential infrastructure, such as roads, public transportation, utilities, and public services. Well-planned infrastructure is cost-effective and ensures that urban areas function smoothly.

Town planning focuses on creating livable communities with access to green space, recreational areas, and amenities. It enhances residents’ overall quality of life by providing opportunities for social interaction and cultural activities.

Also, town planning supports economic development by designating areas for commerce and industry, promoting job creation, and attracting investments. Well-planned cities are more attractive to businesses and investors.

Natural resources and environmentally sensitive area protection are essential to town planning. It minimizes the impact of development on ecosystems, preserving green spaces and supporting initiatives for clean air and water.

Ensuring access to housing, education, healthcare, and social services for all residents, regardless of income or background, is a significant result of town planning. This promotes social equity in the community.

Town planning can protect and preserve historical and cultural landmarks, contributing to a city’s unique identity and heritage.

Proper town planning considers potential risks, such as natural disasters, and can incorporate measures to enhance the resilience of urban areas, ensuring the safety of residents.

Effective town planning involves the input of local communities and stakeholders, ensuring that the needs and preferences of residents are considered in the development of their neighborhoods.

Town planning provides a long-term vision for urban development, allowing cities to grow organized rather than reacting to ad-hoc development.

In summary, town planning is crucial for creating well-organized, sustainable, and livable cities and towns that enhance the quality of life for their residents while addressing pressing global challenges like urbanization and climate change. In a developing community, town planning plays a huge role in developing all the values of the community at the same time (which should be referred to as development); town planning is essential.

How Town Planning Affects Climate Change?

Town planning can significantly affect climate change, both in terms of mitigating its impact and adapting to its challenges. With the many positive impacts, town planning can be considered as one of the best practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Mainly, successful town planning processes can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Town planning can promote walkable cities, reducing the need for long commutes and encouraging public transportation, walking, and cycling. Also, town planning for efficient and accessible public transportation systems and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure can reduce the reliance on private vehicles, leading to lower emissions. This can decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Effective land use planning can limit urban sprawl and promote mixed land uses, reducing the distances people travel for work, shopping, and leisure. This can lower transportation-related emissions. 

Town planning can encourage energy-efficient building design, renewable energy integration, and green building standards, reducing energy consumption and emissions from the building sector. 

Green spaces and urban forest management is the main aim of town planning. Incorporating green spaces, urban forests, and parks can help absorb carbon dioxide and provide natural cooling, mitigating an urban heat island effect known as significantly warmer temperatures in urban areas than in rural areas.

Town planning can incorporate measures to enhance the resilience of urban areas to climate change impacts, such as flooding, heat waves, and extreme weather events.

Effective planning can address water scarcity and water quality issues caused by climate change. This includes managing water resources, reducing water waste, and planning for stormwater management. Also, preparing for integrating renewable energy sources into the urban grid can reduce reliance on fossil fuel energy. 

Green roofs, permeable pavements, and other green infrastructure elements can help manage stormwater, reduce heat, and enhance the urban environment.

Town planning can also enforce building codes and zoning regulations that require energy-efficient construction and sustainable development practices. 

And finally, awareness and education levels are increasing with proper town planning. Updates and well-termed education may give space to discuss and express students’ ideas about environmental issues like climate change. This may increase the awareness and knowledge of climate change among the young generation, and it is easy to conduct adaptation and mitigation plans with such an educated crowd. 

Town Planning in Different Countries of the World

Many countries worldwide use town planning methods to manage urban development and create more organized, sustainable, and efficient cities. Some countries are known for their well-developed town planning practices. These countries are mainly developed countries. Singapore, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Korea, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Australia are a few examples of countries that lead to more development with town planning. There are many other countries worldwide that are using town planning methods to varying degrees to shape their urban environment and promote sustainable development.

Here for more information about sustainable town planning in developed countries.

Town Planning in Sri Lanka

Like many other countries, Sri Lanka has a town planning system to manage urban development and ensure the orderly growth of its cities and towns. Here is the town planning vision outline for 2030. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) make up the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future by 2030, addressing socio-economic issues like poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. However, recent incidents in Sri Lanka have cast doubt on whether Sri Lanka is geared to meet the challenges to achieve the national commitment to the SDGs.

Anyway, the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka and every physical, economic, and environmental result they led us towards can be controlled using the method of town planning. Though the authorized parties are discussing this as a practical solution, some of the essential facts have been ignored or paid less attention, according to Mr. Hemantha K. Jayasundara, Land Use Planning and Urban Environment Management Specialist. Those are,

• The disintegration of economic planning and spatial planning.
• Mismanagement of funds received for projects from multinational donors.
• The distribution of multinational donor funds among numerous small projects without a focus on strategic national-level projects.
• Poor project management.
• National Planning Institutions not recognizing global opportunities for Sri Lanka’s economic development and relying on traditional income-earning sectors.

So, selecting the best strategic projects that establish long-term economic and social stability is essential within a limited fund level. 

Within these barriers, town planning projects are the best option for Sri Lanka. Town planning is an all-in-one option to complete multiple tasks in a single project. According to Mr. Hemantha, these projects can be conducted at the national, regional, or local levels. In Sri Lanka, these can be in National, Provincial, District, Municipal council, Pradeshiya sabha, or rural levels. But the main thing is these projects should be conducted with more acute supervision. The process should be more transparent and well-managed. These town planning should have good inputs and a well-supervised and transparent process for a better outcome. 

In Sri Lanka, town planning is not a new thing to discuss. From the Anuradhapura kingdom, Sri Lanka kept good town planning processes. But by now, the above issues are causing some disturbance for proper town planning. However, town planning education in Sri Lanka is in a good situation with high-quality government and private degrees. So, fortunately, we are rich in human resources for town planning. 

Green building concepts and similar town planning techniques are now practically used in Sri Lanka, especially in Colombo.

According to Mr. Hemantha K. Jayasundara, Sri Lanka has become one of the most vulnerable countries for natural disasters in the past 20 years as a result of climate change impacts and other artificial impacts. Sri Lanka is ranked 100^th out of 181 countries on the Disaster Vulnerability Index. So, it is essential that the above-discussed planning projects can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation while contributing to the Sri Lankan economy and people’s life development.

This is why Sri Lanka needs more advanced and acute town planning.

Conclusion

Town planning is a concept that supports physical, economic, environmental, and many other sectors in an area. That is why a country like Sri Lanka, which has been considered a developing country for years and is now facing an economic crisis, should practically use this concept with good supervision and transparency.