The importance of town planners in the development of any urban area cannot be gainsaid. They are the great minds behind the beautiful cities and towns that we marvel at. Without them, most of the communities we live in would be a big mess and there would be a lot of confusion.
Town planning is the science/art of designing towns and developing them with factors such as the environment and the needs of future generations in mind. It is a very demanding task as one has to take so many things into account when designing a new town.
What does town planning involve?
The most difficult thing about town planning involve is deciding the best use for a given space. Town planners need to balance the economic, environmental and social needs of the community so that they can build towns that are functional and where everyone can comfortably live and work. Many things go into the development of a new town. Town planners determine the best location for offices, houses, restaurants, schools, hospitals, parks and shops. They then design the transportation network in the town – the railways and roads.
When designing towns, town planners do not just consider the needs of the current population. They need to make use of population projections to see what the expected rate of population growth so that they can develop a town whose facilities are sufficient for the growing population. If the growing population is not taken into account, the town might end up with issues such as housing shortages, drainage problems because the systems in place are being overloaded, transport problems because the town was designed for a smaller population and other such problems which can be avoided.
Apart from designing new towns, town planners also develop rules and regulations and explain them to the people they affect. They are responsible for the protection and maintenance of historical monuments.
Qualities that a town planner must have
- Good communication skills – This is important because town planners Gold Coast are expected to explain various rules and regulations to the people concerned and if they cannot communicate effectively, this may be a big problem. The communication can be written or oral, so both writing and public speaking skills are important. Town planners should also be good listeners; they should consider what members of the public have to say about what improvements can be made to a town.
- Attention to detail and creative thinking –This goes without saying. Designing a whole town is no mean feat and a small mistake can cause serious problems a few years down the line. This is why attention to detail is important. Town planners also need to be creative so that they can make the best use of the space available.
- Good people skills – Town planners work with different people, from county officials to architects to building contractors. They therefore need to have good people skills so that they can work well with all these people for a more successful outcome.