Managing the Metropolis

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URBAN PLANNING

An essay by Randello M. Braga

The only permanent thing in this world is change. Humans and plants grow up, procreate and reproduce experience and nurture life, grow old and pass away. This basic pattern shows how dynamic we are in this world. Change is something we don't wait and see because it takes place every second or minute of the day.

The same is true with the community where we are living. It usually begins with a few number of people and their household. Then, it grows to more of a dozen neighborhood. Later, as years unfold, a multitude of people start moving in and building their homes. In about a decade, the usual quiet and     still neighborhood transforms into a busy and an active rural or suburban area.

It is but time for local leaders to think ahead and foresee what's going to happen in the next twenty years. The continuous cycle mentioned earlier will never cease, but rather, evolve in many ways and the outcome is surely astonishing. The population could grow to more than a hundred percent in a certain period and this would mean looking into the needs of its residents and making sure it is met within a short period of time.

The place where you grow now is on the verge of becoming a first class, if not, a world class metropolis someday.. A lot of exciting things are in store for everyone, but on the part of the community leaders, pioneers and stakeholders, this is not something they will do overnight. Planning to build a city is not a joke.

It would require a lot of courage, leadership potential, skill and  even more a lot of  resources in order to put everything in place. It's not a chess game, nor a basketball chanpionship, because we are not focusing on losing and  winning the game. We are after of the objective that everybody should and must be satisfied with what he or she wants in an urban setting.

This will become an initiative not only to attract investors but also people who will decide to move in and live permanently on their chosen flats or condominiums. Humans are the best resources. If they are satisfied with almost everything, they will stay, and of course, spend a lot, which will contribute greatly to the income of a dream urban life.

Forecasting and projection are two very important secrets in building a city. Before a rural area is transformed into a metropolis, engineers should have looked into the possibilities of road widening and other construction related improvements along the way. You cannot afford the city spending a lot of money in demolishing a lot of edifice and structures just to pave the way for  placing traffic lights or   fire hydrants, do you?

Let us first consider land use as the first phase of urban planning. It is imperative for the city government to maximize effectively and efficiently the use of areas within their jurisdiction. I say effectively because mismanagement will result to future conflicts and law suits. To avoid this dilemma, boundaries should have been pre-identified prior to construction of buildings and other similar structures.

Proper zoning or placement of establishments is  also a must in order to organize the location of every shop, store or a mall. Tourists and visitors will likely come back to a city where there is a street or an alley selling the same products or offering similar services. It sounds simple, but will likely attract not only visitors but also investors.

Another very important issue with land use is the protection of natural resources. You cannot detach this concern from coming out because one wrong move is something irreversible. It is always understood that since progress is inevitable, everything should be done  carefully and objectively. How about if an area where you are digging or constructing has a water reservoir that could last a lifetime?

Would you not take the opportunity of exploring and utilizing it as drinking water?

Obviously, your answer should be something favorable. Land use does not mean purely digging and exploring. Planners should also take into consideration socio-economic factors which will greatly give the residents access to services deserved by them. It is something you do without expecting something in return. A hand that is extended with care and compassion, not waiting for something in return but a smile on everyone's face.

Since we make people happy by delivering or offering  our services, let's place a vital importance now on sanitation and garbage disposal. This is something very important in order for the city to maintain its good image while taking care of the health of its constituents. Needless to say that this is a headache to most of the populous cities in the world. The volume of garbage on a daily basis has created a lot of health risks and hazards.

There are at least two effective ways for the city to solve this problem. The first is creating a law imposing stiffer penalties to violators and offenders and the other is allocating a portion of the city's farthermost area of jurisdiction for a standard sanitary landfill. Along this line, garbage bins or receptacles should also be placed in strategic places so that residents will be able to dispose their wastes properly.

If the city government is serious in protecting the welfare of the people, then, this problem should be addressed properly. The health of citizens are at stake and nobody would just take it sitting down like ducks. Health is a wealth that people will always treasure because if they get sick,  it's as if the government is playing deaf and blind to what is going on.

In relation to this issue, water sewerage systems should also be given enough attention. It is evident in some cities that  many forms of garbage are  seen directly floating in the water. This is because  some  residents  lack the conscience of responsible garbage disposal. They lack the skill of comprehending that a single piece, if accumulated, will clog up drains and sewers, resulting to flood.

Every local chief executive, with the engineering department as the implementing arm,  should at least make sure that the digging and construction of canals or drainage systems is according to standards. Failure to comply with the specific standards will eventually worsen the situation. A perfect example of this scenario is in Manila, Philippines.

 Residents of Malabon and Valenzuela are not conscious that their lack of discipline and a deep sense of  concern for the environment have prolonged the problem since time immemorial and they are just the ones facing the same dilemma from time to time.

Indeed, if the local governments of both cities have put their heart in to the problem, it could have been a better place to live for some of its unfortunate constituents.

This is not only happening in the Philippines but also in some underdeveloped countries. There  are so many possible questions to ask .  What makes the it so hard for the government and the people to follow one very simple rule of loving Mother Nature? Is it because an individual or a specific group of people have different set of values? Or is it because they lack the kind of education that others have for themselves?

 The answer now lies on every good and vigilant citizen reading this article. A simple gesture really could make a big difference in everybody's life and a creative and productive mind produces fresh ideas on how to make this world a better place to live. One very interesting fact, aside from the proper waste disposal that we are talking about is how other countries initiated the project of installing public toilets or urinals within the city's area of jurisdiction.

It goes to show that this initiative is not letting people approach the city government but it is now the government reaching people out and encouraging them to do “the thing” in a clean and sanitary manner. The curious mind will now also ask: Where do they get rid of such? It is now a very intriguing question, isn't it? But, for countries with far beyond technologies, a facility is built to recycle the kind of waste that others hate to smell. These are actually turned into helpful or beneficial products like organic fertilizers.

If only other countries could afford the same technology, there would be no problem at all with personal necessities. This is purely a concrete example of understanding human nature. A simple yet very effective way of implementing proper sanitation. Of all the waste in this world, this is something you could not reuse but reduce and recycle. Other forms of waste such as plastics and paper could be brought to the city’s material recovery facility and after the volume is enough for disposal, it could be sold to recycling companies and could earn the city additional income, to be utilized for the protection of Mother Nature and other good cause necessary for the progress of the city.

Moving on with other developments, the government has the great responsibility of providing clean water and  for its constituents. It is a basic need for every human being to drink and replenish lost fluids in the body while performing a lot of tasks every day. It is a must that drinking water for the household should be safe,  clear, clean and potable.

Water is also necessary for the household especially for taking a bath, washing the dishes and the laundry and for any other related purposes like carwash and watering plants.

Since this is a necessity, the maintenance and operation of dams and reservoirs should be given equal importance. There should be people responsible in safeguarding every location in order that bad elements will not attempt to contaminate or worst, poison the city. Acts of terrorism had been recorded in the past and water facilities are a target.

Lessons from the past tell us that not only water facilities are being sabotaged but also electrical plants and facilities. Since electricity is also one of our vital needs, it is also necessary for urban planning to include it as secure facility. This is because every household in a particular city is using this energy to light their homes, cook their food, experience recreation and so much more.

To make this possible, there should be police or military visibility. Aside from being assigned in the downtown areas and respective stations, uniformed personnel should also help in protecting everybody’s interest. Upholding the law and doing their duties beyond their calling is something voluntary but rewarding.

The fight against crime is not an easy task especially in places with high crime rate. It is but necessary to place police sub-precincts or sub-stations in every place possible. The city government, on the other hand should initiate a campaign in going against crime by providing lines of communication for everyone. A good example is educating people to relay information by knowing what number to call in case of emergency.

The same should also be done with the Fire Department and the hospitals around the city. Fire or conflagrations are unpredictable because it could happen anytime and anywhere. Every citizen, young or old should know the consequences of their actions and should also learn how to overcome or fight it by themselves. In urban planning, not only people in the government service should be doing all the necessary job. The residents or citizens must also be educated on a lot of significant roles in the community. If safety is everybody’s concern, then everyone should be  held responsible and accountable .

The spirit of camaraderie and friendship is felt during emergency situations. Everybody is willing to help in order for a life to be saved. Hospitals in this case, including doctors, nurses and medical staff should put dedication in their chosen field. Likewise, this life-saving facility should be within a short travel distance from its residents in order for a patient to be given immediate treatment and procedure.

If possible, there should be a hospital within a five kilometer jurisdiction.

Under the law, it is a basic right of every citizen to be protected of his life, liberty and property. Of the three items enumerated, life is the most important . The employment of additional medical personnel like the paramedics are a blessing to everyone. If not because of their time and dedication, many would have been deprived of a chance to live again.

When you compare the situation before, victims or patients  have to wait a long time for the ambulance and the medical staff to arrive. The time travel plus the bad traffic adds to the burden of those people needing the assistance. Sometimes, if the case is severe, the patient dies even before help comes. It is a sad reality but it’s true.

Why would be pretend of what is going on in some places? This is something every country should consider as first priority. There are a lot of programs or plans that the government is undertaking in order to address the common problem of citizens not having access to medicines and  immediate medical attention.

One common culprit of this unfortunate event is corruption in government. Social and medical services are crippled because the money intended for such very important purpose are robbed by greedy and selfish public officials, seated on their throne, doing nothing but laundering money from the people.

Corruption should not stop an urban area from developing. A part of the government program which also needs priority is education. This is something every child should have. According to one familiar maxim: Education is a right, not a privilege. Regardless of color, religion, sex or nationality, children should be in school, not  employed somewhere else.

The construction of public or private schools is a must.  This is a controlled environment where children not only learn different subjects but  also good values and behavior. We invest on our children because they are our hope and our future. They will be future leaders of the country and it is just right to impose discipline on them whenever it is necessary.

As future leaders, the future of a country also depends on how they are taught. They should learn that knowledge is a treasure that no one can rob from them. A tool that they can use in order to fight poverty and ignorance. A medium by which they will be able to improve their lives and their families’ lives as well.

This is only possible if school children are provided with all the necessary things that they need. The government, as part of the poverty alleviation initiative, even extended financial assistance to parents who cannot send their children to school. There should be a constant subsidy from government in order to constantly encourage parents to regularly send their children to school.

Sad to say that in most countries, children are forced to work instead of attending to classes. Their government does not prioritize education but more on military and warfare. There is a constant demand for change but those who are  in power are blinded by money and authority. There is no concern at all, nor mercy for kids who want to change their predicament in life.

Only a sensitive and a dedicated leader could change such unfortunate event. An attitude of serving others above self and does not wait for something in return. There are only a few of them now because others have decided to get rich while still in position. Leaders who are vindictive enough to turn down or even kill those who will try to stop them. Indeed, education is now a good business for some who only think of profit instead of helping others learn and grow.

Despite the fact that there is too much hatred and violence in our society today, the organization of religious groups or sects, still continue to grow. Still part of urban planning is the construction of religious places such as the church and shrines. People couldn’t deny the fact that the church is a great part of our lives.

It stands in the middle of the city in order to remind us that there is God, our Creator and Redeemer, whom we can call and cling to during trials and tribulations. A place to talk with Him and a moment of asking for forgiveness and penance. In order not to disturb the Holy Mass and other very important celebrations, a church within the city should be situated away from very crowded communities or establishments so as not also to defeat the purpose of worship or prayer.

As a standard procedure, the church should be surrounded with fence for the purpose of protecting  not only the holiness of the place but also the sanctity of the relics kept therein. It should also receive voluntary protection from the police force by random foot patrol and surveillance for burglary or theft. There is also a need to assign security guards especially during the night for added protection and safety.

There were many instances in the past that violence has entered the holy place because of terrorism. Some unscrupulous could create chaos by shooting a priest or bishop and planting a bomb inside it. Many similar incidents have taken place in the past but the peoples’ faith was never shaken. Instead, faith in God became stronger and stronger every day.

Despite trials and problems, people pray to God for blessings and protection. Even though not as religious compared to those in the rural areas, city residents try to do their duty and obligation in serving God the way they can. They consider it a great achievement if they can serve in the mass regularly for a month or a year.

The church has become not only an institution of faith but also an entity beyond question. Most land areas are donated by prominent and rich families who are also pioneer residents of the city. It has become a symbol of power, both for God and man.

 There is a great difference in that power. If God can destroy a temple and rebuild it in three days, man can only build it but can’t destroy it; unless, with the use of terror and violence. The knowledge that God gave us is something very useful to our lives. If you look at the edifices  within the metropolis, you could imagine how skillful are the ones who made it. They rose high up in the sky with exceptional beauty from above.

Everything would not be possible without the issuance of a permit from the city government. Construction cannot commence if and when there are requirements not met by the contractors. This is another part of urban planning. The purpose of these permits will secure not only the residents of the city but also the workers and the contractors as well.

 One very important policy is the qualification of all the engineers involved in the construction. They should be licensed and experienced engineers. This is to ensure that all the standards in the construction are met according to the plan. The aspect of land use will be tackled again in this discussion because the stability of the ground is a primordial concern especially for high rise buildings.

If and when the ground is not stable, safety engineers and civil engineers must convene in order to discuss possible options on adding protective countermeasures. Prior to the construction, the stability and strength of the lot is already checked and evaluated. The evaluators are composed mostly of chief or senior engineers.

In addition, the construction materials should also pass the minimum or maximum standards before installing them on any part of the project. A very meticulous inspection is done periodically to ensure that the specifications are correct and exact prior to using them. In case there are irregularities in any of the materials, a report is made and a replacement is requested.

Another aspect of land use is the digging activities for the foundation. Before digging, the area must be checked if there are no active or existing pipelines and other related industrial or communication cables. In this case, the equipment operator, together with a foreman carefully start the digging with instructions on where to excavate.

All the necessary requisites mentioned in the construction are also applied to the construction of a supermarket or a mall. The land area on where the structure is expected to stand also includes the entrance and the exit points plus the spacious parking area. Since it is a commercial establishment, a lot of people are coming in and out every day, so part of the initial plan is on how to manage traffic in the area.

The entrance and exit points must be a two-way lane in order to facilitate going in and out of the establishment. Since it is classified as a commercial area, expect that pedestrians are also going to pass or cross on the lanes intended for vehicles. The speed limit in these areas is about 5 kph so that there will be no ensuing accidents.

A  four-way traffic light should be available in any  part of the intersection so that vehicles coming from different directions will be guided whether to stop or go. In a busy intersection, right turns are mostly allowed rather than left turns because the latter may obstruct the traffic flow coming from both the north and the south bound.

In order to also minimize the volume of vehicles that use the road every day, a number coding scheme could also be applicable. For example, if the last number in your license plate is 1, you are not allowed to use the road on Mondays. The succeeding numbers represent the day of the week when you are prohibited from using your vehicle whether for a day or a specific time of the day only.

The rules may vary depending on the existing rules and regulations of a certain city. As per observation, other cities do not follow the number coding scheme but instead, provide cargo or heavy equipments with a coastal, diversion or a circumferential road so that they will not pass along roads intended only for private and light vehicles.

In relation to road use, urban planning includes the use of specific lanes on the road. For roads with four lanes, slow moving vehicles are required to run on the right outer lanes while fast moving vehicles overtake on the inner left lanes for both directions. Other cities also construct special bicycle lanes and platforms with access to persons with disabilities.

There could be no order if people are the ones violating traffic rules and regulations . Jaywalking is one common offense when a pedestrian crosses the street on a green light. The  purpose of installing traffic lights in  an urban area is to control both human and vehicle movements. The excuse that you are in a hurry is not acceptable at all.

To prevent jaywalking from being committed, a city government should discourage pedestrians from crossing the main street by constructing an overpass or placing steel barricades on the middle of the road. But still, as per observation, pedestrians act like traffic enforcers by displaying the stop sign with their hand as they cross the street.

If this is the case then imposing penalties should  be strictly enforced for violators and offenders. Part of urban planning is also enforcing discipline on the residents. Without discipline, there could be no peace and order, which is an important image for a city. Lack of discipline destroys the image of a city and could be a source of conflict among law enforcers and ordinary civilians.

The purpose of the city council is to act as the legislative body that will create laws beneficial to both the government and its constituents. It could create laws like the prohibition of smoking in public places and the regulation on the alcohol intake. No government would ever want people to get respiratory or even liver diseases.

In short, there is no reason for getting angry once you are caught or arrested for an offense or violation. It is providing protection for the public and their interest. The reason why there is urban planning because it is a necessary stage for people to formulate sound judgments and decisions. There is no one who will benefit except us, the people in particular.

Moreover, the cooperation and understanding, especially from the residents , would show that the people in a certain area have agreed on a common goal or understanding. Every member is interdependent because one cannot work without the other. It’s like being a real brother or a sister to one another, a family or a community willing to take all challenges necessary for reaching the dreams and aspirations that everybody so desires.

To sum up the discussions in this essay, we start by understanding that proper land use is necessary to protect the environment, provide opportunities for construction of any residential, commercial or industrial buildings or structures, following existing rules and regulations and it paves the way for developing and maintaining land as a tangible asset.

Second, we have identified that people utilize natural resources either for personal or business purposes. A concrete example is a family needs a piece of land in order to start building their home and sharing the blessings with the family and the community while business minded people need it to start promoting a product or offering services of any kind.

Third, it became clear to us that proper zoning is needed in order to arrange or organize the kind of establishment that everybody will visit to avail of products available for sale and experience the kind of service they always want. It also allows visitors to locate specialty shops or stores needed to promote tourism on the countryside.

Fourth, we were able to understand that water is precious and it is life itself. It is needed for drinking and also for taking a bath, washing the laundry, washing  the plates and doing the carwash and the watering of the plants in our backyard or gardens. It is something that everybody should not waste because it is a precious gift from God.

Fifth, we concluded that part of urban planning is for people to have access to this very important source of energy which is the electricity. It is needed to light our homes and is also used in cooking our food and it also helps us in experiencing almost all the comfort in this life  by using our appliances and gadgets.

Next is the learning that forecasting and projection allows planners to think in advance the existing structures and developments to be made in building a city in order not to waste time and money in demolishing existing structures in order to give way for the installation of a traffic light or a fire hydrant system.

Then, we move forward that there is a need for the proximity and nearness of fire and police stations in the vicinity so that emergencies could be addressed right away and casualties will be lessened also. The objective of the plan is not only to protect life but also liberty and property. The need for hospitals also are described as within every five kilometers so that there will be less travel time and the scheme would avoid heavy traffic along the way.

In addition, we realized that buildings give a distinction of a very beautiful city. It is a structure to be built using the skills and talents of professional and licensed engineers and that the materials used should pass the quality and standards in order to protect not only the residents but as well as the workers and the contractors themselves.

Moreover, we were able to comprehend that sanitation is a very important part of a developing city. It is something that everybody shouldn’t ignore in order to maintain not only the cleanliness of the physical body but also the image of the city itself. It was discussed that proper garbage or waste disposal is necessary because we are all accountable for whatever we do to Mother Nature.

Furthermore, we feel the need for educating our children by sending them to school by all means possible. It is something that they will bring as weapon in order to survive or compete in this complex world.  We also add the role of the church in molding our faith and spiritual growth for us to know better our Creator and Redeemer.

Lastly, we realized the importance of a reliable transport system in our city which allows people to go to their respective destinations and on how to go about it by respecting law enforcers and traffic rules and regulations. We have realized after all that it is our responsibility to help our community grow to heights that we want to reach. It is only possible when we cooperate and help each other realize the dream of having a progressive and a prosperous urban destination. To turn our dreams into reality, there is a need to participate on urban planning as a way of helping our local leaders formulate plans for our future and the future of our children’s’ children. A legacy of keeping what we promised and waking up someday in a place where our heart is meant to be.