1. GEO 440: GIS for Urban & Regional Planning
Introduction to Regional & Urban Planning
Dr. Ahmad Bin Touq
GEO 440: GIS for Urban & Regional Planning

2. Outline
Why GEO440?
What’s GEO440?
Who Am I?
Who Are you?
How?

3. To provides basic understanding of Urban Planning

4. What is it Urban planning
Urban planning refers to the process by which cities draw future goals and objectives…
Urban planning is a mixture of science and art.
It encompasses many different disciplines and brings them all under a single umbrella.
Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the use of land, environment, public welfare, and the design of the urban environment, and the infrastructure.

5. What is it Urban planning

6. Simple definition of Urban Planning
Location/allocation discussions/decisions
It is the organization of all elements of a town or other urban environment (region).

7. Planning Multi-scale urban planning.
Three scales of urban and rural planning, such as city and town system planning, urban master planning, and detailed urban planning.

8. Styles of planning Planners as neutral public servant.
Planners as builder of community.
Planners as entrepreneur.
Planners as advocate.
Planners as agent of radical change.

9. Urban elsewhere (read)
Can't we arrest the decline of Dhaka city?
“In the absence of a vision, Dhaka has lapsed into a beehive of filth, congestion and urban blight. With things going so awry, it boils down to the fact that most of our big cities, especially Dhaka has suffered at the hands of the policy makers.”
Planning and Policy  - land use, urban planning, zoning: to detect changes in land use from agricultural land to a construction site or housing development.

10. Land Use 2 ways that municipality can shape its land use:
Public capital investments.
Land use- decisions.

11. Land Use
(1) Public capital investments bring a very powerful economic which can develop the cities needs (ROADS)
For example, capital expenditures are quit large, come from salaries of workers in municipal (YAS ISLAND)
Sources of PCI (gov. income)
Most local governments have separate capital budget, come from taxes in the US.
Also, the capital expenditure, most of it, come from bonds that the local government make for redevelop the requirement of city needs

12. Land Use (2) Land use controls have 2 main items:
(A) Subdivision regulations
Subdivision regulations apply to residential development.
Subdivision regulations mean that, local government must approve the map before the owner of the building sell it or make any development.
(B) Zoning Ordinances
Items used in zoning ordinances:
Sit layout requirements.
Requirements for structure characteristics.
Uses to which structures may be put (types..
Procedural matters.

13. Urban Design
Urban design: it is a design for entire neighborhoods or cities, it is similar to architecture design but for large scale.
Planners are involve in urban design, because, planners are involved in the political decisions and social needs.

14. Urban Design The urban design process:
1- Analysis, by using basic information, visual survey, identification of hard and soft areas and functional analyses.
2- Synthesis.
3- Evaluating.
4- Implementation.
Example of local urban design in the UAE, Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan and Al Ain 2030 Plan and Western Region 2030.

15. Example of urban planning process steps

16. Exercise
Why is urban planning important?
Discuss the land-use control in the UAE and how it’s related to urban design and planning at the emirates level?