An urban planner combines land planning and transportation planning skills to create a community or region that is both easy to live in and appealing to the eye. Engineers and architects are the most common backgrounds for urban planners. They must also be knowledgeable in a variety of other areas, such as the environment, transportation, and psychology. According to studies, crime, happiness, and a variety of other factors are heavily influenced one’s surroundings. People will enjoy a comfortable and safe environment created effective urban planning.
Some urban planners create a community from the ground up, while others work to improve the design of an existing community. It is called urban renewal when an urban planner works in an area that has fallen into disrepair in order to improve living conditions. Sustainable planning is becoming more popular among urban planners. Sustainable planning aims to create communities that use fewer natural resources while also protecting the local ecosystem.
Urban planners are always concerned about aesthetics. Large urban areas are associated with a number of issues that planners attempt to mitigate. The urban canyon effect, for example, is one of them. This is what occurs in cities with a large number of high-rise buildings. These structures block sunlight from reaching the concrete beneath them, casting an unnatural shadow on the area at all times.
Noise is another issue that must be addressed in urban areas. Constant noise exposure is exhausting both physically and emotionally. Noise can be reduced adding trees and other types of green space, as well as reducing the number of cars on the road.
One of the most important aspects of an urban planner’s job is traffic reduction. Reduced traffic means less noise and pollution in the air. One of the key design features of a well-planned community is an efficient public transportation system.
An urban planner must also consider the types of emergencies that may occur in a given area, as well as how they will be handled. Evacuation routes out of the city that are clearly marked and well designed, as well as properly designed levees, retaining walls, and other man-made safety features, are critical. It is critical that the urban planner consider the number of people who may need to be evacuated or sheltered when designing these features, and plan accordingly.