Urban Planning Thesis Topics – Term Paper

The concept of urban planning is a fundamental issue in the management of city business recognized as the central element of growth in any region worldwide. In many instances, city planning involves the management of different amenities that suits the needs of a population that inhabits a city. However, there are fundamental challenges that face cities in different parts of the world particularly due to cultural and geographical disparities. The city planning departments must therefore consider special factors that promotes or undermine the growth of a city and sustainability of excellence their planning process. Subsequently, this analysis promotes the development of effective city population management processes. City management is an important concept across different jurisdictions. However, different approaches are taken while integrating city development among them adoption of critical urban designs that enhances ways of life. This study conducts a comprehensive analysis through case study approach to determine the principle considerations that would facilitate effective adoption of Main Street designs in Kpone City of Ghana.

Urban Planning

In particular, traffic management in the city is one of the biggest challenges facing city building and designs departments globally. In essence, traffic entails challenges that are presumed to detour progressive development of a city due to inconveniences that it creates. Many planners globally have sought mechanisms that would contain the problem of traffic through city road designs among other approaches. The drawing of city roads invokes development of new architectural designs that considers the social, cultural and physical environment through which the city development framework is grounded. This scenario is not an exemption to Kpone city of Ghana where traffic management is a significant issue to enhance effective transportation throughout the city and its environment. In essence, the city development framework is particularly defined by its proximity to the capital city, Accra. The development of robust traffic management prospects act as one of the main pathway to the realization of a serene city that does not only increase convenience to the residents but also attracts tourists from local and foreign sources. The serenity of a city is a crucial element of consideration in the development of an effective business environment.

In addition, urban designs focus on the management of the population which has a direct impact on the management of the available city resources. Many aspects leverage city population globally. For instance, majority of the African states have poor resource distribution as well as the disparity in supply of crucial products and services such as water, security and recreation services. In this regard, this scenario has a pumping effect where individuals from upcountry have a continuous migration from rural to urban settings. This process creates a progressive increase in city population which results into shifting targets on the essentials that a population seeks to achieve in the long-run. The basic interests of a city are fundamental considerations while designing various project locations of a city. As an African set city, Kpone is also faced with this challenge. The city planners are challenged with ever-changing population that often piles pressure on the existing facilities besides overstretching both resources and the social amenities available in the city.

Urban design must consider not only the current population of a city but also form a future projection of the real scenario of the city in future. Population dynamics has both benefits and short-comings. These entail considerations of the city population both currently and in the long-run. The determination of this projected population review provides a platform for generating critical data that informs best choice of a city design that would enhance the capacity of city amenities in meeting population demands currently and in future. However, in order to enhance city planning process, it is important to focus on some of the elements that determine short-term and long-term demands of the population which are largely shaped by native cultures as well as the dynamics culminating from the metropolis nature of a city.

Urban Design

In many instances, city life is characterized with different cultures related by vicinity as well as shared amenities such as water supply and health services. However, many of the urban dwellers comprising of conservative lifestyles, the interactions between different individuals is highly defaced and subject to poor terms both in the short-run and in the long-run. This situation calls for the development of cohesive mentality not only among the city leadership but also based on the city dwellers in a given populace.

Due to a series of factors that influence city life, urban designs play a significant role in promoting decency among city dwellers. High quality urban designs are very important in developing a great city. Ranging from large scale plan to the smallest building and site designs, urban designers always strive at each level of development to establish beautiful, safe, inclusive and vibrant cities for the population it serves. In some instances, the population may dictate the ideal objects for inclusion in the city designing profile. These subject matters that the residents could contribute in include some important historical artifacts that are crucial to the city and the country at large. For instance, the principle underlying the Public Art Program in Toronto is its presentation of public benefit for the enjoyment of the population and visitors across the city. 

Kpone as an emerging center of growth and a crucial area of development share various aspects in common with the capital city of Ghana, Accra which is one of the fastest growing cities across Africa. With these advances while holding resource factors constant, the adoption of Main Street design in Kpone is deemed to spearheads robust growth based on orderly development in the city. Besides, this process may also ignite attraction of prospective investors which engage higher levels of attractive growth both currently and in the long-run. City planning also involves private and public arts that make buildings and other open spaces highly attractive and more interesting to the population in order to enhance quality of public realms. However, planning shapes the development of such art works besides manipulating their qualities with regard to visibility and accessibility to the public in the city vicinity. Similarly, city planning and designing also seek to determine the contributions of the public art on the public lands of the city.

Urban Design Concepts

Another crucial advance in city planning and development process is the adoption of ‘Main Street’ Planning mechanism. While this choice could be quite ideal in many developed countries, it may pose significant challenges in the African or developing countries based cities due to challenges of resource allocation formulae, space notwithstanding. Some of the elements that constitute benefits of a Main Street development in cities is the development of attractive and efficient downtown cities. Besides, these plans constitute policies that are central to the facilitation of development of properties along extensions of light rails to mixed-use and trans-oriented pattern of development. Subsequently, this process would effectively result into achievement of high energy efficiency and enhanced sustainability of the city amenities such as street lights and water lines courtesy of esteemed designs.

Besides, Main Street Plan is also associated with consolidating the needs of the city population and the adjacent population including health, welfare and safety. These benefits in particular are geared towards enhancing the social status of neighborhood that is critical in promoting sustainable development of the city through minimal disturbances. Besides, it creates a platform for enhancing social lifestyles beyond the current level and achieves a transition into new development. This fosters the realization of good neighborhood in future. Other benefits may also entail the identification of capital improvement demands within the area of focus in order to provide the requisite infrastructure to achieve the set out development plans. New cities have been the center of focus in recent decade as a fundamental pillar of future Africa’s urban development. However, the basic framework of these developments is based on the viability and the perceived benefits of the adopted plans in enhancing city lifestyle for both natives and visitors.