Humankind has been on the constant journey of uplifting their standards of living. This species is known to carefully analyze its surroundings and bring about the required changes for maximum betterment.  

For an improved strategy that helps lead lifestyles, it is essential to pay extra attention to crucial aspects. One such significant section is urban planning. It is a process that requires examining and strategizing the proper use of elements like water, land, resources, and so forth.  

In simple terms, it is related to curating an infrastructure that is best suitable for a sustainable lifestyle. In this article, we will learn about urban planning and some of the essential segments of its history. 

What Do You Understand By Urban Planning?  

As mentioned above, urban planning is related to curating a fruitful infrastructure that clearly defines the vital resources available to humankind. Urban planning is both a technical as well as a political process that requires ample amounts of knowledge. 

The history of urban planning stretches to that of human existence. To carry out excellent urban planning, one requires appropriate information regarding engineering and architecture. Moreover, this field also needs adequate audience participation. Thus, it is essential to instill utmost discipline while dealing with urban planning. 

Pre-Classical Era 

The pre-classical era witnessed several cities being laid down according to a strategic plan. Many of these cities tended to develop organically over time. Some of the most prominent cities designed in this period were Harappan, Minoan, and Egyptian civilization. If we talk about the first recorded urban planning description, it goes back to The Epic of Gilgamesh. 

The streets of many cities known to humankind were built and laid out in the forms of rigid right angles and grid patterns. Some archaeological evidence also suggests that many houses were designed to shield from the noise and improve the standard of living. Additionally, most of the homes have their very own water well. This suggested the remains for sanitary purposes. Furthermore, some archaeologists also interpret that these cities had well-organized drainage systems as well as agricultural land. 

Medieval Europe  

The disintegration of the west Roman empire dates back to the 5th century. Since then, the general improvement is noted to have appeared in the 10th and 11 centuries. This time was interpreted as politically stable and economically beneficial. It was then when trade and craft flourished, and monetary benefits were revived in the economy. During this era, hundreds of towns were built. Moreover, many of the pre-existing towns were expanded. Without a doubt, these new towns have played a significant role in maintaining the geographical structures of Europe. 

The Era Of Industrialization 

The late 19th century saw a boost in the industrial sector. This was a result of the rapid population growth, business enterprises, frequent profits, and so forth. Giant cities developed during this era, and a subtle exhibition of luxury as well as poverty was observed. The growing status difference led to the rise of corruption as well as the poor sections of society like the slums, etc., saw a rise.  

The poor standards of living resulted in poverty, and that posed a threat to society. Since then, individuals have started to focus on the betterment of public health. This was followed by the creation of better and strategic plans for water supplies, sewage, and so forth. 

Soon, the first housing reform was enacted in the late century. However, the implementation was slow and steady as the government provided funding after a long gap. With housing improvement, new and erect structures were observed in the economy. These were more stable and improved standard of living. 

Progressive Era 

The progressive era saw the need for urban recreational planning. It was during the early 20th century structures like parks were built. These places were created with the motive of providing relief and peaceful places for relaxation. A little time later, numerous playgrounds started to emerge that facilitated a dedicated area for children as well as adults. Soon the separation of roads was also witnessed. There was a specific section for all the pedestrians as well as the vehicular traffic. This provided more structure as well as rigidity to the society.  

Benefits Of Urban Planning  

Urban planning plays a major role in the social-economic level as a political connection of the society. This type of planning requires the proper utilization of resources in order to extract maximum benefit from them. Below, we have mentioned a few benefits of urban planning, depicting its importance in today’s society. 

1. Connectivity  

Urban planning resulted in better connectivity of towns, cities, neighborhoods, and so forth. This resulted in enhanced land values of the well-connected cities. Furthermore, it also resulted in enhancing people’s safety as well as security. This is so because urban planning facilitated better surveillance and prominent health benefits. 

2. Adaptability  

The proper use of urban planning increased the capacity of buildings as well as neighborhoods and thus led to an adequate use of spaces. This, in turn, increased the adaptability of land resources. Therefore, urban planning resulted in more fruitful use of economic spaces like buildings. It promoted the diverse use of public spaces and encouraged individuals to utilize non-renewable resources for better living standards properly. 

3. User participation  

Improved urban planning boosted the public consultation process. It encouraged individuals to participate in urban design projects and give their opinions through numerous surveys and design workshops. Therefore, planning promoted user participation. This, in turn, boosted a proper fit between users as well as the urban design. The participants were encouraged to come out and give their opinion about the effective use of resources. This boosted the decision-making process and provided a sense of participants to the individuals. 

4. Better standards of living  

Urban planning directly affected the standards of living. Increased use of urban planning emphasized a more realistic approach in society. This led to the enhancement of economic spaces. Therefore, urban planning encouraged more audience participation in cultural as well as community activities. Better standards of living also meant several health benefits along with strategic use of the public space. Furthermore, urban planning also resulted in the enhanced personal safety of individuals. 

Conclusion  

Urban planning has played a significant role in the betterment of the standards of living. Additionally, urban planning has been a part of society for a very long time now. 

After carefully examining the various aspects of urban planning, we have briefly summarised the entire information in the above-mentioned article. We have talked about urban planning, its various elements, along some benefits. We trust that this article would be beneficial and provide you with adequate information related to urban planning.