Urban Planners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urban Planners - Essay Example Planners who are in the public role often serve the public and act as valued technical advisors in the community's political environment (Garvin, 2002). Urban planners develop often develop long and short term plans for the use and revitalization of land. These plans facilitate the growth of urban and rural communities, as well as the region in which they are allocated. They assist the regional officials to reduce economical, social and environmental problems. This is done by proposing the location of schools, roads among other infrastructure. In addition to that, they recommend the zoning regulations for private possessions (Smith, 2006). According to Grogan (2002), Planners promote the best utilization of public land resources which are meant for commercial, residential, institutional and recreation purposes. They often formulate plans relating to development of new infrastructure, for instance new schools, new roads and public housing. Moreover, they help in making decisions about resource development and protecting the environment in its totality. Planners and developers are often involved in environment issues like wetland preservation, pollution control, location of new landfills and forest conservation. Planners may assist in the drafting of legislation of social, environmental and economical matters, for instance sheltering the homeless, new park, or making the region very attractive to businesses (Smith, 2006). Urban planners study and report on the current utilization of land for residential and community purposes before making plans for the community development. Their reports include information on the capacity and location of schools, airports, highways, libraries, recreational and cultural sites. They also provide records on the characteristics of the community, industries in the community, and employment and economic trends. They try to use the data obtained to optimize land use for public structures and facilities (Robert, 2003). The planners often prepare reports that show the cost of their programs and how they are carried out. Furthermore, they examine the suggested facilities, to know whether they will meet the needs of the growing population. They keep the records legal and economic issues, which are responsible for the building codes, zoning codes and environmental regulations. In addition to that, they ensure that the developers and builders are in apposition to follow the codes and the regulations (Garvin, 2002). Planners also deal with the land issues that arise due to the population movements. For instance, in Huntsville, the population growth and economic development has led to creation of more jobs out side the urban areas (Robert, 2003). As a result, the need for public transportation will increase, and it is the responsibility of the planners to model and develop suitable transportation systems and report them to the planning boards as well as the public (Garvin, 2002). Computers are very necessary urban planning process; planners use them to analyze and record information collected, and to prepare reports and proposals for government executives. Spreadsheets, computer databases, and analytical techniques are used to forecast future trends of employment, transportation, housing, or population. Urban