College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Urban Planning, Design and Development

Urban Planning and Design Program (MSc)

Course: Planning laws, governance and public finance

Student Name: Bonsa Teshome

Submitted To: - Dr. Liku Workalemahu (PhD)

May 20, 2020

Nekemte, Ethiopia
What is policy?

A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome(s).
Policies are generally adopted by the Board of or senior governance body within an organization
whereas procedures or protocols would be developed and adopted by senior executive officers.

What is urban development policy?

Urban development policy is defined as deliberate efforts by government to manage urban changes: it
refers to deliberate efforts by public authorities to manage urban changes and control the urban
environment. Since early times, the complexity of the task of controlling urban growth and change has
increased along with changes in technology and the greater size of cities.

What is urban planning?

Urban planning is a technical and political process concerned with the development and design of land
use in an urban environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban
areas, such as transportation, communication, and other networks. Urban planning deals with physical
layout of human settlements.

Why do we need laws?

Laws are rules that bind all people living in a community. Laws protect our general safety, and ensure
our rights as citizens against abuses by other people, by organizations, and by the government itself. 
We have laws to help provide for our general safety.  These exist at the local, state and national levels,
and include things like: Speed limits and traffic laws exist so that we drive in a safe manner.

We also have laws that protect our rights as citizens, and which include things like:
Laws that come from the Bill of Rights, that guarantee our basic freedoms like freedom of speech,
religion, and the press.
Laws that protect us from discrimination because of our race, gender, age, or because of a disability.

Why do we need to regulate urban development?

Regulatory frameworks are intended to ensure the systematic growth of cities and towns that meet the
development needs of different parts of the economy and different sections of society. They are also
intended to ensure public health and safety, and can thus be regarded as tools for the greater good of

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society. However, as is common with many good intentions, regulatory frameworks can have positive
outcomes.

Regulatory frameworks are intended to: Achieve orderly land development, facilitate efficient land
management, attract and guide inward and local investment, maximize public revenues, protect the
environment and public health, mitigate the impact of disasters, help the poor access improved housing,
services and credit, protect occupants from unscrupulous developers, minimize harmful externalities and
allow for common land uses

What do we usually regulate in urban planning?

In urban planning Zoning regulations include specifications regarding lot size, density or bulk, height, and
floor area ratio (FAR). Regulations also define setbacks and can build on the city’s safety and resilience
by setting limitations on building in flood plains and wetlands. The zoning ordinance often also contains
information relating to the need for a planning permit for a change of use or development proposal,
subdivision of land, construction of new buildings, and other changes to the land.

What are the elements of regulatory framework?

Regulatory frameworks generally comprise legal and semi-legal instruments, and may include policy
documents, laws/legislation, bylaws, customary traditions, regulations (planning, building, financial,
audit etc), standards (services and products) and procedures (procurement, design, public works,
financial, audit etc) related to town planning, land development, building and public health.
What are the negative aspects of regulation?

The negative aspects of regulation are include the following risks.

Over-regulating and therefore discouraging investment
Imposing regulations, standards or administrative procedures that increase costs to levels which
many people cannot afford
Failing to reflect the cultural priorities of different groups, especially in the ways people perceive
and use dwellings and open space
Institutionalizing corruption through ‘fees’ for non-enforcement
Creating overlapping or contradictory conditions which expose developers or individuals to the
risk of conforming to one regulation or standard and therefore contravening another

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References

American Planning Association. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015.

John M. Levy, (2016), Contemporary Urban Planning Part III: Fields of socio-economic planning

Greed, C. (1996) Introducing Town Planning, 2nd edn. Essex: Addison Wesley Longman.

Hall, P. (1994) Urban & Regional Planning, 3rd edn. London: Routledge.

https://urban-regeneration.worldbank.org/node/39

The Regulation of Urban Development: Lessons from International Experience Article· August 1999

The Urban Housing Manual Making Regulatory Frameworks Work for the Poor Geoffrey Payne and
Michael Majale

National Urban Policies Habitat Iii – 2016

 School of Urban Planning, McGill University. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008