Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022

Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

WEEK 7
Basic Planning Concepts

Module Information

Module Overview
The module introduces the student the Basic Planning Concepts

Module Coverage
The module will be covered for a duration of 1 week with a work output to be submitted on the end of
the module (see course outline schedule). It is scheduled on the Week 7 of the semester.

Module Objectives
• The module aims to help the student to know the Basic Planning Concepts.
• The module aims to develop an understanding between the mentor and the student and their
respective roles.

Module Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
• Understand the Basic Planning Concepts
• Evaluate every reason behind Master Architect’s works and philosophies
• Discuss the theories and concepts behind the masterpieces of famous architects.
• Interpret in graphic ideas the different planning theories and concepts

Module Learning Materials

Under this module the students are provided with the following materials:
• Lecture Notes:
Title: Basic Planning Concepts
• PowerPoint Presentation:
The presentation provided in PDF file are the slides used for the audio-visual presentation of
the mentor.
All learning materials can be found inside the Folder of Week 7.

Additional Reading Materials

Students may refer to the given lectures under this module. Nevertheless, should the student like to study
beyond the given materials, they may read the books listed below:
• Hall, P. (2011). Urban and Regional Planning 5th Edition. New York: Routledge.
• Fainstein, Susan S. Readings in planning theory. Chichester, West Sussex : Wiley-Blackwell,
2012. NS 51960 Cir HT 165.5 R4 2012
• Serote, E. (2004). Property, Patrimony and Territory: Foundations of Land Use Planning in the
Philippines. Philipppines.

Module Output-base Work

• Student participation is highly recommended.
• Formative Assessment 4- Refer to the assessment module for the instruction.

Reference
Lecture materials are excerpts from the following references:
• Ecopolis (2010) Powerpoint presentation: Spatial Planning Theories and Regional Planning Theories.

ARC 1431: Planning 3 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning

 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
Week 7
A. KEY CONCEPTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

What is Planning?
PLANNING is the process of:
• Understanding the types of DECISIONS that need to be made
• Assessing OPPORTUNITIES and LIMITATIONS of the future
• Identifying the short -and -long -term consequences of alternative choices designed to take advantage
of these opportunities or respond to these limitations.
• Relating alternative decisions to the GOALS and OBJECTIVES established for an urban area, agency
or firm.
• Expressing this information to decision makers in a readily understandable and useful form.
• The primary purpose of planning is to generate information useful to decision makers on consequences
of alternative actions.

Definitions of Professional Planning

• Planning is a sequence of deliberate purposeful actions designed to solve problems systematically, by
foreseeing and guiding change through rational decisions, reconciling public and private aims, and
arbitrating between competing social, economic, political and physical forces.
• Planning allocates scarce resources, particularly land and other resources, in such a manner as to
obtain the maximum practicable efficiency and benefit, for individuals and for society as a whole, while
respecting the needs of Nature and the requirements of a sustainable future.
• Planning is a deliberate, organized and continuous process of identifying different elements and
aspects of the environment, determining their present state and interaction, projecting them in concert
throughout a period of time in the future and formulating and programming a set of actions or
interventions to attain desired results. Planning pays particular attention to the location, form, intensity
and effect of human activities on the built and un -built environments, anticipating change, and
managing such change sustainably.

Legal Definition of Environmental Planning

• “refers to activities connected with the management and development of land, as well as the
preservation, conservation and management of the human environment”
o Presidential Decree No. 1308, March 2, 1978
• Objective is to liberate communities from urban blight and congestion and promote ecological balance.
o PD 933, series of 1976, Decree Creating the Human Settlements Commission, later HSRC, later
HLURB

Academic Definitions of Planning

• Town planning is the art and science of ordering the use of land and siting of buildings and
communication routes so as to secure the maximum practicable degree of autonomy, convenience
and beauty (Lewis Keeble)
• URP is an art of anticipating change, and arbitrating between the economic, social, political and
physical forces that determine the location, form, intensity, and effect of urban development; it is
concerned with providing the right site at the right time, in the right place for the right people (John
Ratcliffe)
• It is an attempt to formulate the principles that should guide us in creating a civilized physical
background for human life whose main impetus is foreseeing and guiding change (Brian McLoughlin)
• URP refers to the scientific, orderly, and aesthetic disposition of land, buildings, resources, facilities
and communication routes, in use and in development, with a view to obviating congestion and
securing the maximum practicable degree of economy, efficiency, convenience, sound environment,
beauty, health and well -being in urban and rural communities" (Canadian Institute of Planners, ca.
1919)

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
• URP is the unified development of urban communities and their environs and of states, regions, and
the nation as a whole, as expressed through determination of the comprehensive arrangement of land
uses and land occupancy and their regulation” (American Institute of Certified Planners- AICP).

Figure 1 Rationale of Town and Country Planning

ARC 1431: Planning 3 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning

 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Figure 2 Goals and Strategies of Planning

Some Shifts in Modern Planning

• Before, Product-Oriented; now Process-Oriented. Planning process is as important as planning output.
• Before, All-Inclusive; now Strategic Before, Compartmental due to administrative boundaries; now
Integrated (Trans-border)
• Before, “Agency-led”; now “Community-Based” Before, “Top-Down”; now “BottomUp” Before, Open
Participation now Focused Participation

Attributes of Planning Process

• SCIENCE AND ART – requires quantifiable tools as well as subjective creativity
• MULTI -DISCIPLINARY Requires the expertise of various disciplines; economics; engineering;
sociology; architecture; law; geography etc.
• COMPREHENSIVE: Covers all aspects of man/women and his/her environment; physical, social,
economic, political administration and the natural environment. participatory
• DYNAMIC: Changes overtime, technological change; cultural norms and traditions; not static;
responsive to new demands and needs of people.
• CONTINUOUS / ITERATIVE: Plan is prepared, approved, implemented; reviewed and evaluated;
replan again based on new demands of the time. PARTICIPATORY: values the engagement of MULTI -
SECTORAL stakeholders.
• CYCLIC / SPIRAL: Unending process; Always goes back to where it started; Were the problems
solved? Goals and objectives attained? At what level of satisfaction?
• TIME BOUND: Plan must have a time perspective; short, medium, long range; Basis for plan review
and assessment.

LEVELS OF PLANNING
• Scope or Coverage of Planning

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
Narrow: Perspective, Concept, Framework,
Moderate: Framework Structure, Developmental
Broad: Integrated, Comprehensive, Detailed
• Timeframe/Duration of Plan
Short Term 1-3 years e.g. expenditure plan
Medium Term 5-7 years e.g. development plan
Long Range 10-30 years e.g. CLUP
20-50 years e.g. Masterplan

Time-horizon of the envisaged future varies according to the type and level of planning

Sectors of Planning Sub Sectors Scale of Planning (Macro, Meso,

Micro)
Economic Tourism Local (City/Municipal/Provincial/District)
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries
Industry
Commerce & Trade
Social Residential/ Housing Local (City/Municipal/Provincial/District)
Schools
Social Welfare Services
Health
Population Management Sports and
Recreation
Parks and Natural Amenities
Protective Services
Physical Infrastructure National / Sub-National / Metropolitan
Utilities: Power & Water Supplies Transport Network
Communications
Sewerage & Solid Waste
Environmental Land Use Regional / Sub-Regional / Micro-Regional
Natural Resources
Natural Hazards
Air and Water Quality
Pollution
Institutional Fiscal Management Local (City/Municipal/Provincial/District)
Governance
Civil Society (NGOs, Pos)
Manpower, Human Resource
Development

Common Definitions
• SECTOR is an element or sub-system of a whole having coherent functions and subject to common-
thematic type of planning.
• PROGRAM is a collection of complementary projects/activities formulated to achieve the
functions/objectives of a sector. Programs describe in detail the kind and quantities of resources to be
used.
• PROJECT is a self-contained unit of investment aimed at developing resources and facilities within a
limited area within a given time period. A project deals with goods and services significant to the
accomplishment of national, regional and local development plans.
• CONCEPT PLAN the output of the first stage activities in the preparation of a development plan. It
consists of an overall growth pattern, strategy, sectoral policies and population and employment target
and forecasts.
• DEVELOPMENT PLAN is a series of written statements accompanied by maps, illustrations and
diagrams which describe what the community wants to become and how it wants to develop. It is

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
essentially composed of community goals, objectives, policies, programs and a land use/physical
development plan which translates the various sectoral plans.
• CONSULTATION is the process of obtaining technical advice or opinion which may be or may not be
followed.
• VALUES–something that is prized or held dear, such as core beliefs of person or group in which they
have an emotional investment.
• PRINCIPLES–axiomatic statements of how values are related and ranked in relation to other values
• NORMS–broad value-based notions that are stated in a way that they can serve to regulate behavior.
• STANDARDS–principles and norms formulated in such a way that they can be measured. Standards
are accepted criteria or established measures for determining or evaluating performance.
• GOALS–broad, long-term ends towards which a collectivity should aim; always related to
community/group situation or organizational structure
• OBJECTIVES –operational reformulation of goals so that they can be doable / implementable for a
defined period (e.g. project, cycle, phase, etc.).. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-
Bound or SMART)

B. URBANIZATION AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

What is ‘Urban Place’?
There is no commonly-agreed international definition of what constitutes “urban”; it varies from country to country
as the United Nations has left it to individual countries.
• Sweden = at least 200 population
• United States = at least 2,500 population, densely settled.
• Philippines = density at least 1,000 persons per sq.km or 10 persons per hectare, with grid-iron or
analogous settlement design
• India = at least 5,000, with 75% of adult males employed in non-agricultural work
• Switzerland = at least 10,000 population
• Japan = at least 30,000 population
• Some countries revise definitions of urban settlements to suit specific purposes; China revised its
census definitions with criteria that vary from province to province causing their urban population to
swell by 13 percent in 1983.
• Land Re-classification by legislative fiat can label as urban many areas even though they are essentially
‘rural’ in character.

Philippine Definition of ‘Urban Place’

• According to National Statistics Office --operational rather than conceptual definition
o Urban and Rural Areas -the same concepts used in the 1970, 1975,1980, 1990, 2000
censuses were followed in classifying areas as urban.
• According to these concepts, an area is considered urban if:
a) In their entirety all cities and municipalities having a population density of at least 1,000 persons per
square kilometer;
b) Poblaciones or central districts of municipalities and cities which have a population density of at least
500 persons per square kilometer;
c) Poblaciones or central districts (not included in 1 and above), regardless of the population size which
have the following:
a) Street pattern, i.e., network of streets in either parallel or right angle orientation;
b) At least six (6) establishments (commercial, manufacturing, recreational and/or personal
services); and
c) At least three of the following:
i. A town hall, church or chapel with religious services at least once a month;
ii. A public plaza, park or cemetery;
iii. A market place or building where trading activities are carried on at least once a week;
iv. A public building like school, hospital, puericulture or health center and library.
d). Barangays having at least 1,000 inhabitants which meet the conditions set forth in 3 above, and
where the occupation of the inhabitants is predominantly non-fishing.

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
e). All areas not falling under any of the above classifications are considered rural.

“Urban Place” versus “City”

• “Urban” is determined by physio-spatial, economic, demographic and cultural characteristics.
• While modern concept of “city” is defined by charter or Legal Act after complying with income, territorial
size, population, referendum requirements.
• Some “urban” areas are not cities and might not qualify as cities, e.g. poblaciones, town centers,
Municipality of Pateros is thoroughly ‘urban’ but not a city.City from civitat (community), civis (citizen),Old
French ‘cite,’ in ancient Greece, ‘polis’for city-state
• Modern concept of City is “an important permanent settlement possessing the characteristics of size,
density and heterogeneity, whose people are granted a substantial level of self-governance by central
authority by means of a Statute or ‘Charter’.”
• Both urban areas and cities are non-ubiquitous in geographical space and perform functions over a
service area. They reflect the level of a society’s development.
• Common characteristics of ‘Urban Place’ and ‘City’ are that they are aggregations of people to better
realize some activities and perform vital functions. Distinguishing characteristics of urban are:
• Population size ➔rural has relatively small population, usually kinship-based.
• Population density ➔rural population is dispersed, to be near farms and fisheries.
• Cultural heterogeneity ➔ rural culture is rather homogenous, with strong social controls.
• Multiple Functions ➔rural tends to be self-contained, focused on its own people & economy
• Level of Administration ➔ rural is concerned only of its territory while urban administers multiple
Jurisdictions

What is Region?
• Region refers to a city or central place plus the outlying territories that are functionally integrated with it.
• Region is based on natural/physical as well as economic/political relationships between urban areas
and its surrounding rural territories Economic linkages
• Extent of urban influence on non-urban areas. e.g. journeys to work
• Extent of urban dependence on non-urban territories for food, water and labor supplies, etc.
• Production and consumption functions: Industries, commerce, trade
• Infrastructure linkages
• Major Transport nodes
• Utility trunks –water purification plants, power supply
• Areas performing sink-functions of city, e.g. landfill, MRF, STP

Cycle of Urbanization
The dynamics of growth and shrinkage are well described in the theory of urban life cycle (van den Berg´s et al.
1982). This theory describes four stages of urban development: urbanization, suburbanization, de-urbanization,
and re-urbanization through the processes of concentration/ de-concentration and growth/ decline of entire
functional urban regions.

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Figure 3 Cycle of Urbanization

• Urbanization: the occurrence of large populations migrating from rural areas to developing cities. This
is usually caused by events such as a green revolution, which makes rural farming a less profitable
vocation.
• Suburbanization: the movement of people or businesses away from the city center to the suburbs. This
occurs, because the population of the city become more affluent and choose to move away from the
busy and polluted city. This is only achievable if transport links are in place to allow them to commute
back into the city for their careers. Many businesses may then follow these people, as there us a greater
labor force located in the suburbs and often there is simple not enough space in the city for companies
to keep developing, so the suburbs provide an ideal solution.
• Counter urbanization: instead of suburbanization, which is the movement of people to the city edge,
counter urbanization is where people move far from the cities to small towns in the countryside. Young
families generally tend to cause this, as they move away from the city in the hope of providing a better
quality of life for their children. In order for this to take place the transport infrastructure has to hugely
develop in order to allow them to still migrate from the countryside to the city for their career.
• Reurbanization: is basically a second spurt of urbanization, after a period of decline in the city. This is
usually caused by a large amount of investment in the city center. In order to make it more attractive for
both people and businesses.

C. ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AS A PROFESSION

Environmental Planning
• refers to activities connected with the management and development of land, as well as the
preservation, conservation and management of the human environment”
o Presidential Decree No. 1308, March 2, 1978
• Objective is to liberate communities from urban blight and congestion and promote ecological balance
o PD 933, series of 1976

Scope of Practice of ENP under PD 1308 Sec. 3, March 2, 1978

• “the practice of environmental planning, within the meaning and intent of this Decree shall embrace,
inter alia, professional services in the form of technical consultation, plan preparation, and/or
implementation involving the following:
(a) Development of a community, town, city, or region;

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
(b) Development of a site for a particular need such as housing, centers for activities concerned with
research, education, culture, recreation, or government, industrial estates, agriculture, and water
resources, including creating a spatial arrangement of buildings, utilities and communication routes;
(c) Land use and zoning plans for the management and development preservation, conservation,
rehabilitation, and control of the environment; and
(d) Pre-investment, pre-feasibility, and feasibility studies.”

Scope of Practice of ENP under Senate Bill 2482, v. 2008

(a) “Providing professional services in the form of technical consultation, plan preparation, capacity building, and
monitoring and evaluation of implementation involving the following:
(1) preparation of national, regional or local development and/or physical framework and land use plans;
(2) preparation of comprehensive land use plans, zoning, and related ordinances, codes, and other legal
issuances for the management and development, preservation, conservation, rehabilitation, regulation,
and control of the environment, including water resources;
(3) development, conservation, redevelopment, and revitalization of barangay, municipality, city,
province, region or any portion or combination thereof; and
(4) development of a site for a particular need, such as economic or ecological zones; tourism
development zones; and housing and other estate development projects, including creating a spatial
arrangement of buildings, utilities, transport, and communications;
(b) In relation to any of the activities enumerated in (a) above, preparing the following studies:
(1) Pre-feasibility, feasibility, and other related concerns;
(2) Environmental assessments; and
(3) Institutional, administrative or legal systems;
(c) Teaching, lecturing or reviewing any professional subject included in the curriculum and in the licensure
examinations for environmental planning;
(d) Serving as expert witness, resource person, lecturer, juror or arbitrator in hearings, competitions, exhibitions,
and other public fora; and
(e) Ensuring compliance with environmental laws including acquisition of regulatory permits.

Fields of Planning
• Land Use
• Urban and rural community development
• Urban design
• Development Control
• Resources
• Environment
• Recreation
• Management
• Politics
• Tourism
• Heritage
• Transportation
• Waste Management
• Health and Social Services
• Housing
• Economic Development
• Policy, Education
• Information systems

Roles of a Planner
• Planner as Regulator
• Planner as Policy Advisor
• Planner as Designer

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 Far Eastern University 2nd Semester 2021-2022
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts
• Planner as Visionary
• Planner as Mediator
• Planner as Facilitator
• Planner as Advocate
• Planner as Educator

ARC 1431: Planning 3 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning