AR 443A: Intro to Urban & Regional Planning

Humans in their Ecological Settings (An Introduction)

 Background on Human Biological & Cultural

Evolutions
 From the standpoint of planning, it is imperative to
understand what transpired in the past as benchmark
for future actions.
 Since planning is about people and for the people's
improvement, it is vital that we situate past human
activities and what humans can do now; knowing that
human abilities remarkably evolved over time - they
possess distinct advantage over many other species
and human races.
 These advantages have permitted humans to
colonize much of the world and radically reshape the Rise of Human Civilization
environment - with the aim of development.
 Changing our relationship with the environment  Neolithic farming settlements - Fertile Crescent
shifted away from sustainability. Middle East (Modern day Iraq & Palestine)
 Meso-American, Maya, Olmecs, Aztecs Group - great
complexes
3 Human Cultural Phases  Chinese civilization - Haung Ho (Yellow River)
 Indus Valley River System - Itarappa & Mohenjo
[1] Hunting and Gathering people lived in harmony with the
Dajo (Pakistan)
Earth.
 Egyptian Civilization - Nile River
 primitive technology  Rise of Human Civilization
 small population size
Types of sites along river:
 nomadic lifestyle
1. Dry-point- areas slightly raised above the surrounding to
Human impacts to the environment are sustainable
minimize flooding (Parthenon, Greece)
CHARACTERISTICS:
Concept of Structure:
Generally exploitive of their resources. Environmental impact
Regular rectangle pattern, regard for symmetry, housing
was generally small due to small population. Live healthy lives,
integrated with cultural & defense (Agora)
well fed, and experienced low disease rates. Widespread use
of fire may have caused significant environmental damage Hippodamus of Miletus - 'grid plan' - order & regularity

2. Wet-point - beside the river to enable access to water

[2] Agriculture
 Medieval - revolves around a node usually a castle
 Started as a "subsistence" activity (slash & burn or
 Street arrangements narrow & irregular, center-
'swidden' farming)
periphery use, bridging-point development,
 The invention of the plow & other forms of technology
confluence.
produces excess food
 Renaissance - route center LU development
 Displaced farm workers specialized in crafts & trades
(concept of road), nodal points, LU segregation
 Upsurge in human population
 Societies grew and aspired for Dominance
 Emergence of cities/towns as center of commerce

CHARACTERISTICS: [3] Industrial-CHARACTERISTICS:

 knowledgeable on domestic crops & animals
 urban based farming more damaging than
subsistence farming
 disease more common for city dwellers
 poor practices resulted to widespread environmental
damage
 Society driven by the use of technology to enable
mass production, supporting large population with a
high capacity for division of labor
 Unprecedented (material and wealth) growth
 Boost human civilization Increased population size &
demand for resources
 Environmentally destructive (pollution)
 Altered human-
 environment interaction= unsustainable Growth
 New technologies, energy intensive
 Tremendous inputs of materials
 Reduced number of workers
 Mass production and modern technology
 Highly exploitive
  Industrial age diseases Covid-19 (most recent)  Ideologies of progress
 Widespread environmental damage  Supremacism
Brandt Line - visual depiction of the North and South divide  Monumental architecture
between their economies, based on GDP per capita, proposed
by Willy Brand in the 1980s. Others
 Taxation
Globalization-The process of international  Farming
integration arising from the interchange of world views,  Expansionism
products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.
Important NOTES
Increasing interrelationship & interdependence among nations  Large number of people requires some form of
due to: government
 Specialization leading to development of technology,
1. Travel & migration science and wide variety of institutions.
2. World trade
 Trade linkages may be created in other areas in order
3. International flows of capital to exchange agricultural goods.
4. Importance of MNCs Elements of Urban Structure
5. Interaction b/w capital markets in different nations  Networks - array of pathways to carry flows of
6. Amount of communication of all sorts across national people, goods, water, energy, and information.
boundaries  Buildings - the most visible part of a city.
7. Regional Peace and Security  Open Spaces - amenities that contributes to quality
of urban life.
GLOBALIZATION Life-cycle of Cities
"You have no choice but to operate in a world shaped by 1. Rapid growth
globalization and the information revolution. There are two 2. Slow growth
options: adapt or die." 3. Shrinkage
Andrew S. Grove Chairman, Intel Corp. 4. Decay
5. Renewal/Revitalization
Characterizing and Defining CITIES
Cities Different views in defining/characterizing Cities( TYPES &
o Have distinct cultural (heterogeneity), economic, CHARACTERISTICS)
demographic, political characteristics.
o In the past, they are usually market or trading centers, 1. Cultural- state of mind, a body of customs and
and focal points from public administration of the traditions, a society of formal relations rather than a
state's citizens. folk community.

City Characteristics 2. Economic- A place where more than half of the

Primary labor forces are engaged in non-agricultural work; or
 Size and Density a site where there is a bulk of processing and
 Full-time specialization services.
 Concentration of surplus 3. Political- The site of certain administrative functions;
 Class-structured society where governance is done.
 State organization
4. Demographic- A place where certain number of
Secondary people, with a certain density live.
 Monumental public works
5. Ecological- A place where the environment is
 Long-distance trade
modified to fit and enhance the living conditions of the
 Standardized monumental artworks
inhabitants.
 Writing
Different views in defining/characterizing Cities
 Arithmetic, geometry, astronomy  The city is what it is because our citizens are what
Others they are (Plato)
 Transportation  A great city is not to be confounded with a populous
 Communication one (Aristotle)
 Environmental considerations  All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All
cities are beautiful: but the beauty is grim.
Early Civilizations Characteristics (Christopher Morley, Where the Blue Begins)
Primary  A great city is that which has the greatest men and
 Centralization women (Walt Whitman)
 Domestication  A city is the people, resources, leaders and structures
 Specialization (Anonymous)
 A city is an area consisting of more urbanized and
Secondary developed barangay which serves as a general-
purpose government for the coordination and delivery
 of basic, regular and direct services and effective
governance of the inhabitants within its jurisdiction
(territorial).
City Classification
1. Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs): min. population of
200,000 and latest annual income of PhP50 million
(33);
2. Independent Component Cities (ICCs): cities whose
charters prohibit their voters from voting for provincial
elective officials;
3. Component Cities which do not meet the
requirements for HUCS and ICCs (108).
Why Convert?
1. Effectual changes in their fiscal status
2. Political Payoffs
RA No. 9009 (amended RA 7160 by increasing the income
requirements)
Average annual income of Php100 million in the last two
consecutive years and EITHER:
1. Having a population of at least 150,000
2. A contiguous territory of 100 square
Cities and other urban areas definition:
1. URBAN - that of or pertaining to a city; structures and
ways of life that are characteristics of cities and/or
living in a city.
2. TOWN -is a term commonly used in the UK, and its
former colonies in place of cities.
3. RURAL (COUNTRY) - areas outside the poblacion.
4. METROPOLIS/METROPOLITAN (areas) region
(from the Greek "mother city") - a big city, in most
cases with at least 1M inhabitants. A relatively large
area that could have formed through the gradual
expansion of the urban core.
5. MEGALOPOLIS - an extended metropolitan area, or
a chain of roughly continuous metropolitan areas.
Coined by geographer Jean Gottman, 1915-1994.
6. CONURBATION - a term coined in 1915 by Patrick
Geddes, Scottish biologist/botanist (1854-1932) to
describe a built-up area created by the coalescence
of once a separate urban settlement. It is nowadays
often used to describe multi-nodal functional urban
units.
7. MEGACITY - urban development with more than 10M
inhabitants. Metro Manila, an agglomeration of 17
cities with 11.5M population (2007 census) is a
megacity by UN definition.
8. \WORLD CITY or GLOBAL CITY - a city with a direct
and tangible effect on global affairs by socio- conomic
means; it may have been coined, or at least used by
American sociologists and economists.
5 standard dimensions:
 Business activity
 Human capital
 information exchange
 Cultural experience
 Political engagement.
New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles
Increased attention is being paid to processes of
globalization.
Philippines Definition of Urban Areas (NSCB)
 Poblacion, CBD of cities or municipalities with 50,000
population with some scattered industrial
establishment.
 All cities regardless of population density and
municipality with a population density of 500 persons
per square kilometers.
 All barangay, or portion of which comprising the
poblacion (CBD), and other built-up areas including
urbanizable lands in and adjacent to said areas with
50% of the population are engaged in non-agricultural
activities.
 If a barangay has a population size of 5,000 or more,
then it is considered urban OR if a barangay has at
least one medium or one large establishment*, or
barangay facilities**, then a barangay is considered
urban.
* Establishment defined according to size of employees as
follows:
Small : 10-99 employees
Medium : 100-199 employees
Large: 200 and over employees
** Presence of facilities in the barangay also considers the
2KM radius distance from the barangay hall, if the facility is not
present in the barangay.
 In their entirety, ALL cities and municipalities having a
population density of 1000 persons per square
kilometers
 Poblaciones/central districts of municipalities and
cities: 500 persons per square kilometers
 Poblaciones/central districts [not included in (a) or (b)]
which HAVE: network of streets, 6 establishments
(commercial, manufacturing,, recreational, and/or
personal services) AND at least 3 of the following:
town hall, church/chapel with religious service once a month,
public plaza, park or cemetery, market place, or building where
trading activities takes place once a week, public building like
school, hospital, puericulture, health center and library.
 Barangays having at least 1000 inhabitants which
meet the conditions set forth in [c] above, and where
the occupation of the inhabitants is predominantly
non- farming or fishing.

Why the Need for a Definition of Urban Areas?
The classification and definition of urban areas is an important
indicator for many data users as it provides for sound policies
and decisions pertaining to urban planning and delivery of
basic services.
Examples of Basic Services used in Urban Planning:
Every municipality/city should have at least one (1) MHC/CHC
(for every 50,000 pop)
Standard area:
Municipal Hospital = 1.5 has
Provincial Hospital = 1.5 has
Regional Hospital = 2.5 has
Medical Center = 3.5 has
 Every 500 families (HH) must have 1 day care (RA
6972)
 Senior Citizen Center @ least 500 sqm (RA 7876)
 Ideal Police-Pop Ratio = 1:500 pax (ideal)/1:1000 pax
(standard)
 Fireman-Pop Ratio = 1:2000pax/Fire Truck-Pop Ratio
=1:28,000pax
 Fire Truck-Fireman = 1:14FO
 Jail Guard-Inmate Pop Ratio = 1:5 (ideal)/1:7
(standard)
 Classification of Police Stations By Population
Planning standards are requirements approved by laws to
guide physical development in a particular area at a particular
time or the minimum standard required to achieve benefits for
public; purposes of which are:
Planning standards are requirements approved by laws to
guide physical development in a particular area at a particular
time or the minimum standard required to achieve benefits for
public; purposes of which are:
 Ensure conformity of development.
 As a development control mechanism so that the
physical development of an area will comply to the
needs and requirements of the population of the area
effectively.
 Ensure health, safety, comfort and interest of public in
terms of the quality of the environment is orderly,
harmonious and well protected.
 Ensure the physical facilities and infrastructure such
as schools, religious and recreational facilities; water
supply, electricity, communication, and sewerage
systems are developed accordingly.
 Ensure physical development is not polluted and the
natural environment can be protected hence, ensuring
good air, water and other environmental qualities.
Economics of Urban Areas
Cities, as urban centers, are high density concentrations
of people and their activities.
Economic activities:
1. Primary: agriculture, mining, forestry, fishery
2. Secondary: industries, manufacturing, construction
3. Tertiary: retail, wholesale trading, finance, professional
& personal services, business & repair services
4. Quaternary: information processing services, tourism It
could be noted that 'no economic activities are
performed in most cities'.
Manufacturing, a type of secondary activity, served in the
past as catalyst for concentration of people, due to
employment. Nowadays, tertiary and Quaternary activities
have emerged as more significant source of employment
in most cities.
Remember that cities exist because of the advantage of
locating economic activities close to people serving as
markets.
Categories of Urban Economic Functions:
1. Tertiary and Quaternary Functions (Services and
Information) = retail and wholesale trading, business &
repair services, public administration, personal services
(entertainment), professional services (medical, legal-
accounting, etc.), finance, insurance, real estate, utilities &
sanitation services
2. Secondary Functions = manufacturing, construction
industries
3. Transportation & Communication Functions
Growth of cities, is primarily caused by the attraction and
rise of tertiary and Quaternary activities/urban functions,
while secondary economic activities principally causing the
emergence of cities.
You may wonder: "What attracts such broad range of
urban economic functions?"
 Higher levels of productivity by clustering rather
than dispersing such activities
 Higher levels of production efficiency translates into
higher levels of earnings/personal income for urban
residents
What makes production in cities or urban areas more
efficient than elsewhere in a region?
2 Reasons for Higher Level of Urban Production Efficiency
1. Economy of Scale
a. Internal Economy of Scale = economic advantage of an
increasing rate of output of a single production unit (firm,
farm, factory)
b. Agglomeration Economies = savings derived from the
geographic concentration of economic activities of the
same type/category. Advantages Derived; proximity and
access to:
 Raw material supply
 Skilled labor
 Repair & maintenance services
 Machinery & equipment
 Supplies & auxiliary materials
c. Urban Economies: savings derived from the
concentration of various types of economic activities.
Advantages derives; access to:
 Transport services
 Banking & commercial services
 Fire & police protection
 Varied labor market
3. Communication Economies = savings/advantages
derived from communications expenses due to
access to needed information within the area.
Cities as nodal points for the collection, sorting and
dissemination of information.
Information, and their communication, play a vital role in
the functioning of numerous economic activities in a city.
Examples:
 Documentation & information on business
transactions
 Business decisions invariably requires information
before they are made
 Information on new trends, products, technologies,
etc.
The video below could aid your learning on the economy
of scale more specifically on 'agglomeration' economy.
Development Concepts and Theories
 DEVELOPMENT: The use of resources and
technology to bring about change. This change is
positive and generally involves the improvement in
people’s quality of life and improving the standard of
living in a country.
 Development Indicators: Used to measure the level
of development with regard to a country’s economic,
social, and institutional growth. Also used to compare
the level of development around the world.
 Sustainable Development: Development that meets
the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of the future generations to
meet their own needs.
 Industrialized: The country is involved in
manufacturing and processing of raw materials in
factories. The more industrialized a country is the
more developed the country will be.
 Brandt Line : The line dividing the world into the
developed (MEDC, Industrialized, Rich) countries and
developing (LEDC, Non-industrialized, Poor)
countries.
1. Infant Mortality: The number of children who die
because of childhood related and other diseases.
2. Life Expectancy: The average number of years a
person can expect to live
3. Primary Activities: The extraction of raw materials
from the earth’s surface. E.g., Forestry, mining,
farming, fishing.
4. Secondary Activities: Involves the manufacturing
and processing of goods obtained in the primary
activities.
5. Tertiary Activities: Provision of services
6. Quaternary Activities: Involves research and
technology.
Three (3) Types of Indicators
1. ECONOMIC INDICATORS – show how well-off a country is
economically
 Gross National Income (GNI)* – the amount of
money the average person in a country can expect to
have. (Low income and middle-income countries are
developing while high-income countries are
developed)
 Gross National Product (GNP)* – Total value of all
goods and services produced by a country in one
year including foreign earnings.
 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)* – shows the total
value of all goods and services produced by a country
in one year.
 Human Development Index (HDI) – This indicator is
a combination of GDP per capita, life expectancy and
literacy rate. Zero (0) indicates the worst quality of life,
while one (1) shows an almost perfect place.
 Gini-coefficient – indicates how wealth is shared in a
country. A Gini score of zero (0) indicates complete
equality in income (every household receives the
same amount of money). A Gini score of one (1)
indicates complete inequality (income received is not
the same; one household gets more than the other)
2. SOCIAL INDICATORS – show level of human development,
welfare and quality of life
 Percentage of population living in urban areas
 Education levels and level of literacy
 Availability of services such as water, electricity and
health care
 Food and nutrition
3. DEMOGRAPHIC INDICATORS – statistics of a country’s
population (normally obtained through a census – an official
counting of a country’s population usually done every ten
years)
 Birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate
 Life expectancy
 Maternal mortality (the number of mothers who dies
during childbirth)
 Population growth rate (the percentage by which a
country’s population grows each year)
 Fertility rate (the expected number of children the
average women in a country has)
DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION THEORY
A theory that attempts to associate changing population
characteristics (birth and death rates) with changing levels of
development and technology.
FOUR (4) STAGES:
1. Pre-agricultural stage – subsistence economy; high
birth rates & death rates; slow growth of population.
2. Agricultural stage – agriculture economy; high birth
rates; decreasing death rates; rapid population
growth.
3. Industrial stage – industrial and urban economies;
decreasing birth rate; continued low level of death
rates; slowing population growth.
 4. Post-industrial stage –highly industrialized and
urbanized economies; heavy reliance on the
international trade, intensive trade, transportation,
communications and service industries; low birth
rates; low death rates; nearing zero population
growth.
THEORY OF STAGES OF GROWTH (Rostow)
Theory that tries to explain the long-term process of economic
development from the point of view of economic history by
describing five (5) ideal types of stages through which all
society pass:
1. The “Traditional Society”
 More than 75 per cent of the population engaged in
food production
 Political power is in the hands of landowners or of a
central authority supported by the army and the civil
servants
2. The “Transitional Stage”
 Creates a pre-condition for take-off by bringing about
radical changes in the non-industrial sector
 Export of raw materials gains momentum
 New class of businessmen emerges
 The idea of economic progress coming from outside
spread through the elites
3. The “Take-Off Stage”
 Sharp increase in the rate of investment in the per
capita output
 Stage of Industrial revolution; accompanied by radical
changes in the production techniques
 Expansion takes place in a small group of leading
sectors
 Domination of the modern section of society over the
traditional one.
4. The “Drive to Maturity”
 Spread of growth from the leading sectors
 Broader application of modern technology
 Necessary changes in the society at large
5. The “Stage of High-Mass Consumption”
 Reached after attaining a certain level of national
income
 Formulating an economic policy giving priority to
increased private consumption
Quality of Life (QOL)
The great philosopher Socrates made a controversial
statement about the measures of a life's quality:
"An un-examined life is not worth living". EXPOUND on this
statement “
Quality of life, the degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable,
and able to participate in or enjoy life events. The term quality of life is
inherently ambiguous, as it can refer both to the experience an
individual has of his or her own life and to the living conditions in which
individuals find themselves. Hence, quality of life is highly subjective.
Whereas one person may define quality of life according to wealth or
satisfaction with life, another person may define it in terms of
capabilities (e.g., having the ability to live a good life in terms of
emotional and physical well-being). A disabled person may report a
high quality of life, whereas a healthy person who recently lost a job
may report a low quality of life. Within the arena of health care, quality
of life is viewed as multidimensional, encompassing emotional,
physical, material, and social well-being.
In Bhutan, leaders give happiness precedence over economic
prosperity. The ultimate purpose of the government is to promote the
happiness of the people (free education, health and other social
services; 60% of their land is devoted for conservation and protection)
FOUR (4) Pillars:
1. Economic growth and development
2. Preservation and promotion of culture
3. Preservation and sustainable use of the
environment
4. Good governance
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
SDG Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities explores
the conditions of the human settlements and the targets for city
development until 2030. This is the topic for the next module
as we take up Urbanization and Human Settlements.
Urbanization
Definition of Urbanization:
 Phenomenon by which a community or settlement
gradually or rapidly acquires an urban character.
 Growth in the proportion of a population living in an
urban place
 A process that has a beginning and an end.
 A process associated with the development of
civilization
 Redistribution of population from rural to urban
settlement (migration)
 Geographic concentration of population & non-
agricultural activities in urban environments in varying
size and form.
 Process by which rural areas became transformed
into urban areas
 Demographically, an increase in population
concentration (numbers and density); movement of
people to cities, other densely settled areas.
 Density (as used in planning and architecture) = the
average number of individuals or units per space unit.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Following are the distinguishing characters of Urbanization:
1. Level of Urbanization – proportion of people living in
urban areas
2. Urban Growth – population rate of growth
(increase/decrease) in urban areas.
3. Pace of Urbanization – average change in the level of
urbanization (change in level/time period)
Causes of Urbanization

2 Main Reasons:
1.Natural increase in population - As birth rates decline over
time, according to the demographic transition model, the role of
natural increase in determining the pace of urban population
growth becomes less important in comparison to migration.
2.Rural to Urban Migration – In developing countries,
urbanization usually occurs when people move from villages to
settle in cities in hope of gaining a better standard of living. The
movement of people from one place to another is called
migration.
Migration is influenced by economic growth and development
and by technological change (Marshall et al., 2009) and
possibly also by conflict and social disruption. It is driven by
pull factors that attract people to urban areas and push factors
that drive people away from the countryside.
 PUSH” factor – rural population are forced to migrate
to urban areas due to the following situations in the
countryside:
 “PULL” factor – rural population are encouraged to
migrate to urban areas due to the following:
Urbanization is also one of the major trends currently shaping
Southeast Asian societies, cultures, economies, businesses
and environments. Being on the verge of counting more than
half of its population living in urban areas, ASEAN comprises
some of the largest and some of the fastest growing cities of
the world.
Philippine Population and Urbanization Trends
The current population of the Philippines is 109,746,632 as of
Wednesday, August 13, 2020, based on the latest UN
estimates.
 The Philippines population is equivalent to 1.39% of the
total world population.
 The Philippines ranks number 13 in the list of countries
(and dependencies) by population.
 The population density in the Philippines is 352 per Km2
(911 people per mi2).
 The total land area is 298,170 Km2 (115,124 sq. miles)
 44.4 % of the population is urban (46,543,718 people in
2018)
 Projected to increase to 65% by 2030
Varying Rates of Urbanization
Some variations in levels of urbanization could be attributed to
the varying levels of industrialization or economic
opportunities:
–TRUE urbanization – there is a concurrent expansion of non-
agricultural activities
–FALSE urbanization – where people live in cities but do not
really have fulfilling jobs
In general, urbanization begets industrialization. In Britain and
other European countries, industrialization was the catalyst for
urban growth, where factories gave rise to towns and
settlements. This is due to:
 Unprecedented population growth in the countryside
 Mechanization, rising productivity, and labor shedding
in agriculture
Rural population as continuous supply of factory workers
Rural population as source of domestic help
 City-ward migration
In the US or the New World, industrialization followed
urbanization. The development of settlements and towns
trigger the emergence of factories or industries to provide work
or employment to the population.
 Agricultural revolution took place side by side with
industrial revolution
 Migration of redundant farm labor from the south to
northern cities
 Immigration of Europeans “to empty lands of the
earth”
In general, industrialization begets industrialization
– British, European: Industrialization was the
catalyst for urban growth (factories gave rise
to towns)
– New World (American): Industrialization followed
urbanization
(Towns gave rise to factories)
Implications and/or Impacts of Urbanization
These are clear implications (impacts) of urbanization:
Housing problem:
Slum communities will proliferate; slums are urban areas that
are heavily populated and have sub-standard housing with
very poor living conditions, creating several problems.

Slum areas typically suffer from:
 poor housing with small, overcrowded houses built
very close together using inadequate materials and
with uncertain electricity supply
 restricted access to water supplies
 little or no sanitation/latrine facilities and no solid
waste disposal, which leads to a polluted and
degraded local environment
 inadequate health care facilities which, coupled with
the poor living conditions, increases sickness and
death rates
 insecure living conditions – slum dwellers may be
forcibly removed by landowners or other authorities.
Congestion that leads to sub-urbanization and urban sprawl.
 Sub-urbanization - expansion of the city primarily of
residential areas spreading into the countryside
 Urban Sprawl - result of unplanned, uncontrolled
spreading of urban development into areas adjoining
the edges of the city.
Water supply shortage and sanitation
Wastes and Pollution
 Water Quality, Solid wastes, Air Quality
Forest Degradation
Economic and social systems
 Unemployment and under employment, crimes,
drugs, prostitution,
Food Scarcity
Negative Impacts of Urbanization
Some positive impacts of urbanization
[1] It brings together economic and human resources that
stimulate the economy through the development of business,
science, technology and industry.
[2] It is more cost-effective and efficient to supply facilities such
as fresh water and electricity to a concentrated population in a
city.
[3] The concentration of people and resources leads to more
readily available education, health, social services and cultural
activities in cities; urban living is linked with higher levels of
literacy and education, better health, lower fertility and a longer
life expectancy; there are better communication and transport
networks; and social and cultural barriers can be overcome.
Human Settlements, Urbanism and Population Dynamics
Human Settlements – approach looking at cities as physical
locations for groups of human beings, which should have the
key elements for biological survival and social interaction.
Human Settlement (UNEconSocComAP) means the totality of
the human community - whether city, town or village – with all
the social, material, organizational, spiritual and cultural
elements that sustain it. The fabric of human settlements
consists of physical elements and services to which these
elements provide the material support.
As defined by RA 11201, Human Settlement comprise of (a)
physical components of shelter and infrastructure; and (b)
services to which the physical elements provide support, such
as community services, which include education, health,
culture, welfare, recreation and nutrition.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (UNESCAP) defines human settlements as an
approach looking at cities as physical locations for groups of
human beings, which should have the key elements for
biological survival and social interaction. Similarly, it means
the totality of the human community whether city, town or
village with all the social, material, organizational, spiritual and
cultural elements that sustain it.
The fabric of human settlements consists of physical elements
and services to which these elements provide the material
support.
These components comprise the following: (a) shelter, (b)
infrastructure, and (c) services.
a) Shelter, i.e. the superstructures of different shapes,
size, type and materials erected by mankind for
security, privacy and protection from the elements
and for his singularity within a community;
b) Infrastructure, i.e. the complex networks designed to
deliver to or remove from the shelter people, goods,
energy or information;
c) Services cover those required by a community for the
fulfillment of its functions as a social body, such as
education, health, culture, welfare, recreation and
nutrition (UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia
& the Pacific)
In 1973, the Human Settlement Commission was created by
virtue of E.O. 419. It decrees eleven (11) basic services of
man in a settlement: Water, Food, Power, Education, Clothing,
Shelter, Medical Services, Ecological Balance, Mobility,
Economy, Sports and Recreation.
Konstantinos Doxiadis-views and rationalized human
settlement as 'ekistics' or the science of human settlements.
Ekistics units = man, room, dwelling, neighborhood, small
town, large town, city, metro, conurbation, megalopolis, etc.
Classifications:
Function-administrative, recreational, industrial,
tourism. Financial, religious, educational, etc.
Evolutionary Phases- nomadic, agricultural, urban-agricultural,
towns and cities
Factors- legislation, labor, financing, etc
Discipline- cultural, social, technical, political-admin
Urbanism
It is the conditions of life associated with living in cities seen in
terms of changes in values, customs and behavior of the
resident population as a result of living in cities. It is a way of
responding to the context of the place.
Early sociologists tried to define and differentiate urban people
from the rural people but found out that 'no clear boundaries'
exist between them but rather a 'continuum' or live-out
behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that integrate or interchange in
urban or rural in their particular context.
URBAN-RURAL DICHOTOMY:
 City life is characterized by some level of
formality and a severance of familial relationships
or kinship ties.
 Cities can become concentrations of pollution,
squalor and decay due to overcrowding, vehicular
traffic and crime.
Population Dynamics
Population dynamics shape the principle social, economic and
environmental challenges that humankind is confronting this
century to promote the well-being of current and future
generations, which is the ultimate objective of sustainable
development, we must therefore systematically consider and
plan for population dynamics.
Population dynamics the changes in the size, location and age
of populations have to inform sustainable development goals,
targets and indicators, as well as development strategies,
policies and programs. Without knowledge of how many
people are living on the planet, where they are living and how
old they are, we cannot hope to meet the needs of people.
OTHER FACTORS
(Influence on population distribution)
1. Resettlement and relocation actions
2. Industrial Estates and growth centers
3. Highways and other major thoroughfares
4. Natural resources conservation and
reforms
5. Decentralization and autonomy policy
6. Agrarian reform
7. Urban land use reform
8. Sites and Services for informal settlers
9. Utilities expansion and urban security
10.Rural development programs
People tend to move from rural to urban areas in the
process called urbanization because of the opportunities
and advantages that can be taken from cities. As a fact, it
is expected that by 2050 almost 80% of the world's
population will live in urban areas or cities. This brings
problems to most cities and towns such as a lack of jobs,
homelessness and expanding informal settlements,
inadequate services and infrastructure, poor health and
educational services and high levels of pollution. These
can be addressed by looking at human settlements as an
approach to physically locate places and cities for groups
of human beings with the needed services and
infrastructure to perform their functions.
Rural and urban settlements differ in terms of social
relationship, attitude and outlook. The way people adopts
to the way of life in cities is called 'urbanism' and has been
subject to numerous psychological and sociological
studies in order to define and differentiate rural people
from the urban people.
The Anglo-American and European Traditions
The Anglo-American Tradition
[1] The 'Garden City' of Ebenezer Howard Links to an
external site.
Howard was the most important person in creating the garden-
city movement at the turn of the last century. The garden city
united public parks, suburban development, and affordable
cottage housing in a green setting, but its real meaning is a
device for organizing human settlement as a self-contained
cluster with the natural landscape and implies a new way of
thinking about cities as parts of geographic regions rather than
as ever-denser locations. Town and country had an ever
deeper meaning for Howard. He believed that bringing the
advantages of urban life, with its variety of activities and
opportunities, to a setting where people could continue to be in
touch with nature would create a more balanced way of life for
everyone.
You can refer to the '3 magnets' illustration of these brilliant
planning objectives as shown in the lecture presentation.
These are some of the influences and inspirations to Howard's
garden city idea:
1. Robert Owen-celebrated settlement at New Lanark,
Scotland
2. Titus Salt's town built round his textile mill at Saltaire
near Bradford, England
3. George Cadbbury's chocolate manufacturing at
Bournville outside Birmingham, England
These new communities were built in association with the new
factories which these philanthropists built in open countryside
to house their labor force. In a way they are 'decentralizing'
their plants far from the existing urban congestion and and
benefited from their efforts.
[2] Raymond Unwin and Barry Parker
Faithful followers of Howard who designed the first 'garden city'
in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England and the Hampstead
Garden Suburb, Golders Green, NW England. The Hampstead
Garden Suburb was not a garden city but a dormitory suburb -
it is an interesting experiment in the creation of a socially-
mixed community, with every type of house from the big
mansion to the small cottage.
[3] Clarence Perry, Clarence Stein and Alker Tripp
Other significant developments that follow were attempts to
ensure that the physical and spatial elements of human
settlements are effective and address the people's urban
activities. We can learn from the works of Clarence Perry and
Clarence Stein's neighborhood unit and Radburn community
development respectively.
Do you still recall the 'neighborhood unit concept? What about
Radburn? These are interesting neighborhood planning
concepts worth revisiting.
H. Alker Tripp, an imaginative Assistant Commissioner of
Police (Traffic) at London'd Scotland Yard published a book:
"Town Planning and Traffic". A novel suggestion on the book
was the idea that British cities after the war should be
reconstructed on the basis of precincts. Instead of main city
streets which served mixed functions and which had many
points of access to local streets, thus giving rise to congestion
and accidents, Tripp argued for a hierarchy of roads in which
local streets, with only occasional access, and also were free
of of direct frontage development. These high-capacity, free-
flow highways would define large blocks of the city, each of
which would have its own shops and services.
[4] Patrick Geddes and Patrick Abercrombie
Geddes, a Scottish biologist arrived at a systematic study of
the forces that were shaping growth and change in modern
cities which is now recognized as human ecology the
relationship of man and his environment. His visionary concept
was captured his book published in 1915 'Cities in Evolution'.
Geddes contribution to planning was to base it firmly on the
study of reality the close analysis of settlement patterns and
local economic environment. His standard sequence of
planning 'survey-analyze-plan' gave planning a logical
structure.
Abercrombie on the other hand prepared the Greater London
Plan of of 1944.
[5] Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Broadacre city'
American architect, Wright suggested the idea to develop a
completely dispersed though planned low density urban spread
which he called 'Broadacre City' where each home would be
surrounded by an acre of land, enough to grow crops on, the
homes would be connected by super highways, giving easy
and fast travel by car in any direction It is a plan of the future.
Wright's idea of the 'Broadacre city' is a sharp contrast to Le
Corbusier's 'Radiant City'. Why?
The European Tradition
[1] Soria Y Mata
The Linear City (La Ciudad Lineal) proposed by Mata in 1882
to be developed along an axis of high speed, high intensity
transportation from an existing city. His argument was that
under the influence of new forms of mass transportation, cities
were tending to assume such a linear form His ambitious
proposal is running this linear city across Europe from Cadiz in
Spain to St Petersburg in Russia, a total distance of 1 800
miles.
[2] Le Corbusier's 'Radiant City'
The Radiant City developed by Le Corbusier (Swiss-born
architect Charles Edouard Jeanneret) during the 1920 ’s and
1930 ’s is an idea of a city with very high local concentrations
of population in tall buildings which would allow most of the
ground spaces to be left open. The cruciform tower blocks are
designed to admit maximum light to the apartments. Dense
flows of traffic on the motorway style roads are handled by
complex interchanges.
 Smart Cities and Other Forward-Looking Cities in the
World 1.
Different cities all over the world employ 'innovations' coupled
with technology and effective planning to address the demands
and challenges of the future. Others capitalize on the political
and institutional management to improve people's QOL while
others promote the participation of the citizens for a
transparent and inclusive governance.
2.
The once backward continent of Africa is experiencing rapid
transformation of its cities in anticipation of the massive future
economic activities. Most of these futuristic city developments
employ the idea of a 'smart' city.
Smart Cities -The idea of a 'smart' city is a space for
coexistence among people who, based on the available
technologies, can thrive and develop, while taking into account
economic, social and environmental sustainability. Many 3.
aspects or factors are applied in achieving such a level of city
development.
Smart cities are said to be the future of urban development.
There are accepted and standard frameworks for this that we 4.
can utilize to achieve the objectives of a smart city
development.
Location Theory
Location theory is concerned with the geographic location
of economic activities; it addresses the questions of what
economic activities are located where and why. 5.
 Various factors which affect location are considered
such as localized materials and amenities, but most
weight is placed on transport costs.
 Thus, the search for location advantages are held by
the primary assumption: Agents act in their own self
interest.
Firms choose locations that maximize their profits 6.
 Minimized production cost
 Minimized transportation cost
 Maximized sales revenue
Individuals choose locations that maximize their utility or
quality of the product
FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF LOCATION
Following are factors that influence location choices for 7.
specific industries and firms:
1. Market - access to high population concentration for
market or product.
o What are important considerations?
o What are some of the disadvantages?
2. Production Cost - inputs
o Labor (cost, availability, productivity)
o Energy 8.
o Materials
3. Access to, and cost of capital
4. Other factors (tax considerations, community 9.
development, and local amenities)
5. Agglomeration economies
6. Environmental Factors
A checklist of factors in location searches are likewise
important:
Access to Markets/Distribution Centers - ability to
compete & penetrate local & regional markets
o Cost of serving local & regional markets
o Demographics
o Relative location to local & regional markets
o Trends in sales by geographic area
Labor - ability to attract & retain skilled labor
component
o Changing labor market conditions
o Extent & militancy of labor unions in the area
o Labor migration trends
o Labor productivity & productivity trends
o Prevailing wage rates
o Skill levels available
Access to Supplies/Resources & Raw Materials
o Agglomeration, urbanization & network econ
o Cost and movement of transporting supplies
& people between facilities
o Trends in suppliers by area
Site Characteristics
o Site area & layout of physical structures
o Construction/remodeling cost & insurance
premiums
o Current conditions
o Future resale value of site & structure/s
o Market price of site & structure/s
Community/Government Aspects - ambiance and
QOL
o Business climate; Cost of Living
o Housing availability & price
o Quality of schools, cultural & recreation
programs and facilities
o Political stability of location & regions
Competitive considerations
o Existing trade barriers and laws
o Expectations regarding reactions of
competitors to new site
o Internalized economies of scale in relation to
the size & scale of operation
o Localization economies
o Type & location of new competitors
Environmental Considerations - existing laws, rules
of conduct, and government regulations pertaining to
the environment
o Cost of compliance (out of pocket expenses
for pollution control, equipment production,
process changes, etc.)
o Imposition of cost associated with future
regulations
Taxes and financing
o Property & other local taxes; income tax
o Tax breaks, incentives, concessions
Utilities & services
o Availability, quality & price of water, power,
sewage, gas, etc.
o Quality of roads, police & fire protection,
medical facilities and other services

Early Location Theories
Location was used to decide what agricultural and industrial
activities are appropriate in a given area and situations.
Among these theories are the following:
1. Agricultural Location Theory - by Johann von Thunen
2. Industrial Location Theory/Least-Cost Approach- by Alfred
Weber
3. Economic Rent-. by David Ricardo
4. Bid-Rent- by William Alonso
CPT, Growth Pole and Phil Economic Trends
Central Place Theory (CPT) is geographical idea that seeks to
explain the number, size and location of human settlements in
an urban system. It analyzes the size distribution and firm
composition of cities. Settlements simply function as ‘central
places’ providing services to surrounding areas.
CPT extends the idea to the case where there is a hierarchy
(ranking order) of cities as well as a distinction between urban
and rural areas.
CPT is based on the idea that different types of firms have
different market areas and that cities are composed of these
firms.
 A market area is the area over which a firm can under
price its competitors
 Size depends on the relative production costs of
firms, the cost of transportation, and the level of
demand
A Central Place is a settlement which provides one or more
services for the population living around it (Ranking order of
goods and services).
 Simple basic services, i.e. food, household items
(things that replenish frequently) are said to be low
order
 Specialized services (e.g. computers, universities) are
said to be of high order.
 Having a high order service implies there are low
order services around it, but not vice versa.
 Settlements which provide low order services are said
to be low order settlements. Settlements that provide
high order services are said to be high order
settlements.
 The minimum population size required to profitably
maintain a service is the threshold population.
The theory consists of two basic concepts:
1) threshold--the minimum market needed to bring a firm or city
selling goods and services into existence and to keep it in
business
2) range--the average maximum distance people will travel to
purchase goods and services. Normally, the threshold is found
within the range, as the diagram below shows.CPT
Factors affecting a fall in the threshold population are:
 A decrease in population
 Change in tastes
GROWTH POLE THEORY
The growth pole concept originated from British Economist, Sir
William Petty (1623-1687), who was fascinated by the high
growth in London during the 17th century and conjectured
those strong urban economies are the backbone and motor of
the wealth of nations. Growth Poles sometimes referred to as
“growth centers”.
French Economist, Francois Perroux, the Father of Growth
Pole Theory, who was credited with formalizing and
elaborating on the concept i 1949.
From the Geography Dictionary (2004) defines growth poles
as:
“A point of economic growth. Growth poles are usually urban
locations, benefiting from agglomeration economies, and
should interact with surrounding areas, spreading prosperity
from the core to the periphery”.
The core idea of GP is that economic development, or growth,
is not uniform across an entire region, but instead takes place
around a specific pole. The pole is a concentration of
productive activity and propagates growth by the diffusion of
growth and spillover effects into the surrounding hinterland.
Growth poles were a popular regional development strategy in
the 1960s and early 1970s, with governments investing in
centers that were identified as growth poles or growth centers,
in a belief that this would ultimately reduce regional disparities
in employment and incomes, facilitate decentralization, or
support rapid industrialization.
Attempts by governments to pick “winners and losers” and to
identify and invest in growth poles have a very poor record of
success. Consequently, this approach to regional development
has been discredited and generally abandoned throughout the
world. Parr (2001, p. 17) referred to the “spectacular failure of
growth pole strategies.”
Growth pole theory, as originally formulated, assumes that
growth does not appear everywhere at the same time, but it
manifests itself in “points” or “poles” of growth.
In the Philippines, economic developments similar to this idea
are the creation of free ports and tourism enterprise zones
 RA 7916.: Special Economic Zone Act (1995) Export,
IT, Tourism, Medical Tourism, Agro-industrial Export,
& Agro-industrial bio-fuel manufacturing
 RA 9593.: Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone
Act (2009) TEZS: Cultural Heritage, Health and
wellness, Mixed-use, Edo-tourism, General leisure,
etc.
These laws specify the various economic activities that can be
established in the regions depending on the location features
and capability.

Planning and Land Use Concepts
Planning is the sequential process consisting of stages and
activities strategically designed to effectively achieve pre-set
goals and objectives.
Definition of Planning:
 SEROTE: A comprehensive, long-range and multi-
sectoral effort to attain a set of goals by deciding upon
a mix of alternative strategies; it may have a time
frame of 3 to 30 years.
 GLASSON: A sequence of actions which are
designed to solve problems in the future.
 FRIEDMAN: Primarily a way of thinking about socio-
economic problems, oriented predominantly towards
the future, concerned with the relation of goals to
collective decisions and strives for
comprehensiveness in policy in program.
 KEEBLE: Art and science of ordering the use of land
and siting of buildings and communication routes so
as to secure maximum practicable degree of
economy, convenience and beauty.
 HALL: Deliberately achieving some objectives by
assembling actions into some orderly sequence.
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 the 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.
The Planning Process
Planning can be expressed in the following questions:
What is the present situation?
Is change desirable/needed? If so…
What needs to be changed?
How can the changes be made?
Which is the best option?
 Diagnosis/Assessment/Situational Analysis
 Goals and objectives setting
 Formulation of courses of actions
 Implementation
 Monitoring and Evaluation
 Feedback
The Generic Planning Process
1. Problem structuring
2. ID of alternative responses
3. Implementation
4. Monitoring and evaluation
The Philippine Local Planning System
1. Data collection and inventory – preparation of the
socio-economic profile or the ‘ecological profile’.
2. Inter & intra-analysis – enable the planners to
comprehend their area both in its entirety and in terms
of component parts, i.e. sectoral and spatial.
3. Goals/objectives settings – to crystallize the
aspirations of the people into a coherent statement
that reflects their long-term vision or an end-state
scenario that will guide and organize present and
future actions. Can be derived through public
consultations.
4. Generation of alternative spatial strategies –
process whereby variousforms or patterns of
distributing the future population over the towns
territory are explored.
5. Evaluation and selection of preferred strategy –
from the range of possibilities, one pattern or a
combination of a few patterns is chosen using any of
these techniques: cost-benefit analysis, planning
balance sheet, goal achievement matrix, and/or
simple checklist of criteria.
6. Detailing of the chosen strategy – organizing
concept for the long term physical development of the
city/municipality.
7. Formulating policies and implementation – this
step completes the preparation of the plan
documents. Policies are formulated on settlements,
infrastructure, and land use to guide future
developments of the various sections of the
municipality.
8. Plan adoption and legitimization – to bind the local
government to a commitment to implement the plan.
9. Implementation, monitoring and feedback –
essential link to the next planning cycle.
Land Use Planning
Refers to the rational and judicious approach of allocating
available land resources to different land using activities, i.e.
agricultural, residential, commercial, etc. and for different
functions consistent with the overall development goal or vision
of a particular locality.
It entails the detailed process of determining the location and
area of land required for the implementation of social and
economic development policies, plans, programs and projects.
It is based on the physical planning standards, development
goals and objectives, analysis of actual and potential physical
conditions of land and development constraints and
opportunities.

Objectives of Land Use Planning:
1. To promote the efficient utilization, acquisition and
disposition of land and ensure the highest and best use of
land.
2. To direct, harmonize and influence discussions and activities
of the private and public sectors relative to the use and
management of land.
3. To reconcile land use conflicts and proposals between and
among individuals, private and government entities relative to
the present and future need for land.
4. To promote desirable patterns of land uses to prevent
wasteful development and minimize the cost of public
infrastructure and utilities and other social services.
5. To conserve areas of ecological, aesthetic, historical and
cultural significance.
Legal Basis of Planning:
Local government units shall, … continue to prepare their
respective comprehensive land use plans (CLUP) enacted
through zoning ordinances which shall be the primary and
dominant bases for the future use of land resources: Provided,
That the requirements for food production, human settlements,
and industrial expansion shall be taken into consideration in
the preparation of such plans. (Sec. 20(c), RA 7160).
Functions of the CLUP:
 Policy guide for the regulation of land uses within the
LGU territory
 Skeletal-circulatory framework for the physical
development of the territory.
 Plan for the long-term management of the local
territory
Constitutional Framework
 Power of Eminent Domain – Right of the
government to take private property for public use
with just compensation.
 Power of Taxation – Right of the government to
impose tax.
 Police Power – Regulate activities of the private
parties to protect the interests of the people – health,
safety, public order, and welfare.
Attributes of the Planning Process
A. SCIENCE and ART – requires quantifiable tools as
well as subjective creativity
B. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY – requires the expertise of
various disciplines; economics, engineering,
sociology, architecture, law, geography, etc.
C. PROACTIVE – anticipating the future and mitigating
the impacts of disasters.
D. COMPREHENSIVE – covers all aspects of man
dimensions of development as to environment,
physical, social, economic, institution, political, etc.
and participatory. It also covers the spatial boundary
of the planning area.
E. DYNAMIC – changes overtime; technological change,
cultural norms and traditions; not static; responsive to
the new demands of the people.
F. CONTINUOUS and ITERATIVE – plan is prepared,
approved, implemented, reviewed and evaluated; re-
plan again based on new demands of time.
G. PARTICIPATORY– values the engagement of multi-
sectoral stakeholders.
H. CYCLICAL and SPIRAL – unending process. Goes
back to where it started. Where the problems solved?
Goals and objectives achieved? At what level of
satisfaction?
I. TIME-BOUND – plan must have a time perspective:
short, medium, long; basis for the plan review and
assessment.
Planning Levels
National
 National Physical Framework Plan
 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan
Regional
 Regional Physical Framework Plan
  Regional Development Plan - changes are brought about by new technology, e.g., use of
Provincial mass transit systems, new road systems, new forms of
 Provincial Physical Framework Plan communication, etc.
 Provincial Development Plan  Changing values and attitudes
City/Municipality -Growing awareness and appreciation of healthier
 Comprehensive Land Use Plan surroundings
 Comprehensive Development Plan -Requirements of people belonging to different social classes
(suburban neighborhoods vs. downtown neighborhoods)
Timeframe and Plan Duration Income
 Short Term: 1-3 years, e.g., budget
 Central Place theory – population thresholds and
 Medium Term: 5-7 years, e.g., development plans
market range
 Long Range: 10-30 years, e.g., CLUP/NPFP: 20-50
years, e.g., Master Plans  Location Quotient – device in gauging the relative
specialization of a region in selected industries

(Land Use/Development Determinants)

Land Use Determinants:

Physical Determinants
The physical and natural features of the land may serve as one
of the considerations in assessing the land’s capability and
suitability to support certain uses, and can be considered as
determinants of land use decisions.
1. Topography 4. Soil
2. Geology 5. Bodies of Water
3. Climate 6. Environmentally Critical Areas
Economic Determinants
The economic condition of the land and the surrounding area is
an essential criterion in arriving at a development decision.
Examples to this are the following:
1.Land Value Location 5. Changes in Technology
2.Cost of Land Development 6. Changes in Money Supply
3.Increase/Decrease Population 7. Changes Planning Controls
4.Trends, Changes in Fashion and Tastes

Public Interest
Public action that seeks to assure livability and sound
development in the city as land is put to urban use. It involves
the notion of control for public ends as they may be
distinguished from private, economic and social ends. Public
interest values come into play in legalistic actions of formal
government organizations. This is referred to as "actions
taken in the public interest." Among these concerns are:
1. Livability 4. Convenience
2. Amenity 5. Economy
3. Safety

There are other factors for consideration in deciding project

developments but it must ensure that the highest and best use*
of land must be established and that the appropriate
development be pursued.

*HABU – use in a manner that provides an optimum return to

their operators and/or society.
- use for the purpose of which it has the highest comparative
advantage or least comparative disadvantage relative to other
uses.

 Need for planning and other types of land

development (real estate) due to population growth,
migration patterns, etc.
 Societal trends due to changing living patterns,
changes in class structure, and changes in work
conditions and lifestyles.