Final answer:
Urban planning involves considerations such as population, land use, transportation, and economic activities to shape city growth. Political and economic influence, transportation models, and the increasing urban population trend are crucial parts of planning. The process aims to manage urban development sustainably while accommodating community needs and regulatory frameworks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Urban planning is a multifaceted process that integrates a range of factors to guide the development and growth of cities and towns. Among the key considerations are population dynamics, land use planning, transportation facilities and services, and economic activity. Planners must also take into account travel patterns and volumes, regional financial resources, community values and expectations, as well as laws and ordinances. All these factors together shape the character and future of urban spaces.
Influential elements like political and economic structures interact to steer urban growth or decline. Sociologists Feagin and Parker noted how leaders balance the exchange and use value of land to benefit certain social classes, regulate money flow, and determine land use patterns. Urban development is a result of both structure, such as local government groups, and agency from individuals and activists, resulting in a dynamic interplay that shapes the urban landscape.
Urban planning also must contend with various transportation models and their impact on the environment. For example, comparing the United States' focus on individual vehicular transport to Europe's emphasis on public transit highlights different approaches to urban mobility and space usage. This presents challenges for planning that accommodates both the aesthetic and practical requirements of transportation in urban areas.
Growing urban populations present unique challenges, especially given that about 80% of the US population now resides in metropolitan areas, up from 40% in 1900. Conversely, nations with emerging economies, such as many in Africa with only about 30% urban population, must prepare for future urban expansion. This trend illustrates the need for comprehensive planning to manage urban growth and its associated effects on resources, infrastructure, and social fabric.