Urban Planning Practice Services

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy specialises in the following urban planning practice services: comprehensive planning and detailed planning. In both comprehensive planning and detailed planning, we use contemporary architectural and planning tools, e.g. Auto CAD, ArcGIS and Google SketchUp to assist in derivation of alternative planning proposals and refined plans. We also offer detailed planning services online.

 

Comprehensive Planning

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy has the expertise for preparation of Comprehensive Plans. We can also contribute to parts of the preparation of such plans.

 

A Comprehensive Plan is a long range policy for physical, economic and social development of a local authority’s geographical area. In other words and in more general terms, it sets the rules for how a local authority’s geographical area should develop over time. In most countries, the policy usually forms the basis for development control in local authorities’ geographical areas. Comprehensive Plan is used for the policy in the USA and Sweden and perhaps other countries as well. Other terms used for the policy include Local Plan in the UK and Master Plan in many Commonwealth countries.

 

Historically, the Master Plan was the first term used for the policy. The term was coined in the end of the 19th century after the First Urban Planning Conference in New York in 1898. The term was then used intensively in the USA and the UK, and introduced into then British colonies now Commonwealth Countries. From the mid 20th century, the term was replaced by other terms in the USA and the UK, but continued to flourish in the Commonwealth Countries. It does not mean, however, that the Master Plan as it is known today in the Commonwealth Countries may be structurally similar to the original version. As an urban planning tool for guiding future development in local authorities' geographical areas, it must have evolved with scientific advancement in urban planning, while maintaining its traditional name. The latter is perhaps not a bad idea! After all, in the recent years, urban planning has witnessed gradual erosion of its universal identity as a profession caused by cosmetic and often unnecessary changes of the names of some of its basic scientific tools, something that does not happen often in other professions. We know that while the ways in which urban planning tools perform their roles are dynamic - changing with changes in their local environments, the roles per se are fairly static. For example, although a 1975 Master Plan for a particular local authority's geographical area may not be structurally similar to a 2000 Master Plan for the same area due to differences in the local environment under which they were generated, both Master Plans, however, performed the same role during the time of their inception, i.e. guiding future development in the area. Because urban planning tools like many other scientific tools are distinguished in terms of their roles hence their names, the need for names change should in strict terms only be necessary when roles of tools fundamentally change.

 

Nevertheless, and as we have seen now, no matter the term used for the long range policy, they all mean the same thing when referring to local authorities’ geographical areas. They all provide guidance in broad terms, for urban development in the areas including action items for their implementation. Such guidance covers a long term time span (15 – 25 years) and is often categorised in terms of some major aspects of physical, economic and social development, such as: land use, housing, traffic circulation and transportation, recreation, historic preservation, utility facilities and services, employment, environmental protection, etc. Furthermore, the process for the generation of the policy as well as the policy contents, are fundamentally similar. The influence of national planning and building laws and policies, tend to be more procedural than processional. For example, differences may be on where along the planning process public participation takes place, necessary consultations, how the plan should be approved, etc. Also, in some countries, the policy may be required to be within the context of applicable Regional Plans like the Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) in the UK (formerly Structure Plans). Furthermore, while the Comprehensive Plan and the Local Plan are currently used for both urban and rural local authorities'geographical areas, the Master Plan is used mainly for urban local authorities' geographical areas. Countries that use the Master Plan for the long range policy could perhaps consider extending its use to rural local authorities' geographical areas as well.

 

Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy uses Comprehensive Plan for the policy for only one simple reason. It is the term used officially for the policy in Sweden where we are based. For clients in countries using different terms for the policy, Jacob Kimaryo Consultancy will use the terms used in those countries.

 

The Master Plan and even the Local Plan may also be used for guiding future development in smaller geographical areas like airports, sea ports, university campuses, satellite settlements, mining settlements, etc; or what are referred to in the UK as specific areas within local authorities' geographical areas. However, such Master Plans or Local Plans are structurally simple and purely for in-house use as they are legally toothless with any proposed future developments within the planned areas requiring planning consent from relevant local authorities.

 

Our Approach

We employ local research assistants in data collection during pre-planning stage of preparation of a Comprehensive Plan for a local authority’s geographic area. Pre-planning studies are aimed at establishing existing situation in the local authority’s geographic area in terms of relevant aspects of physical, social and economic development e.g. land use, housing, traffic circulation and transportation, recreation, historic preservation, utility facilities and services, employment, environmental protection, etc. Such aspects are often determined in collaboration with our clients. Problems and potentials for physical, social and economic development are identified scientifically on the basis of the findings from the pre-planning studies. Goals and objectives are then formulated in collaboration with our client. Alternative comprehensive planning proposals are generated and presented to the client and subjected to public comments according to our client’s country's planning laws. Selected proposal is then refined meticulously and presented as a final document of a comprehensive plan for the local authority’s geographic area. The plan would consist of a written content, maps, plans and diagrams; and often in three parts entailing: existing situation of the different aspects of physical, social and economic development; plans for future development of the different aspects; and implementation strategies.

 

Albeit the above approach for comprehensive planning applies to both urban and rural local authorities' geographic areas or what are also called in some quarters, urban districts and rural districts respectively, there will be, however, some differences in the relevant aspects for physical, social and economic development.