Urban planning concepts & definitions

Urban Planning Concepts and Definitions

Land use planning (LUP) refers to the rational and judicious development, utilization
and management of land resources in a sustainable manner to ensure that needs of
the present generation can be met without jeopardizing the needs of the future
generations. In the context of the municipal land use planning exercise in the
Philippines, land use planning is divided into 2 activities: (a) municipal-wide or
general land use planning and (b) poblacion or urban land use planning. This
typology corresponds to the prevailing form of development existing in
municipalities and cities outside the Metro Manila Area or the National Capital
Region (NCR) where urban forms of development are concentrated mainly in the
poblacion or premier barangay with the rest of the barangays possessing more of
rural characteristics. (pp 3-4, Vol. 5, HLURB CLUP Formulation Guidelines,
1997).
Sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the needs of the future generations (p.3, Vol. 5, HLURB CLUP
Formulation Guidelines, 1997).
Land use plan refers to the rational approach of allocating available land resources as
equitably as possible among competing user groups and for different functions
consistent with the development plan of the area and the Program under this Act
(Sec.3.k, Art. 1, RA 7279).
Comprehensive land use plan (CLUP) refers to a document embodying specific
proposals for guiding, regulating growth and/or development. The land use plan
allocates and delineates different land uses in a community and the structures built
upon them. The term comprehensive means that the plan not only encompasses
all geographical parts of the local government unit but also includes the different
sectors such as physical, environmental, social, economic, administrative and
fiscal matters. (Sec. C.1, p.6, Vol. 5, HLURB CLUP Formulation Guidelines,
1997).
The local government units shall, in conformity with existing laws,
continue to prepare comprehensive land use plans 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, Local Government Code of 1991 or RA
7160).
Like any other physical plan, the CLUP is a document consisting of
statements accompanied by diagrams and illustrations setting out and justifying
broad land use policies (but not detailed land allocations) for the area, policies for
the management of traffic and provisions of utility and service systems, and
measures for the improvement of the physical environment. The CLUP is not an

Urban planning concepts & definitions

executory plan but rather a guide or framework for more detailed planning of the
area. From the above definition, the following functions of the CLUP can be
inferred:
1) It interprets higher level policies such as those embodied in the national,
regional and provincial physical framework plans.
2) It provides a basis for medium term development planning, investment
programming and development regulation.
3) It establishes policies and general proposals for strategic areas to guide the
provision of infrastructure and utility systems.
4) As a strategic plan, the CLUP identifies action areas which require a greater
degree of attention than other areas thereby focusing investments and other
intervention measures in those areas for greater impact. (Sec.1.2.1, Guidelines
on Municipal Land Use Planning , NEDA Region 3, 1996).
General land use plan deals primarily with the non-urban large scale uses such as
croplands, forests, pasture lands, mining/quarrying areas and swamplands, with
areas occupied by structures treated collectively as built-up areas (p. 4, Vol. 5,
HLURB CLUP Guidelines, 1997).
Urban land use plan basically concerned with the location intensity and amount of
land development required for various space-using functions such as residential,
commercial, industrial, institutional, recreation and other activities found in the
urban areas. It is concerned with the proper allocation of land areas for these
urban uses based on soil suitabilities, prescribed space standards and various land
allocation criteria such as site and accessibility standards and land use
compatibility considerations. (p.4, Vol. 5, HLURB CLUP Guidelines, 1997).
Urban land use planning involves the allocation of land areas for such space using
functions of city life as residential, commercial, industrial, institutional,
recreational and other activities in the built environment. It also involves
regulating the location and intensity of such activities in accordance with socially
accepted criteria and standards in order to promote the social objectives and wellbeing of city residents(It) is the proper allocation of space for all land users in
order to maximize the flow of goods and services to meet growing human needs
and at the same time minimize adverse environmental impacts by selecting the
most suitable land for a given use. ( Land Use Planning for the Urban Sector by
E. Serote, UP-SURP).
Urban areas refers to all cities regardless of their population density and to
municipalities with population density of at least five hundred (500) persons per
square kilometer ( Sec 3.v, Art 1, RA 7279, 1992).
Urbanizable areas refers to sites and lands which, considering present characterisitics
and prevailing conditions, display marked and great potential of becoming urban
areas within the period of five (5) years (Sec. 3.w, Art. 1, RA 7279, 1992).

Urban planning concepts & definitions

Urban form pertains to the way future population and related activities are organized
and distributed over the municipal territory, taking into account the need to retain
some areas in their open character and to ensure safe and sustainable
environments for human habitat. (p. 4, Municipal Comprehensive Land Use
Planning, NEDA Region 3, 1996).
Urban land supply management strategies To augment the supply of urban land, the
following strategies may be tried:
a)
in-filling of vacant urban lands vacant lands are land parcels bypassed
by development and lying unutilized amidst lands that have been converted to
some type of functional use. The process of putting these in-lying vacant lands to
use is in-filling.
b)
densification of inner city areas certain sections of the inner city areas
may be underutilized but have the capacity to accommodate higher densities or
greater use intensity. Existing high rise buildings with low occupancy rates,
enclaves of single detached dwellings, and similar cases of inefficient use of
urban lands must be regulated.
c)
urban renewal or redevelopment in the Philippines, renewal or
redevelopment of slums and blighted areas usually results in increased densities in
inner city areas. The conversion of single-storey makeshift dwellings to
permanent medium-rise walk-up apartments increases residential density. For
urban renewal scheme to become sustainable, treatment should not be limited to
residential development. Job creation must also be incorporated in urban renewal
and redevelopment programs.
d)
reclamation may be an alternative means of urban real estate for cities
and municipalities bordering on seashore or lakeshore areas.
e)
agricultural land conversion for this strategy, the DAs network of
protected agricultural lands should be used as guide.( Serote paper)
Urban land demand-management strategies - these strategies could be considered as
alternative or supplementary to supply-augmentation strategies:
a)
improved rural services by improving the level of welfare of rural
residents their desire to migrate to the urban areas might be dampened to some
extent. To create this desired effect, care must be exercised so that particular
intervention will tend to weaken rather than strengthen the rural-urban migration.
b)
new alternative centers if outward expansion of the existing urban
areas is severely constrained and upward expansion has reached tolerable limits,
the alternative centers may be identified and assisted to grow.

Urban planning concepts & definitions

c)
relocation of resettlement an effective way of decentralizing urban
population. But the economic and social costs are tremendous both to relocated
families and to society.(Serote paper)
Zoning ordinance an implementing tool of the CLUP which provides the different
land use districts of the city/municipality. The boundary description of the various
zoning districts and the allowable or permitted uses per zoning district. The CLUP
becomes enforceable with the enactment of the zoning ordinance and thus
becomes the basis for the issuance of locational clearance. (p. 64, Sec. I, HLURB
CLUP Formulation Guidelines, 1997).