Urban planning: Vancouverism
- Nithin P Gukhool
- 12 hours ago
- 7 min read
Urban planning is the deliberate design of cities, and is a technical and political process whereby land, nature and the built environment is so organized in order to optimize land use, infrastructure, transportation, sustainability and municipal services. It also involves the embellishment of the built environment naturally so as to create sustainable, open and environmentally friendly spaces for people to live, work and play. It is not only a technical process but in certain cities such as Vancouver is also a philosophy towards urban design. However, how important is urban planning? Can a city do without it?
First of all, urban planning is sine qua non to a city’s success because it involves organization of the built environment. Cities who resort to urban planning have well-developed neighbourhoods and city centers, whereby buildings are built according to a certain specification and following a certain design by the municipality or city council. It is not a disorganized process whereby buildings are constructed arbitrarily. The municipality follows a planned process to design the layout and architecture of buildings so that it is aesthetically and functionally appropriate to the city - often considering its culture, ethos and history. In Vancouver, for example the layout of buildings and roads is well designed and spacious so as to minimize traffic congestion and urban sprawl. The latter is a real phenomenon and every effort is made so that the city does not become an urban jungle. Therefore, urban planning is important in a city’s development.
Urban planning acts as a driver for economic growth by optimizing land use, infrastructure and connectivity, making cities into engines of economic growth that generate over 75% of global GDP. Strategic urban planning buttresses local economies through efficient transportation, affordable housing and business-friendly zoning. Urban planning ensures proper land use and zoning grants adequate space for commercial, industrial and residential requirements, which support property markets and promotes economic activity. Additionally, urban planning impacts economic development directly by focusing on infrastructure development, public transit and supporting businesses. North American cities typically employ urban planning as a tool for economic development as cities propel economic growth by acting as magnets for investment and opportunity. Hence, according to their specificities, these cities promulgate certain economic activities and industries making them world-renowned hubs for business and innovation. For instance, Houston in Texas is known for being a manufacturing hub whereas Los Angeles in California is known for Information Technology and Film-making.
Furthermore, it is imperative in a modern city to organize its parks and green spaces. The latter offer a much-needed respite to citizens from the city’s hustle and bustle, and also enhances the city’s sustainability. Planting trees in parks and alongside buildings and roads helps the city deal with soil erosion and heavy rainfall. At the same time, the parks in the city act as catchment areas for rainfall. Vancouver is a city which is nested in a rainforest and hence there are trees everywhere. Certain trees have been planted all over the city which beautifies the natural surroundings and simultaneously enhance the sustainability and environment- friendliness of the city. It is undeniable that plants and trees make a city attractive and it also benefits the fauna of the city with a resting place. This definitely improves the city’s natural appeal while also acting as a buffer against urban pollution. Hence, urban planning can be said to be essential to a city’s welfare.
Moreover, urban planning is important to a city in the context of its infrastructure and transportation. It is important to have well-organized road networks, metro lines and bicycle lanes for transportation within the city. Many cities around the world boast an impressive metro network which facilitates the movement of people in and around the city, easing traffic from roads. The latter are also well planned and are lined with water drains which can channel rainwater to reservoirs directly like in Singapore. In addition, cities such as Vancouver benefit from a comprehensive and well-integrated transport infrastructure, consisting of Skytrains, electric buses and ferries. Skytrains, Vancouver’s signature Rapid Transit System, consists of automated driver-less metros travelling the city and suburbs at regular intervals – going all the way till the airport. Travellers can also use bicycle lanes to cycle around the city reducing the need for cars, and in Vancouver people can carry their bicycles on electric racks on buses and even in metros. Therefore, the infrastructure and transportation of the city is undeniably well designed and this offers many benefits to citizens making their travel effective and hassle-free.
Likewise, many cities around the world are so planned so as offer the best facilities to its citizens, giving the cities an international cachet. Certain cities have apartments with their own supermarkets, pharmacies and libraries in the same building, offering community and retail services to their citizens. Some other cities offer buildings which have premium sports facilities to its city dwellers enabling them to exercise and keep fit whenever they need to. Some cities have invited international universities and educational institutions to house their campuses giving the city an international cachet. Besides, many of these cities see to it that they are safe for their inhabitants at night and the police is always on patrol on horses, bicycles and cars ensuring that the inhabitants are protected from crime. Other cities make sure that the cultural scene is enhanced for example with ‘China towns’ offering Chinese food, the ‘Curry Mile’ in the UK offering Indian spices and herbs and other avenues offering Thai food, for instance. Others, in an attempt to boost cultural tourism, have built historic temples and places of worship giving a spiritual experience to their citizens in addition to the cultural scene.
However, it can also be argued that an over-emphasis on urban planning fosters over-regulation and discourages the autonomous development of the city. The utilization of too many laws and regulations to govern urban planning might instead hamper its development because they discourage investors and city development companies. An over-emphasis on urban planning might also result in city skylines that are sparse and disparate instead of having a single unified view of the skyline. It is undeniable that too much regulation also discourages businesses and industries from setting up office in cities causing unemployment in the long run. Cities usually need some autonomy and creative space so that its industries and businesses can develop seamlessly and in line with the opportunities available by virtue of its geography and economy. Many cities in the USA have developed in a fairly unsupervised way as a result of the economic opportunities available at the time and they have focused on the basics such as electricity, water and sewage amenities. Such cities have fared well by laying emphasis on their economic development rather than urban planning. Hence, it can be argued that too much regulation hinders a city’s development.
It is also important to consider that policy makers and politicians should not place too much emphasis on urban planning ahead of time since they can be overrun by technological advances. Smart cities today are the latest development when it comes to urban development and these cannot be implemented in cities where there already is too much urban planning. Technological disruptions obviate urban planning because urban design often cannot anticipate which technological developments are going to outmode their urban planning. Conversely, some cities which have chosen not to lay too much emphasis on technology have suffered in the long term because today technology is ubiquitous. With advances in internet communication, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, it has been observed that citizens have become more and more reliant on technology, and hence urban designers have felt the need to fully integrate technological developments in urban design, resulting in the emergence of Smart Cities. Many urban policy makers have failed to anticipate such technological advances and this has resulted in cities which are in the backwaters of technological development. Some cities such as Mumbai, New York and London have benefited from technology as this has stimulated their economic development. Many Big Tech companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Samsung typically set up office in cities touted as Smart Cities owing to their high tech infrastructure. Therefore, too much urban planning can also be misguided and fail to anticipate technological developments.
Finally, opponents of the idea of urban planning assert that urban planning makes cities too costly for their dwellers. Vancouver suffers from an over-emphasis on urban planning and levies hefty municipal taxes - making apartment and condominium rent too expensive for many. Cost of living is a challenge for many cities around the world and urban planning often thwarts the affordability of cities. For example, cities that have well developed road networks, metros, amenities such as quality children schools and healthcare facilities suffer from high cost of living as many people want to live in these cities. In turn, it has been found that the cost of accommodation is too prohibitive. It is undeniable that excessive urban planning inordinately raises cost of living, making cities unaffordable in the long term as it raises the cost of rent, transportation and services. Many cities often fail to make it in the Economist’s top 10 most liveable cities around the world because of their affordability. Therefore, too much urban design sometimes results in a high cost of living for citizens.
In light of the above exposé, it can be noted that urban planning is a well intentioned and well thought of process but in excess it can hinder a city’s development. Rather, urban planning should be balanced and should also allow cities to develop naturally and organically. Then, urban planning will result in cities that are at the forefront of city development.
~ 1650 words
N.B: The above is an essay on Urban Planning by N.P Gukhool intended for students but published as part of the KLP blogs.
© Nithin P. Gukhool (Feb 2026)
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