National University

Urban Planning
Week 1: How Planning Really Works
Topic 1.2: Population and Demographic Growth
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Describe and explain what is meant by a commuter society and how it impacts urban planning.
2. Analyze population growth from the perspective of the planner and ask the question, how do
we consume more land?
3. Interpret the Environmental Quality Act and explain its importance to the planner.
4. Evaluate the concept moving inward vs. outward and solve this planning problem.
LECTURE
What are the two major decisions a person will make in their lifetime?
There are two major decisions a person will make that will impact their life, where will I live and
where will I work? These two decisions are usually made in this order; I will live close to where
I work. Many people today go to work close to where they live. In todays society many are
driving farther distances to work. We are becoming a commuter society.
So why are people commuting long distances and spending up to three hours a day traveling in
cars? As communities experience more population growth the supply of housing begins to
diminish. With the higher demands for housing people are experiencing higher costs for housing.

The trade-off for a better and bigger house, push people out of the city and into rapidly growing
suburban or rural communities. As a result, people are driving farther to work and inner city
planning is changing. There many examples of people commuting in large urban environments.
For example, people in San Francisco (Bay Area) will drive 100-150 miles one way to work so
they can live urban communities. Residents say the housing supply is more economical and the
cost of living is substantially lower. The stress of commuting over time does force people to look
for housing closer to work. Others will take lesser paying jobs just so they do not have to
commute. Recently we have seen more businesses moving into smaller communities to
accommodate a work force closer to home.
The Single Most Important Question a Planner Will Ask is How Can I Consume More
Land?

Even though a states population is increasing and economic conditions are changing, the
increasing trend in population growth does not change. Many of the major cities we live in today
are experiencing an increase in registered drivers. Everywhere we travel, whether we are going
to work or traveling for pleasure we follow the traffic reports. Metropolitan areas are dependent
on roads and highways, which are the main aterials for continued growth and incomes.
The single question in urban planning is how to consume more undeveloped land.
With the need for new communities other questions are asked by planners such as; where we
build highways, where we will build houses, which farmlands will we develop, how we will save
our wetlands, as well as other environmental sensitive areas. The planner is faced with three
questions to solve: how do we accommodate the demand for growth, how will we shape the
growth, and how will we control the growth. These questions will be addressed as we begin
investigating and learning more about Urban Planning.
The Environmental Quality Act
The general planning process is faced with sophisticated regulations as land becomes scarce and
population growth expands. The government has created the Environmental Quality Act to limit
how much should we build and keep organized developments. The Act protects rapid growth
and extensive development, which may harm the environment we live in. Planned communities
assess taxes or fees for the upkeep of a community. Managing landscaping, water control, and
other environmental issues require money to perform. Therefore, most local governments collect
fees or taxes to ensure a certain minimum level of continued public service (e.g. police, fire,
trash, water, and sewer) will still be provided.
Demographics is Important to the Planner
When we begin to discuss population growth the study of demographics becomes important to
the urban planner. There are current trends which impact the study of urban planning and
population growth.
The first growth trend in cities is the occurrence of moving inward versus outward. What do we
mean by this? For the first time, urban planners are addressing the volatile recycling of urban
neighborhoods, more than the consumption of raw land.
The second factor is a diverse population growth. Until the early 1970s, society was made up of
mostly white middle-class suburban society. Today we are experiencing an influx of immigrants
from Latin America and Asia. Why is this significant? These immigrants are producing larger
families once they are here. As a result, these larger families now need more resources to live and
occupy more space in the inner city.

Third, we are seeing a radical alteration of existing urban neighborhoods as extended families are
buying larger homes and poorer families are sharing homes in inner cities. We are seeing both
diverse cultures and economic gaps in our cities and communities.
Planners begin to ask the question, how do we take the complex planning structure and adapt it
to a rapidly changing society?
A key factor must be addressed under population growth in urban planning. How will these
diverse groups and cultures embrace the pre-existing community values? And to what extent will
these groups afford these American values even with the intent to embrace the values? An
example to addressing these questions is; the American community has always been planned
around a community. This means we have developed schools, libraries, parks, and churches. As
immigrants move up in economic statue will these values still be important to them and will
planners have to change the way they view urban development?
When a planner looks at population distribution there are two directions populations move;
inward to the central cities or outward to newly developed communities. In many parts of the
United Sates populations have been fleeing from the cities and moving towards rural
communities outside the city. Planners are now faced with a new dilemma. That is many of the
city neighborhoods are being abandoned and planners have to focus on renewal and
reinvestment. We are seeing many of the diverse groups such as Latinos and Asians moving into
these vacant neighborhoods in the city. Many of the traditional white middle-class groups are
seeing this shift of the population and responding by moving out of the cities.
Key Concepts
Planning is based on where people work and live.
We have become a commuter society and people are viewing where they live differently.
Planners are faced with a new dilemma, what do we do with vacant cities?
Communities are becoming more culturally diverse.
Inner cities are growing within rather than without.