An extracted list of success rules for thesis proposals

Rule #	% of experts agreed	Success rule
		Component of a thesis proposal	Relationship nature (→)	Its concise definition (and/or) its relationship to another component/s
1	60%	Research title	Should reflect	The general aim and scope of the research
				The negative wording of the research problem
2	75%	The abstract	Should be	A concise brief of all necessary components of the research proposal
3	74%	Keywords	Should include	Terms representing research title, topic, unique sub-specializations, methodology and scope
4	74%	Research background	Should cover	A gradual contextual literary analysis relevant to the study preparing the reader to enter the study
5		The statement of the problem
5–1	73%	Statement of the general research problem	Should reflect	The main cause of a quantitative and/or qualitative deficiency in the environment under investigation
				The negative wording of the research aim
5–2	80%	Research sub-problems	Should describe	The subsidiary causes of the main problem
5–3	79%	Consequences of the Problem	Should describe	Subsidiary symptoms of the general illness of the examined environment
6	79%	Research questions	Should rephrase	The research sub-problems in a question format
				The research objectives in a question format
7	63%	Research aims, goals and objectives	Should be	SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely)
7–1	63%	General aim of the research	Should reflect	A target responding to the general research problem/question
				A potential alternative scenario that may enable the development of solutions
				The research title with the same or different wording
7–2	57%	Procedural objectives of the research	Should articulate/represent	The sub-goals that compose the main research aim
				The stages of the research
				The sections or chapters of the thesis
7–3	70%	Development objectives of the research	Should reflect	Targeted solutions to the sub-problems of the study
				Targeted possible cures/fixes for the subsidiary causes of the problem
8	83%	Research scope	Should cover	Thematic, geographic and temporal limits of the study
9	87%	Research significance and contributions	Should highlight	The expected positive theoretical or practical impacts of the research or both
10	95%	Preliminary review of literature	Should cover	A well-documented, structured, analysed and synthesized critical review of relevant research
11	82%	Research methodology	Should explain	The methods, techniques and tools used to accomplish the research objectives in each stage of the study
12	82%	Research structure and timeline	Should articulate/represent	The stages/phases of the research and their expected completion dates
				The main chapters of the research distributed along the completion timeline
13	77%	List of references	Should present	The references relevant to the research problem
14	General rule	The thesis proposal (using future tenses)	Should resemble	The general introduction of the final thesis (using past tenses)

Source(s) : Prepared by the authors based on the above analysis and the results of expert inquiry

Abdellatif , M. ( 2015 ), The Simplifying-Integrating Approach to Deal with Contemporary Design, Planning and Urban Development Problems , Scientific Publication Center, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University , Dammam .

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Donohue , M. ( 2018 ), “ Research proposal toolkit: design tools for developing multi-stakeholder research proposals ”, available at: https://repository.library.northeastern.edu/files/neu:m044c6541 ( accessed 24 October 2019 ).

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the sincere assistance provided by the team of experts from several Architectural Schools worldwide to verify and improve the TP Conception. Appreciation is also extended to the post graduate students of the College of Architecture and Planning, IAU, who have positively responded to the students' opinion survey.

Corresponding author

About the authors.

Mahmoud Abdellatif is a Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), Dammam, Saudi Arabia. He received an MSc from Assuit University, Egypt in 1977 and another MSc from Iowa State University in 1981 and a PhD degree from Texas A&M University in 1985. He has taught and practiced Architecture and Urban Planning for more than 45 years in Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. His main research focus is on research methods, strategic planning and design and development approaches. He is currently the adviser of IAU Vice President for Studies, Development and Community Services. His last book (published in Arabic) entitled The Simplifying-Integrating Approach to Contemporary Design, Planning and Urban Development articulates his own problem-solving approach. He is the principle editor of the Strategic Plan of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University 2018–2025.

Reham Abdellatif is an Assistant Professor in Architecture, College of Design, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), Dammam, Saudi Arabia. She obtained an MSc degree from Assiut University in 2003 and a PhD degree from Newcastle University, UK, in 2012. She has taught and practiced Architecture and Interior Design for more than 22 years in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Her main research focus is on Architectural Education and Curriculum Development, Analysing Design Learning Activities, Distant/Online Learning, Communication and Computation, VR and Information Technologies in Architecture. She ran the interior design curriculum development committee in Assiut University and in IAU.

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Best Topics for Research in Urban Design and Planning

• May 27, 2022
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Research in urban and regional planning has grown tremendously in the recent decade. T his section contains the best and most relevant topics related to research in Urban design and regional planning.

Areas of Study

Mediated city.

This theme builds on work done by Kevin Lynch in the early years of the program and focuses on how form and meaning are perceived and communicated in the current city. At issue are the effects of advanced information technology on contemporary culture, as well as the increasing importance of narrative on the form and design of cities. Our work around this theme seeks to understand how urban experience is shaped by the preservation of culture, history and memory, by the development of new kinds of “mediated” places and activities in the public realm. We are also interested in the tools and technologies by which changes in urban form and landscape can be visualized and understood.

Urban Transformation

This theme is concerned with the future of cities and regions of the 20th century. Industrial land, infrastructure, warehouses, housing, ports and waterfronts, rail-lines and depots, mines and oil fields, are among an inventory of abandonment, all seeking temporary and permanent re-use. Our inquiries around this theme hope to clarify new design approaches to urban and regional transformation, involving elements such as education, ecology, retrofitting and cultural development as well as new forms of housing and transportation.

Urban Performance

The quality of urban life and work is currently being challenged and shaped by many forces such as demographic patterns (aging and disability, for example), international economics (globalization and the demise of distance), and environmental pressures (sustainability, resource conservation, energy). Our inquiries around this theme ask how cities can be reshaped in the face of these forces; how design and construction standards affect livability and energy consumption; what role citizens should play in determining urban quality in a contemporary democracy; and how one understands the form of the vast, poor urban areas of the world and the enormous discrepancy between them and places of wealth.

Design Paradigms

With the re-evaluation/repudiation of modernism as the dominant perspective on design, this theme takes to task the development of design paradigms appropriate to contemporary urban circumstances both in the United States and other parts of the globe. Our inquiries around this theme center on the making of good public places, the expression of private and public environments in the city, the aesthetics of popular demand, the reshaping of the form of low-density cities and public housing, and the role that design can play in the changing peripheries of cities.

Managing and financing urban infrastructure

As cities expand and incomes increase, finding innovative solutions for sustainable mobility becomes increasingly important. This specialisation seeks to provide hands-on knowledge and expertise on how local governments can most efficiently manage, finance and operate municipal infrastructure to deliver desired levels of service.

This specialisation is connected to IHS’ Green City work field in which providing resilient, energy efficient and smart infrastructure play a prominent role in helping cities to become more sustainable and green. The primary focus is on developing countries and countries in transition.

Urban housing, equity and social Justice

Housing should be understood as ‘more than houses’. Researchers active within this strand of research strive to link housing issues with the livelihoods strategies of the urban poor. In addition, livelihood assets are analysed in view of their vulnerability and institutional context.

This translates into the importance of looking at the housing problem from a holistic standpoint. Physical, political, social, economic and environmental issues interrelate with each other. The objective is to produce urban environments that should ultimately reduce poverty, and increase quality of life. Both housing and social policies, strategies and instruments need to be designed with a clear understanding of these aspects if they are ever to efficiently address the problem of urbanisation of poverty.

Urban Environment, sustainability and climate Change

Cities all over the world experience severe environmental and climate change related problems. This research theme addresses new approaches for urban environment and climate change management.

UECC is one of IHS’ largest research teams that works towards understanding the impact and use of urban environmental policies and instruments including urban climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Urban strategies and planning

Around the world, urban professionals increasingly face challenges such as accelerated urbanisation, an increase in informal housing, and climate change. In order to deal with these challenges urban planning has moved away from comprehensive master plans to more flexible strategic plans. Contemporary strategic planning integrates more social and economic considerations into the physical and spatial dimensions of planning.

Researcher within this specialisation seeks to offer creative and innovative solutions to better understand the needs of different social and economic interests within urban planning management. Different from the classical study of urban planning, this strand focusses on the combination of urban planning policies, city development strategies and public-private partnerships.

Urban competitiveness and resilience

Cities cannot be understood as autonomous entities. There are affected by complex processes on the local, regional and global scale. Given the increasing dependency of cities on global economic networks, it is crucial to find the balance between social wellbeing, local economic development and global strategies that can ensure resilience to socioeconomic shocks and fluctuations.

This research theme investigates how globalisation processes, local economic development, and urban conditions can enable cities to successfully compete or collaborate with other cities on various scales. This is done by analysing and comparing urban networks, economic geography, foreign direct investments and local economic development as well as city marketing and branding.

Urban Conservation

Urban conservation is concerned with those parts of the built environment that are of architectural or historic significance. This includes buildings (individually or in groups), localities (streets, blocks, environments or precincts), special gardens or landscapes, and other structures.

Researchers, advocates and policymakers have proposed urban conservation as an emerging, integrative discipline that can contribute to sustainable cities by delivering co-benefits to human and non-human components of biodiversity

Research Topics:

Spatial planning.

• Growth Effects of Urban-Rural and Intra-Regional Linkages on Non-Metropolitan Counties and Communities
• Spatial Distribution of Best Management Practices for Stormwater Management
• The application of computer-based information systems to urban planning and public policy making
• How are the urban poor involved in the design and implementation of neighbourhood development programmes?
• What is the impact of neighbourhood development programmes on the local initiatives and livelihoods of the urban poor?
• Urbanization As An Important Determinant In Spatial Organization
• Effects Of Rural-Urban Migration On Public Utilities 
• Assessing The Spatial Distribution And Locational Impact Of Petrol Service Stations 
• Appraisal Of The Urban Management Challenge Of Informal Land Delivery

Urban Housing

• Relationships and Support: A Qualitative Study of Homeless Families 
• Comparative analysis of rent differential in selected residential areas 
• The Role Of Co-Operative Societies Towards Development Of Rural Communities  
• Cluster Planning and Cluster Strategy in Regional Economic Development Organizations
• The Broader Social Network of Community Planning: A Diagnostic Tool for Communities to Assess Their Planning Capacity
• Sustainable Urban Housing Development through Planning Mechanism
• Migration Patterns and Its Impact On Urbanization And Urban Housing
• Housing transformation, rent gap and gentrification
• Impact Of Slum On Value Of Residential Properties
• Social housing in low and middle-income countries (incl. public housing, government-built housing, subsidized housing programmes, low-income housing, affordable housing)
• Infrastructural Development, Real Estate Agency Rebranding And Review Of National Housing Policy
• The Impact Of Industrialization On Rural Development
• The Role Of Private Partnership In Housing Finance, Delivery And Maintenance 

Urban Public Spaces

• Multifunctional public open spaces for sustainable cities
• Immigrations in the public space: understanding urban cultural landscapes
• Urban Public Space as Social Interaction Space
• Modeling, analyzing, and visualizing human space appropriation
• Smart engagement for smart cities: Design patterns for digitally augmented, situated community engagement
• Evaluating publicness of public spaces
• Informal public places and its transforming patterns in the city
• Urban public realm : a spatial manifest of culture
• City planning strategies for women’s safety in public spaces

Urban Transportation

• The implementation of an integrated transportation planning model with GIS and expert systems for interactive transportation planning 
• Increasing freight transport efficiency using intermodal transport.
• Epidemic and mobility. A New Paradigm for mobility plans after the Covid-19 crisis
• Alternatives Selection for Sustainable Transportation System.
• Sustainable management of public transportation system
• Environmental impacts of everyday mobility
• Environmental assessment of public bus transportation systems
• Minimization of Fuel Consumption in City Bus Transportation
• Proposed framework for sustainability screening of urban transport projects in developing countries
• Effects of speed management and roadway parameters on traffic flow along arterials
• Sustainability and business management in transportation companies
• Factors that contribute to unsafe behavior and leads to an unsustainable urban transport
• Safety and security of women and girls in public transport
• Inclusive public transportation for differently abled people 
• Challenges in provision of universally accessible tansport facilities
• Assessment Of Urban Bus Service
• Analysis Of Intra Urban Traffic Problems In Rivers State
• Urban Futures: Transportation in an Era of Fuel Shortages

Environmental Issues

• Sustainable and green energy
• Impact Of Environmental Planning On Rural Development
• An Assessment Of Cross Ventilation In Public Buildings
• Flood Generating Structures In Kubwa Urban Landscape
• Assessment Of Impact Of Urbanization 
• Causes Of Excess Flood
• Impact Of Environmental Problems
• Consequences Of Incompatible Land Uses On The Environment
• The role of urban spatial structure in reducing VMT and GHG emissions 
• Impact of climate change on the ecological state of earth natural resources.
• Impact of climate change on agricultural activities across the globe.
• Solutions to the current climate change crisis.
• Future implications of climate change with the current trends
• Urban governance arrangements for climate change adaptation

Heritage Conservation

• The Urban Conservation Approach
• The Role of Public-Private Partnerships and the Third Sector in Conserving Heritage Buildings, Sites, and Historic Urban Areas
• Urban Conservation and Regeneration
• Managing change in the historical city
• A framework for adapting urban forests to climate change
• Equity in Heritage Conservation
• The Role of Traditional Neighborhood Centers in Procreating Sense of Place in the Modern Cities
• Heritage place inventory: A tool for establishing the significance of places
• Building Conservation and Urban Regeneration
• Historic Preservation as Urban Regeneration 
• The creative response to ruins following the conservation principle
• Historic Cinemas Conservation: The Difficulty of Re-Development Proposals
• A Study of Heritage Authenticity in the Context of Heritage Tourism
• Historic Cinemas Conservation
• Revitalisation of urban areas with heritage value – towards a heritage precinct conservation and improvement plan
• Repair techniques for conservation of heritage structures
• Planning urban heritage through stakeholder participation 
• Rethinking adaptive reuse
• Heritage conservation and cultural continuity
• Landscape management of a heritage site
• Landscape management and conservation of biodiversity 
• Industrial heritage 

GIS, Space syntax and Bigdata

• Geospatial data for energy, environmental science, climate change, and geology-related research
• Geospatial data and maps for research on humanitarian topics. Includes data on armed conflict, agriculture & food security, refugees, and links to multidisciplinary humanitarian data repositories.
• Crowd Simulation – Mastering the collective dynamics of interacting objects in urban phenomena at the scale of individual households, people, and units of real estate and at time scales approaching “real-time”
• City Engine – Assessing feasibility and plan implementation using Esri’s City Engine improving urban planning, architecture, and overall design
• Integration of GIS and BIM – Operating a facility with BIM (building information modeling) because of its ability to analyze information and integrate data from different systems. 
• Urban Model Development Feasibility – Evaluating multiple land use scenarios; testing and refining transportation plans; producing small-area concept plans, and modeling complex regional issues with Envision Tomorrow
•  Building Footprints – Crowd-sourcing digital mapping
• Land Use Policy – Reproducing individual behavior with agent-based modeling to simulate their behaviors and outcomes having a direct impact on the surrounding landscape.
• Space Syntax Models – Gaining a better understanding of human behavior and connectivity through a graphic representation of space configuration in urban structures
• Future Development Patterns – Locating future growth and evaluating scenarios such as loss of prime agricultural land.
• Land Use – Generating polygons and classification with the multi-resolution segmentation algorithm
• Homeless Shelters – Analyzing urban inequalities and homelessness to allocate homeless shelters appropriately.
• Web-Based GIS for Collaborative Planning and Public Participation: An Application to The Strategic Planning
• Web Based Geo-Information Services for Land Use Planning.
• Water Balance of a Catchment: A Remote Sensing and GIS Approach.
• Visualizing The Application of GIS in Transformation Towards a Sustainable Development and A Low Carbon Society.
• Using GIS to Study Lusters of Urban Crime and Safety in Transport Nodes.
• Using GIS for Developing Sustainable Urban Growth.
• Use of GIS in City Planning Development Enforcement and EIA
• Use of GIS as A Tool to Improvement of Solid Waste Management 
• Urban Land Use Land Cover Classification Performance of Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms and Change Detection.

Other Topics related to other urban design and planning:

• Managing urban infrastructure and building projects
• Water, Sanitation and The Modern City
• From Mosques and Coffeehouses to Squares and Cafes: The Production and Transformation of Political Public Spaces and Social Life
• Contested Politics and the Production of Urban Space 
• Foreign Investments and City Making
• Urban Development and Quality of Life of the Elderly
• Moving towards disaster: examining the changing patterns of social vulnerability in a multi-hazard urban environment
• Sustainable drink water sanitation
• What type of initiatives do the urban poor (low-income families, slum dwellers) take, individually or collectively, to improve the liveability of their settlement?
• The relationship between different urban designs and environmental impacts
• Multi-level and multi-actor governance
• Climate change and environmental decision making and finance
• How are cities planned?
• What visions does urban planning follow and whose vision is it?
• What are the underlying features of urban development and what is the role of self-organisation?
• How do micro-interventions (such as placemaking and streetscaping) connect with planning and implementation on the municipal and national levels?
• What factors determines a city’s global competitiveness?
• What urban characteristics are attract foreign direct investments?
• How to develop more resilient cities with healthy relationships between local, regional and global interests?
• Which economic sectors should be promoted in order to boost sustainable local economic development and social wellbeing?
• How does global economic unevenness affect economic inequality in African countries and cities?
• Evaluation Of Cost Recovery For Water Supply
• An Assessment Of Tourism Potentials
• Analysis Of The Effects Of Socio-Economic Characteristics On Tourism Habits Among Residents
• Analysis Of The Patronage Characteristics Of Tourism Destinations
• Analysis Of Women’S Participation And Incorporation In Waste Picking And Solid Waste Management
• Appraisal Of Tourism Habits Of Academic Staff
• Assessment Of Residents’Attitudes Towards Recreation 
• Appraisal Of Sanitary Facilities In Public Areas
• Agricultural Information Sources And The Production Capacity Of Cassava Farmers In Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District
• Self-Help Programmes And Rural Development In Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area
• Tenement Housing And Induced Domestic Conflict
• Waste Generation And Management Strategies
• Impact Of Public Pit Toilet System And Its Associated Problems
• Problems And Prospects Of Land Registration 
• Causes Of Construction Project Failures And Abandonment
• The Impact of Urban Relocation: A Follow-Up Study

What other topics should be added in the list?—Leave a comment below.

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What Is Urban Planning?

• Written by Camilla Ghisleni | Translated by Diogo Simões
• Published on July 05, 2022

In theory, urban planning is a process of elaborating solutions that aim both to improve or requalify an existing urban area, as well as to create a new urbanization in a given region. As a discipline and as a method of action, urban planning deals with the processes of production, structuring and appropriation of urban space. In this sense, its main objective is to point out what measures should be taken to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants, including matters such as transport, security, access opportunities and even interaction with the natural environment.

In the urban planning process, therefore, problems arising from urbanization are dealt with, such as pollution, traffic jam, urban voids, ecological impacts, making it essential in the current context in which much is discussed about the future of cities and the aspirations of sustainability and mobility as a way of fighting climate change.

Urban planning is essentially a multidisciplinary activity, which can count on sociologists, historians, economists, geographers, in addition to urban planners. In its process, local authorities are also included, whether from government, private companies or international organizations. When related to a government, urban planning can generate a document that contains all the bases and rules for the development of a given region, what we know as a master plan .

The idea of urban planning is present from the first signs of civilization. The idea of urban planning has been present since the first signs of civilization. In ancient Greece, for example, theories and ideas about the ideal use of land and the location of roads and buildings were developed, as well as in pre-Columbian civilizations, which built their cities considering urban planning with sewage and running water systems, such as Tenochtitlan, Mexico . However, its concept was only made official in the 19th century, as a result of the industrial revolution that brought new dynamics to the urban environment, creating the demand for a clear design for the functionality of cities.

It was in this period that some famous examples emerged, such as the Cerdá Plan in Barcelona (1860), one of the first major milestones of what was called "urbanization". Born from the urgency of transforming the city, the plan created by the engineer and urban planner Ildefonso Cerdá followed an ideology of “humanist urbanism”, opening streets, requiring green areas within the blocks, defining maximum heights and ensuring community facilities at certain distances, in addition to moving industrial zones away from downtown.

At the same time, the urban remodeling of Paris (1954), under the command of Mayor Georges-Eugène Haussmann, also stood out. At the request of Napoleon III and under the pretext of health , due to the spread of epidemics, wide boulevards flanked by regular neoclassical buildings were opened, adding roundabouts, monuments and parks. A bold change that, on the one hand, improved transport, sanitation and leisure, and on the other, raised housing prices by increasing segregation. Paris is an example that highlights the relation between urban planning and its importance in structuring the dynamics of cities.

In the 20th century, with the emergence of the modern movement, urban planning also began to play the role of creating new cities from scratch. In the discussion on how it would be possible to develop more functional cities, the role of the Athens Charter (1933) as a result of the IV International Congress of Modern Architecture ( CIAM ) stands out. The document written by Le Corbusier recommended a new form of urban planning that would divide the city into residential, leisure and work areas, precepts put into practice in the pilot plan for the construction of Brasília , in 1950, developed by Lúcio Costa and, until today, one of the greatest models of modernist city in the world.

As you can see in the examples above, the precepts that govern urban planning change as new challenges and changes in thinking arise, so cities are under constant analysis. If decades ago the focus of urban planning was to create new cities, today, the way it works has changed dramatically. Currently, the main challenge is to work with the existing infrastructure in order to create more resilient and sustainable cities, which promote the meeting between the inhabitants and the reconnection with nature.

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7 Types Of Urban Planning Concepts Explained

Uncover the 7 key types and concepts of urban planning critical for developing sustainable and efficient cities. Contact us for more information!

Urban planning is the process of developing and designing urban areas to meet the needs of a community. The practice draws from a number of disciplines—architecture, engineering, economics, sociology, public health, finance, and more—and strives to prepare cities and towns for the future. It is typically used as part of a larger city plan, and should tie back to your city’s mission and vision statements.

‍ Urban planning touches on numerous city-life elements—new and pre-existing land, buildings, roads, communal spaces, transportation, economic development, infrastructure, and the environment, among others. We’ve broadly categorized these aspects into different conceptual areas below. These areas are commonly referred to as types of urban planning , but it’s important to understand that they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, a cohesive urban plan should include many or all of the below areas.

One more thing to note: Urban planning is more effective when you approach it with a strategic lens. That means setting clear goals, measuring progress, and strategically defining and executing projects. This is where strategy software like ClearPoint Strategy comes in handy—to ensure that all your projects align with strategy, and help you stay on top of timelines, milestones, and budgets.

To be clear, our software supports the execution of all types of strategic planning, but in this article, we’ll call out some of its specific strengths as related to each of the urban planning concepts below.

See ClearPoint Strategy in action! Click here to watch our quick 6-minute demo

7 types of urban planning concepts explained from a strategic lens.

Urban planners direct the development of cities and towns.

1. Strategic Urban Planning

Strategic urban planning focuses on setting high-level goals and determining desired areas of growth for a city or metropolitan area. The result of the planning process is a strategic plan —also called the development plan, core strategy, or comprehensive plan. The strategic plan’s goals may include easing transportation throughout the city, creating more community spaces, improving citizens’ quality of life, or encouraging people to visit or move to the city.

This is generally the highest level of the planning process and other components of planning typically will fit into this type of plan.

‍ The ClearPoint Strategy advantage:

‍ Your city likely has a variety of plans across different departments and within different areas (public health, infrastructure, capital improvement, etc.). It can be very difficult to see how all the pieces fit together, and to make sure everyone is working to achieve a unified vision.

ClearPoint was designed to help you see the big picture. You can organize your overall strategy according to themes, and easily view the objectives, initiatives, and measures associated with each (as shown below). You can also link departmental goals, measures, and projects directly to organizational goals and projects, so that everything forms a single, cohesive strategic plan. ClearPoint can then be used to track and report on the progress of your projects, making sure you bring your goals to fruition.

Claim your FREE eBook on 8 effective strategic planning templates here

2. land-use planning.

Land-use planning largely concerns legislation and policy, adopting planning instruments like governmental statutes, regulations, rules, codes, and policies to influence land use.

On a broad level, these planning instruments deal with the type, location, and amount of land needed to carry out different functions of the city. They also serve to zone or reserve land for certain purposes such as:

• Residential, for buildings like apartment homes, single-family residences, and condominiums
• Commercial, for buildings like retail shops and office buildings
• Industrial, for structures like manufacturing plants and warehouses
• Municipal, for structures like police stations and courthouses

As with subsequent types of urban planning, consulting with the community and relevant stakeholders is an important part of land-use planning to ensure transparency, and incorporate a wide range of interests into the overall plan. If you communicate your strategic plan well, then transportation, commercial and industrial planning should flow right into your plans.

‍ Open and transparent decision-making is a key component of land-use planning; ClearPoint’s robust reporting functionality supports information transparency.

You’ll likely need to share information with lots of different audiences. Once you determine the design and data points necessary for each audience, ClearPoint takes over, automatically generating those various reports in your preferred format—whether it’s Excel, PDF, PPT, or HTML. It also handles report distribution and shares reports on a specified schedule. You can elect to publish the data on your website (as shown below, for the city of Charlottesville’s public works department) or create reports to share via email.

Everyone will always have the information they need, whenever they need it.

3. Master Planning

Master planning is typically used for greenfield development projects, or building on undeveloped land. Instead of modifying pre-existing structures or spaces, you’re starting from scratch.

This type of urban planning envisions a future state for a given space, and what it will take to achieve that vision. Urban planners must consider the required zoning (from your land-use plan) and infrastructure (see concept 7 below) to make the project possible, such as residential and commercial land, transportation considerations, road locations, etc. They must also plan the location of urban amenities such as community facilities, schools, parks, and the like.

Again, consulting with landowners and government agencies impacted by the plan is an essential task here. Additionally, you may need to bring in professional consultants to gather important expertise and insights, ensure the plan considers all potential angles, and set the completed space up for success for years to come.

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‍ Developing new projects, collaborating with others, delivering on the municipality’s larger vision… ClearPoint makes it easier to carry out every aspect of master planning. Use it to:

• Evaluate and prioritize ideas.
• Tie projects to high-level strategic objectives.
• Create a detailed breakdown of the required tasks, building in milestones, due dates, and collaborators.
• Gather quantitative and qualitative data on progress.
• Visualize project performance in auto-generated reports.

Shown below are a project detail page with milestones, and a project proposal template, in ClearPoint.

4. Urban Revitalization

In contrast to master planning, urban revitalization focuses on improving areas that are in a state of decline. The exact definition of a declining area will differ from city to city—for example, areas that have a troubling number of failing businesses or a stagnant or decreasing population growth. The improvement tactics city leaders use for revitalization will depend on the root cause of decline, and may include things like repairing roads, developing infrastructure, cleaning up pollution, and adding to parks and other public spaces, etc.

Community interaction is especially important with this urban planning concept, as local residents and business owners often have insights that can help inform and tailor planning efforts. You may need to change land use (see concept #2) from industrial to residential to get the loft apartments you want, or involve environmental planning (see concept #6) to assess or clean up certain locations.

‍ Again, having that big-picture view is important here. To improve areas in a state of decline, it’s helpful to have a thorough understanding of factors that have contributed to that decline. ClearPoint’s ability to link measures and initiatives gives you greater, more visible insight into steps being taken to improve any given measure. So once you complete a project—for example, repairing the sidewalks in a certain area or cleaning up a public space—you can tell if the changes are having a direct impact on the use of those spaces.

ClearPoint’s measure dashboard, shown below, brings all your different measure charts together in one place, so you can see at a glance how things are changing from one reporting period to another.

5. Economic Development

Economic development is about identifying areas of growth to foster greater financial prosperity within the city, specifically by enticing companies to build or move offices there. Subsequently, those companies then hire local talent and drive commuter traffic to the new office. More workers dining at local restaurants for lunch, getting gas at nearby gas stations, and stopping by local grocery stores on the way home will boost visibility and spend in the area.

Sometimes an economic development department lives outside the planning department of a municipality, so it is important to help that group navigate land use plans, master plans, and infrastructure plans to ensure that any development projects are workable. Of course it will be important to coordinate with environmental plans as well.

Download your FREE eBook on 142 important KPIs for local governments here

‍ To correctly pull all the necessary levers that support economic growth—some being more crucial than others—you need collaboration among departments. Rather than having data silos that limit collaboration, ClearPoint allows users to selectively share information internally across departments, so everyone can see and understand their department’s (and even their individual) role in it.

Having that open access makes it easier to identify areas of growth and coordinate activities. For instance, if you’re trying to attract more people to work in your city, you might consider joining forces with the transportation department to improve public transportation, or the infrastructure department to implement internet of things (IoT) technology. In ClearPoint you can view collaborating departments’ progress on goals, ascertain their capacity to take on additional projects, and understand how their strategy converges with yours.

The image below shows a portion of a departmental scorecard in ClearPoint with links to “parent” measures and initiatives.

6. Environmental Planning

Environmental planning is a type of strategic development that emphasizes sustainability. Considerations for this type of urban planning include air pollution, noise pollution, wetlands, habitats of endangered species, flood zone susceptibility, and coastal zone erosion, along with a host of other environmental factors dealing with the relationship between natural and human systems.

Environmental plans need to be filed alongside master, revitalization, and infrastructure plans.

‍ ClearPoint has the features you need to manage both your larger environmental program and the numerous projects entailed in accomplishing those larger objectives. You can:

• Prioritize projects according to organizational goals.
• Ensure environmental programs and projects are linked to the city’s overall strategy.
• Allocate resources effectively.
• Generate realistic project timelines and proper sequencing of projects.
• Track progress on hundreds of projects simultaneously.
• Evaluate the program’s real-time status automatically, based on the status of linked goals, KPIs, or projects.

Gantt charts , like the one below created in ClearPoint, are useful for mapping project timelines, start/end dates, and milestones.

7. Infrastructure Planning

Infrastructure planning deals with the fundamental facilities and systems that serve a city and its people, and how those facilities can support goals laid out in the strategic plan. This type of urban planning covers:

• Public works infrastructure such as water supply, sewage, electricity, and telecommunications
• Community infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and parks
• Safety and transportation such as roads, police, and fire facilities

The ClearPoint Strategy advantage:

‍ Like environmental planning, infrastructure planning covers a lot of ground. ClearPoint offers you a way to manage everything—all the plans, projects, objectives, measures, etc.—with a single tool. That reduces the work involved because it uses a single data set for reporting and analysis; it also makes it easy to see the linkage between programs, projects, and organizational goals, and track progress on it all.

It also promotes consistency in your reporting—you can design multiple reports and detail pages using the same format, making it easier for you (and your audiences) to digest the information.

3 Urban Planning Real-Life Examples

Good planning takes a lot of work, but it’s worth the effort. As the following examples show, planning at the city, county, and state levels can have a positive, lasting impact on your community.

1. Raleigh, North Carolina aims to improve quality of life

Raleigh’s city planning department has a lofty goal: Create a city where the quality of life is second to none. This goal ties directly to the city’s overall strategic plan, making strategic urban planning a priority.

To achieve this goal and prepare for likely changes across the city, Raleigh leadership is planning a number of different tactics, including conducting studies to evaluate the impact of population growth. These studies inform future strategic planning, helping the city to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources appropriately.

Many of the key focus areas of the city’s strategic plan rely on urban planning, but there are three that stand out over the others:

• Growth & Natural Resources
• Safe, Vibrant & Healthy Community
• Transportation & Transit

The city planning department is a key player in the success of these focus areas and the initiatives that support them. Having a clear urban plan has allowed the city to make improvements and be able to spread the message that Raleigh is a “great place to live, work, and play.”

2. New York, New York elevates nature (and pedestrians)

New York’s High Line experiment transformed a 1930s elevated railroad into gardens that stretch a mile and a half. Instead of tearing down the tracks, city leadership gave it new life through careful urban planning efforts. This experiment was so successful that it’s now a top visitor attraction—with popularity that’s been said to dwarf the famed Statue of Liberty. Its success has also inspired other cities to recreate a similar experience for their own citizens.

New York has included green space in all of its planning going forward, and there are many other examples of great outdoor spaces that are giving the city a feeling of openness in one of the most densely populated areas in the country. Waterfront parks, the Downtown Boathouse, and Fort Tryon Park are just a few of the many spaces available to enjoy the outdoors.

3. Eugene, Oregon goes green

Urban planning tends to be environmentally focused in Eugene, which was once named the fifth greenest city in America and the best city for urban farming. What makes the city so green? For one, it boasts an innovative public power grid that draws 85% of its energy from renewables. In addition, the city is very accessible by bike and hybrid transport. Eugene also managed to meet the ambitious goal it had been working toward for a decade: it became carbon neutral in 2020.

This isn’t Eugene just being trendy. It was known as the Emerald City since before Earth Day was created, and part of its brand is to be green all year round. Thus, to live and execute on that strategy, it has put in place some ambitious goals and modeled its planning process around these goals.

‍ Are you working within a municipality? This article on developing a municipal development plan includes several specific planning examples for municipalities.

See Winnebago County's transformation in our case study video

Bring strategy software to the urban planning table.

A well-developed, effective urban plan requires thorough research and input from numerous stakeholders, including citizens, landowners, and government staff. Urban planners should think about their plans from the perspectives of all who will be impacted by their efforts. And since implementing the plan uses taxpayer dollars, the plan should be as practical and cost-effective as possible.

‍ ClearPoint strategy execution software can help your local government develop that plan and reach your urban planning goals. It can also provide the transparency your citizens are looking for, giving you a simple way to share your plans and desired outcomes. Want to see ClearPoint in action? Get in touch with our team and we’ll show you around!

Book your FREE 1-on-1 DEMO with ClearPoint Strategy

Marisa Sailus

Marisa helps clients achieve their strategic and performance management goals through effective utilization of ClearPoint.

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Dual Degree Graduate Programs

The Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning department and the UMass Department of Architecture collaborated to open the Minerva Parker exhibit in the Olver Design Building Gallery at UMass Amherst. (Photo by Dan Deutsch.)

Students who blend two related fields in their graduate studies gain a remarkable versatility that makes them ideal candidates for positions in public, nonprofit, and private sectors.  

Explore Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning's Dual Degree Graduate Programs that can prepare you with the comprehensive knowledge and skills to embark on a strong professional path.  

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning (MLA/MRP)

Employers value planners who can design, and designers who can plan; this big picture knowledge enables a very strong professional path.  Our dual degree creates a strong knowledge base in both the process and product of land development. Completing both programs integrates the design and analysis of urban and rural landscapes with a concern for the social, political, regulatory and economic factors that shape those landscapes. This option, which normally requires one less year of study than doing the degrees one after the other, confers two separate degrees upon completion. The versatility that results from the blending of these two related fields can be a valuable asset for the student. Public agencies, such as the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and private consulting firms, e.g. Sasaki Associates have preferred employing those students who have the dual skills this option offers.

Students apply for admission to each program separately, but will indicate in their application their intent to do the dual degree.  Most students interested in the dual degree program will identify their interest before beginning graduate study. However, for those who decide to apply for the second degree after beginning an initial course of study, we encourage you to investigate the option as early as possible. An early decision may alleviate scheduling conflicts between the required courses of both programs.

The student will be expected to complete the required courses of both degrees. Electives will be selected by the students with guidance from their advisors according to a clearly defined direction of study. In Regional Planning, dual degree students are not required to select an area of concentration.

Credit Hour Requirement

Students who choose the dual degree option are expected to complete 78 credit hours. These can be roughly divided between landscape architecture and regional planning courses. The usual departmental course load is 12 credits per semester. Dual degree students take an additional six credits over the period of the two degrees.

Students must complete a Master’s thesis or project in at least one area of study, and can do a three-course option in the other.   

Students entering the dual degree program without preparatory landscape architecture studies will take those prerequisite courses that make them eligible to enter the second year Landscape Architecture Program. These credits generally do not count toward the 78 credit hours. Detailed guidelines about specific exceptions to this rule are available from the Program Director.

Residency Requirements

Candidates for the dual degree will be required to spend a minimum of three years in the program. In special circumstances this requirement may be modified with the approval of the dual degree program administrator and the program directors.

Landscape Architecture & Architecture (MLA/MArch)

Ethan Carr   Coordinator

The Master of Landscape Architecture Program in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and the Master of Architecture Program in the Department of Art, Architecture, and Art History offer a dual degree program for students to earn a dual Master of Landscape Architecture /Master of Architecture degree within three years of full-time study.

Many positions in the municipal as well as private sector can best be filled by persons who possess the knowledge and skills of landscape and building design.  It permits the mastery of core knowledge and skills in both areas in three years for students with a previous degree in one of the two disciplines or after the completion of a preparatory year. This is a reduction from the four years or more that would otherwise be required to complete each of the degrees individually. It does so by eliminating duplicative coursework in analytical methods and general concentration electives.

Students will spend two semesters of full-time study in each department, then divide remaining coursework between the two programs, including a joint research thesis or project. The MArch core curriculum is designed to provide students with a strong technical foundation and intensive studio and skill training, applicable to a wide variety of design issues. The MLA core is based on combining theoretical, historical, cultural, environmental, and technical dimensions of landscape architecture with emphasis on practice through studio and service to nearby communities. The three-year dual degree program would offer its students a rich educational experience in many areas of design and planning, including sustainable development, site plan analysis and implementation, community-based design and planning, information technology, and other new tools and techniques (e.g., GIS, LEED, etc.).

The MLA/MArch dual degree program will provide graduates with comprehensive education for professional careers in ecological design and development in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.  Students must apply to, and be admitted to both programs, and must meet satisfactory academic progress requirements for each program.  Prior to admission, students are encouraged to complete introductory courses in design skills and techniques to prepare for the MArch and MLA curricula.

Planning and Law (MRP/JD)

General overview.

We offer a four-year combined degree in Law (JD) and Planning (MRP) in conjunction with the School of Law at Western New England University (WNEU) in Springfield . The combined JD/MRP degree provides a professional education of greater depth and breadth than either program could do on its own whether your interest be the physical, environmental, social, cultural, economic, legal, or political facets of planning and law.

Upon completion of the combined JD/MRP degree students will have:

• Two degrees in four years rather than the five years it would take to earn them independently
• Professional status in two fields
• A practice specialization
• A network of contacts in both law and planning
• Qualifications for employment in a wide variety of occupations in both public and private sectors

The combined degree program qualifies graduates for a variety of professional roles at the intersection of law and planning. These include, but are not limited to, municipal attorneys, staff personnel on legislative committees, economic development administrators, planning directors, consultant planners, advisors to private clients on land use matters, staff members of governmental agencies, public interest advocates, housing and real estate positions in non-profit and for-profit sectors, and executive assistants to mayors, governors and department heads.

Applicants must apply and be admitted separately by the School of Law and the Regional Planning Program prior to acceptance into the combined program. Admission requirements include satisfactory performance on the GRE for the Regional Planning Program and the LSAT for the Law School.  Students either apply simultaneously to both programs or apply during their first year of law or planning study. 

Duration and Residency

The combined JD/MRP enables students to earn both degrees in four years rather than the five years it would take if pursued separately. They take course work at the two institutions consecutively rather than concurrently.

Students spend their first year in either the Planning Program or the School of Law. The second year is usually spent in the program not chosen the first year. Thereafter, the student finishes the degree requirements by spending entire semesters at either institution to complete remaining credits. After the first two years the student has three additional semesters (with 12-16 course credits per semester) to complete at the School of Law and 12 semester credits to complete in Planning. Therefore, after two years, the student will have one semester’s work to complete in Planning and three semesters (one and a half years) to complete in Law.

Curriculum and Cross-Credits

The successful completion of the Combined Law and Planning Program requires the student to complete the core courses and mandatory academic requirements at each institution. To meet these requirements each institution grants credit for one semester’s academic work (what is now indicated as twelve course credits by both institutions) at the other institution. Thus for Planning’s 48 credit program, 36 credits are taken in the Regional Planning Program (including required courses and a Master’s thesis or project) with courses in the Law School constituting the remaining 12 credits (cross-credits) for the MRP degree; these 12 credits are effectively the elective class credits required for the planning curriculum. Of the Law School’s required 88 credits for the JD degree, 12 cross-credits are taken in the Regional Planning program.  The JD program requires matriculation in its program prior to taking courses that will be accepted for cross-credit from the MRP program.

Regional Planning & Public Policy (MRP/MPPA)

Professions in planning and public policy are often closely intertwined. For example, planners in local governments often aspire to become administrators at planning organizations and in government agencies. But many administrators without planning skills are hampered in their ability to lead effectively, especially in rapidly growing governments or organizations. Students who complete the MPPA/MRP dual degree program graduate ready for meaningful and effective careers at the national, state and local levels in public policy, management, and economic development and planning.

Students enrolled in dual degree programs may begin their studies in either program. It is best to complete a full year in one program before beginning the second program. During the second year students will fulfill the core requirements of the other program. Students will fulfill the remaining requirements of both programs in the third year of study.

Sample Program Timetable

Year 1 Fall Semester: MPPA Curriculum  Spring Semester: MPPA Curriculum Summer: MPPA Summer Internship (10 weeks full time or equivalent)     

Year 2 Fall Semester: MRP Curriculum  Spring Semester: MRP/MPPA Curriculum

Year 3 Fall Semester: MRP Curriculum Spring Semester: MPPA Capstone & MRP Thesis

While applicants must meet each program's own admission standards, students only need to submit one application to the Graduate Admissions Office. Students already enrolled in one of the programs can apply to the other program during their first year to matriculate as a dual-degree MPPA/MRP candidate. Information about CPPA's admissions requirements

February 1: Applications must be received by the Graduate Admissions Office to receive priority consideration for graduate assistantship funding.

Regional Planning & Architecture (MRP/MArch)

The Master of Regional Planning in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning and the Master of Architecture Program in the Department of Art, Architecture, and Art History offer a dual degree program for students to earn a dual Master of Regional Planning/Master of Architecture degree within three years of full-time study.

The professions of planning and architecture are intertwined in numerous ways. Many positions in the municipal as well as private sector can best be filled by persons who possess the joint knowledge and skills of plan and design review. While there is a strong relationship between architecture and planning in most other parts of the world, the connection has historically been much less institutionally strong in the United States. This dual degree program is one of only a handful in the nation.

Students will spend two semesters of full-time study in each program, dividing remaining coursework between the two programs. The MArch core is designed to provide students with a strong technical foundation and intensive studio and skill training, applicable to a wide variety of design issues. The MRP core is based on combining theoretical, historical, social, political, and technical dimensions of planning practice with emphasis on practice through studio and service to nearby communities. The three-year dual degree program offers students a rich educational experience in many areas of design and planning, including sustainable development, site plan analysis and implementation, community-based design and planning, information technology and other new tools and techniques (e.g., GIS, LEED, etc.).

The MRP/MArch degree program will provide its graduates with comprehensive education for professional careers in policy, planning, design and development in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.  Students must apply to, and be admitted to both programs, and must meet satisfactory academic progress requirements for each program.  Prior to admission, students are encouraged to complete introductory courses in design skills and techniques to prepare them for the MArch curriculum.

Regional Planning & Sustainability Science (MRP/MS3)

The Master of Regional Planning Program (Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP)) and the Master of Science in Sustainability Science  (Environmental Conservation (ECO)) Program is offering a dual degree program for students to earn the Master of Science in Sustainability Science and the Master of Regional Planning within two years (plus summers) of full-time study. The professions of planning and sustainability science are intertwined in numerous ways. Many positions in government and in the private and nonprofit sectors can best be filled by persons who possess the technical knowledge and skills of systems analysts, consultants and planners. For example, sustainability planners in local governments often aspire to be researchers/analysts within government agencies and organizations. Conversely, sustainability analysts, especially in rapidly growing enterprises or organizations, may be hampered if they cannot exercise the skills to formulate and implement plans in a municipal or regional context. This connection is already reflected in the fact that there is a high degree of crossover between MS students in the urban sustainability concentration taking LARP courses as well as MRP students in the environmental concentration taking ECO courses.

The MS in Sustainability Science core curriculum is designed to provide students with a strong analytical foundation, applicable to a range of sustainability issues. The MRP core focuses on combining theoretical, historical, social, political, and technical dimensions of planning practice with strong emphasis on practice through studio and service to area communities. This two plus year dual-degree program would offer its students a rich educational experience in many areas of science, management and planning, including infrastructural development, systems analysis and implementation, science policy and planning, information technology, and sustainability tools and techniques. The MRP/MS degree program will provide its graduates with comprehensive education for professional careers in systems policy, management, development, and planning careers at the national, state and local level. 

Degree Requirement

Dual degree candidates will be required to fulfill the coursework equivalent of 36 credits in the MRP program and 30 credits in the MS program , 66 total . Students will be required to complete the full core curricula of both programs. MS core and program elective courses will be considered as an equivalent substitute for the nine concentration credits required by the MRP program. Likewise, MRP core and elective planning courses will be accepted as fulfilling MS general concentration electives. Students will also fulfill the joint requirements for MS practicum and MRP Thesis, Project, or Three-Course Option on a topic of relevance to both programs. A student taking the MRP Thesis or Three-Course Option/MS practicum option will receive 9 + 4 = 13 credits total, a student taking the MRP Project/MS practicum option will receive 6 + 4 = 10 credits total.

The remainder of the minimum dual program requirement of 66 total credit hours will be filled through electives. To meet the minimum 36 credit hour requirement of the dual MRP program, students will be required to take the 24 core credits plus 6-9 thesis, project, three-course option plus three to six additional elective credits from the MRP program (depending on whether the student opts for an MRP thesis or project). These elective MRP courses may be filled by any MRP concentration course, including concentration electives that, while closely related to planning, are often offered in other graduate departments (especially from Environmental Conservation).

Applicants are required to apply to each school individually , and must meet the respective admission requirements for each program. Once admitted to both schools, a student will qualify for the joint degree program. Applicants to both programs are expected to have taken the GRE. In addition, applicants whose native language is not English must take Test of English Language (TOEFL). Students already enrolled in one of the programs can apply to the other during their first year in the program.

In the MRP portion of the program, students are primarily advised by the Graduate Program Director of the MRP program. In the MS portion of the program, students are primarily advised by the Graduate Program Director of the MS program. Students will have access to consultation advisors in both programs at all times.

Landscape Architecture & Historic Preservation (MLA/MD)

Historic preservation and landscape architecture have always been linked since historic places have often been preserved by making them into parks. Cultural landscape research is also inherent in the site-based design processes of landscape architects today. Government agencies, non-profits, and others engaged in the field of historic preservation also are increasingly concerned with managing historic resources as elements of the cultural landscape that is their setting. Cultural landscape documentation, analysis, and treatment are therefore increasingly a basis for heritage studies and management all over the world. This dual degree combines thorough training in the discipline of landscape architecture with a comprehensive study of the theory and practice of historic preservation today. Completing both courses of study prepares professionals to work in landscape architecture offices, national parks and protected areas, historic landscapes of all types, and for a wide variety of clients and institutions, particularly where the fields of cultural landscape research and landscape design and interpretation intersect. Typically a four-year curriculum (three-years for those with a previous and approved design degree), this option reduces the time to receive two master’s degrees by one or two years.

Students apply for admission to each program separately, but will indicate in their application their intent to do the dual degree. Most students interested in the dual degree program will identify their interest before beginning graduate study. However, for those who decide to apply for the second degree after beginning an initial course of study, we encourage you to investigate the option as early as possible. An early decision may alleviate scheduling conflicts between the required courses of both programs.

The student will be expected to complete the required courses of both degrees. Electives will be selected by the students with guidance from their advisors according to a clearly defined direction of study.  

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Plan 2 : Planner for a Day Focusing on Urban Climate

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• Sascha Henninger 6 &
• Lars Kurz 6  

Spatial planning is a modern, interdisciplinary field of study. As a sub-discipline of spatial sciences, it deals not only with theoretical analysis and its methodical implementation, but also with geographical space. The aim of the study of space is to record, describe, and explain its structures, processes, and modes of operation of spatial problems (perception of space). These findings serve sustainable spatial development (creating spaces). “Plan 2 : Planner for a day focusing on urban climate” is an interdisciplinary, course-related orientation program that offers the opportunity to look beyond one’s own nose. In addition to the theoretical basics, participants are given the opportunity to get to know the methods of spatial research and analysis through a practical, concrete, specially designed, and digitally implemented project. It is important that the participants realize that there are many links between the disciplines within spatial planning (e.g., urban planning, sociology, open space development, ecology, and economy).

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Henninger, S., Kurz, L. (2024). Plan 2 : Planner for a Day Focusing on Urban Climate. In: Leal Filho, W., Sima, M., Lange Salvia, A., Kovaleva, M., Manolas, E. (eds) University Initiatives on Climate Change Education and Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25960-9_66-1

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June 21, 2024 by Reece Martin   The City of Toronto is seeing an incredible amount of new rapid transit and regional rail construction with “GO Expansion” as well as three subway extensions, and the Ontario line all in various stages in construction. But, Metrolinx and the Provincial Government have already set their sites ahead to the next round of big projects, starting with planning and consultation work so that when construction of the current big round of projects wraps up in the early 2030s (or perhaps even earlier when tunnelling works end in the late 2020s) there are more projects ready to follow them up. The biggest of these projects is probably the Sheppard Line 4 Subway Extension project, for which Metrolinx is now in its second round of consultations . The project is one I personally feel strongly about, because it creates a rapid transit network which is much less radial and downtown focused (although with the Ontario Line 3, Bloor-Danforth Line 2, Yonge Line 1, and enhanced GO, downtown will still be the region's transit centre of gravity), while also making very useful suburb to suburb and crosstown connections that should substantially speed trips and improve connectivity with minimal additional trackage. I covered this in a video here: While the Sheppard Subway extension had always been pencilled into subway plans that the current Ontario government had touted as a “second stage” project, it's reassuring to see planning work on the project actually advance. For the Line 4 extension there are some major evolutions which are coming to light as part of the latest round of consultations, that show that the concepts have become more mature. There are also results from the first round of consultations which have been included in this PDF released by Metrolinx . During the first round of consultations, Metrolinx perhaps unsurprisingly heard about a preference for subway technology — for its speed and reliability, as well as weather protection, and all day frequency, as well as integration with walking and cycling. This all makes sense because the Sheppard corridor, as well as nearby parallel corridors like Finch, and York Mills / Ellesmere already receive a large quantity of bus service. However, bus service in suburban Toronto — which has few bus-only lanes — is often slow and unreliable, and obviously does not provide the degree of shelter found on the subway network. Where express routes exist they often run only some of the time, contrasting with “all day express” services like Brampton’s ZUM or Vancouver’s Rapid Bus. A big element of this round of consultation is Metrolinx’ advancing of four main concepts for the Sheppard subway extension. image courtesy of Metrolinx Concept 1 is an extension of the line east along Sheppard to Sheppard and McCowan. Concept 2A, adds a western extension to Sheppard West to meet with the University leg of Line 1, meanwhile Concept 2B shifts the eastern terminus of the line from Sheppard and McCowan to Scarborough centre. Finally, concept 3 is an all eastern extension along Sheppard, but this time to Sheppard and Morningside. It seems online that most people are favouring concept 2 with 2B being especially popular, which makes sense as these add the most connections, not only linking Line 4 with the Line 2 extension, but also the satisfying and obvious link across the two legs of Line 1 — allowing passengers in North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke to cross town quickly without going down to Eglinton or Bloor. In the past I have voiced my support for an option akin to 2B for a few reasons: It allows the interchange between Line 2 and 4 to happen at the already much more developed Scarborough Centre, which also plays host to one of the country's largest shopping centres, and also has a lot more room for intensification. It also makes for a more natural connection to the Durham Scarborough BRT, and potential future enhanced service or an extension to Centennial College and the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus as some have pointed out. It could also possibly use the current right of way the Scarborough RT uses to cut across Scarborough Centre. And on top of all of this, option 2B closely resembles the plan for the Sheppard subway from Network 2011. Image courtesy of City of Toronto Whatever option is chosen, connections to both the Durham Scarborough BRT, and a potential Eglinton East LRT (being pursued by the city of Toronto) are absolutely critical. If option 2B is chosen, perhaps the Eglinton East plan should extend slightly further west, terminating at Agincourt GO station instead of Sheppard and McCowan - making sure there isn’t an awkward gap in rail service on Sheppard. And for 2A, the Durham Scarborough BRT should also be extended north to Sheppard and McCowan, which would remove a transfer on journeys from North York to UTSC or from Durham to York University. Another interesting feature of the latest consultation round is mention of “Mixed Grade Subway” which is accompanied by pictures of the Vancouver SkyTrain. It seems good to me that Toronto is embracing talking about elevated rapid transit as part of the planning process for the Sheppard subway extension — especially because substantial parts of the Eglinton Line 5, its western extension, and Ontario Line 3 are elevated.  Image courtesy of Metrolinx But, it does feel odd to talk about subway which isn’t solely underground as if it is a separate novel thing. The TTC subway already has underground, at grade (including through south Rosedale of all places!), and even a few above ground sections and this is very normal. Most subway systems are not entirely underground — from London, to Paris, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, and even Moscow. I recoil a bit when the boards suggest “Mixed Grade Subway” has a speed between 30-50 kph, a maximum frequency of every 2 minutes, and a maximum capacity of 30,000 people per direction per hour. It's okay of course to provide instructive numbers, but using the word “maximum” suggests that somehow by going above ground a subway system is somehow limited in capacity which is amusing because the world's highest capacity subway system in Mecca Saudi Arabia (built for the Hajj pilgrimage) with its massive 12 car trains is above ground! Mecca Metro, image by Glory20, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 While at the same time Vancouver’s SkyTrain with its 90 second peak frequencies is also often elevated. Instead, I wish there had been a bit more of a focus on how smart design decisions can make elevated metro fit into the urban environment, whether that be through the design of the guideway, public art, the ability to build a shaded cycletrack underneath, or any number of any other considerations — since I imagine local residents will be less concerned about how many people per direction per hour an elevated extension can move, and more about their neighbourhoods look and feel. As to where elevated rail makes sense on the Line 4 extension, elevation would likely need to start somewhere west of Highway 404, giving trains enough space to climb from Don Mills station. But, beyond that almost all of Sheppard avenue is wide enough to accommodate an elevated guideway’s rather narrow piers in either the median or to the side of the roadway, and this wouldn’t even require the elevated trains to be particularly close to homes as most large buildings along the street are significantly set back. Elevated stations in places like Vancouver are preferably located to the side of the street corridor to minimise their scale and remove the need for large pedestrian bridges crossing the street… and there are numerous strip malls, car dealerships, and gas stations where stations could be sited along Sheppard. For option 2B, turning south to run elevated along Kennedy Road, West Highland Creek, or the GO Stouffville line seem like workable options, and heading into Scarborough Centre, the south side of the Highway 401 right of way or the Scarborough RT corridor are both enticing. Beyond choosing a preferred alignment, there are a few pieces that currently still seem to be missing and are probably worth some attention. For one, the connection at Agincourt GO station is an important one, as the Sheppard extension will connect a number of north south rapid transit lines, and a low quality connection to any of them would seriously hinder its usefulness - imagine having to walk half a kilometre in the rain in the middle of a trip from Markham to Yorkdale on rapid transit. Some have suggested the station at “Agincourt” might be west of Kennedy road, which would probably be a mistake. GO service in the future will be very much subway-like , and forcing riders to walk almost half a kilometre along a street and cross a major intersection is not something we would ever do at a subway “interchange” station. Even if we absolutely must force people to walk, there should be an entrance to the subway on the northeast corner of Sheppard and Kennedy, and an enhanced and perhaps even covered walkway over to the nicely renovated GO station. The major new development at Downsview Airport is set to be one of the biggest in the GTHA  and really ought to figure into the subway plans. Some have suggested that Line 4 be extended all the way to Downsview Park (to provide a connection to the Barrie Line — yet another north-south rapid transit service), while I suggested in my video linked above that the line might interline with the rather quiet York University extension of Line 1 up to the University. But, in any case it really ought to serve such a major development that it comes so close to. If plans for a subway extension were coordinated with development it might even be possible to build a cut and cover extension right through the centre of the development at low cost, digging and covering over a trench before the housing goes in — as seen frequently in new urban developments in Spain and Korea. This might even be the best way to connect Line 4 into a potential yard location adjacent to Line 1’s Wilson yard facility. The final point worth touching on is the type of tunnelling used, in places where elevated construction is not an option. Ontario (and other parts of Canada and the English speaking world) are having a transit costs crisis, and a big element of that is tunnelling where transit could be elevated or on the surface. But, another element is how the tunnels we do build are actually constructed. Cut and cover construction, used for the original subway segments in Toronto and still used in cities around the world, including in Canada, reduces the price of tunnelling by building shallower tunnels, and critically, shallower stations in the public right of way. With the price of projects like the Ontario Line increasing dramatically  we should be using every tool we have to get the price of building down, so we get less expensive transit, and not cancelled transit. UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this plan. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page. Reece Martin is the creator and host of RMTransit,  a YouTube channel  focused on transit, infrastructure, and development around the world, with extensive knowledge and professional experience as a transportation planner. UrbanToronto has a research service,  UrbanToronto Pro , that provides comprehensive data on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal through to completion. We also offer  Instant Reports , downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,  New Development Insider , that tracks projects from initial application.​​​​ More From Forbes The importance of early commercialization planning for pharmaceutical startups. Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Anupam Nandwana is cofounder and CEO of P360 , a leading developer of technology for the life sciences industry. Bringing groundbreaking new drugs to market is no small feat. The journey begins with navigating a complex landscape of research and intellectual property to discover a viable and patentable candidate. Then there's the arduous process of securing approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which often takes more than a decade from initial research and development to approval. Finally, if all goes well, it's time for one of the most overlooked phases: commercialization. While successfully navigating the drug approval process is critically important, a startup's success also hinges on its ability to generate sales. That's why one of the cardinal rules for new pharmaceutical ventures is to start planning for commercialization as early as possible. Ideally, this should begin during the preclinical phase of drug development. While this might seem premature to some, the complexities of bringing a pharmaceutical product to market necessitate early preparation. The Importance Of Early Planning Starting the commercial planning process early enables companies to understand the market landscape comprehensively. This involves identifying potential competitors, understanding market needs and defining a drug's unique value proposition. The analysis will help inform critical decisions regarding drug development, including which indications to pursue or which patient populations to target. Early planning can also help companies better understand which stakeholder groups they need to target. Relationships with key stakeholders—physicians, pharmacists, payers and regulatory bodies—are crucial in the pharmaceutical industry. Initiating these relationships early on can provide invaluable insights that shape commercial strategy. For example, forging solid lines of communication with regulatory bodies can help align commercial strategies with key requirements from the outset. Early planning can help teams better understand market-specific requirements, ensuring all marketing and sales materials meet compliance standards. WWE Raw Results, Winners And Grades After Great Wyatt Sicks Follow-Up Here are all the heat records broken in early summer heat waves, dana white is ‘not thrilled’ with long-time ufc contender. Additionally, early planning can help teams nurture engaging relationships with key opinion leaders. A big advantage of this, especially during the preclinical phase, is that these relationships can help bolster credibility and facilitate market entry when products are ready. This will save precious time and enable teams to focus on other critical go-to-market tasks. Six Steps To Effective Preparation While the playbook for effective commercialization is deep and complex, here are six steps startups, and even seasoned biotechnology companies, can take to help build ample runway for an effective product launch. 1. Conduct comprehensive market research. Understanding the market landscape is crucial for any business, and pharmaceutical startups are no exception. Early market analysis helps identify potential competitors, target demographics, pricing strategies and market entry barriers. This information is invaluable for developing a robust commercialization strategy. With it, companies can develop products that meet the needs of their target audience. It's important to note that market research should be continuous and iterative. Teams should begin by mapping out the competitive landscape and identifying gaps their drug can fill. Primary research methods, such as surveys, interviews and secondary research, can provide a holistic market view. 2. Develop a commercialization plan. A meticulously crafted plan is vital for commercial success, particularly for startups seeking venture capital to bring their drug to market. Such a plan serves as a roadmap for internal teams and is crucial in securing financial backing. Investors depend on clear, well-structured plans to understand investment opportunities better. Beyond timelines, budgets and regulatory strategies, a comprehensive commercialization plan should also clearly define your product's target audience, value proposition, sales channels and promotion strategies. Addressing these essential components will give you a clear picture of what's needed to bring your product to market. 3. Understand regulatory requirements. Navigating the industry's complex regulatory landscape is one of the most challenging aspects of commercialization. Regulatory bodies, such as the FDA in the U.S., the European Medicines Agency in Europe and other global entities, enforce stringent requirements that must be met before a product can enter the market. Understanding these requirements from the beginning enables startups to plan effectively for audits. Moreover, building a relationship with regulatory agencies during the early stages of development can provide valuable insights and guidance. This can ensure teams are updated with any changes in regulatory requirements that could impact sales and marketing materials, patient engagement and more. 4. Engage with key opinion leaders. Key opinion leaders can significantly influence the adoption of a drug. Engaging with them early can enable teams to garner support and insights that can refine product positioning. Their endorsement can also lend credibility to a drug and make it more attractive to potential buyers. 5. Develop a pricing model. Understanding the pricing landscape and reimbursement environment is crucial. Conduct health economics and outcomes research to demonstrate the value of a drug to payers. Develop a pricing strategy that reflects a drug's value while ensuring patient accessibility. 6. Explore technology. There is no arguing that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the world's most complex and highly regulated sectors. Going from drug discovery to market entry is fraught with challenges. However, by leveraging the right technologies early, companies can streamline commercialization processes, reduce costs and accelerate time-to-market. Customer relationship management systems, for example, help companies manage relationships with healthcare professionals and patients, track interactions and tailor marketing efforts to meet their needs. Digital marketing platforms are another consideration. These platforms enable startups to reach their target audience through various channels, such as social media, SMS messaging, email marketing and online advertising. Final Thoughts The journey from drug development to market is challenging, but early preparation can pave the way for a successful launch. By understanding the market, building relationships with stakeholders and using technology, startups can position themselves for long-term success. Remember, the key to thriving in the competitive pharmaceutical landscape is to start planning for commercialization as early as possible—during the preclinical phase of drug development. By starting this early, your teams will have a clearer path to market and a head start toward achieving the ultimate goal: bringing life-saving drugs to patients who need them. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify? 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