NAME : ANDREW T TARAMBIWA

REGISTRATION NO : R193639Q

PROGRAM : RUP 221

DATE : 11 DECEMBER 2020

Question : Discuss the importance of planning standards in the planning of a suitable residential
settlement.(50)

Residential planning is an aspect which deals with the development of residential communities based
primarily around the need of human beings. Therefore, a residential area is a land in which housing
predominates. In general usage a standard is recognised as a measure for qualities or for the degree of
excellence. Therefore, planning standards are formulated by planning agencies used in regulation of use
and control of land thus according to Barnett, J. (2003).The planning standards can be broadly
classified into locational standards, space standards, housing standards, commercial and industrial
standards. So if the residential dwellers are to enjoy the benefits of the environment, the environment
must be properly managed based on the planning standards so as to achieve a sustainable environment
fully developed. Therefore, aaccording to Planners Press(2007), a sustainable development is a
process which meet the need the need of the present generation without compromising the ability for
future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is to be based on the need to
balance human need with conservation of natural resources to archieve an adequate fully developed
environment without an harm in the future. Some of the principles for a sustainable environment which
are based on the planning standards are access to livelihoods and also access to adequate shelter and
health. Therefore, the intent of this essay is to unfold the importance of planning standards in the
planning of a suistanble residential settlement.

The space standard is a specification that defines the attributes of a space, including capacity,
average area, and which roles can be assigned. There must be a space standard specification for
every space class. Capacity is used as standard capacity units per space. Average Area is used as
a standard area per space according to Bernard, SH (1972). Housing Standards means either
homes built to standards relating to but not limited to space, design, quality and sustainability
approved in writing by the Council (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed),
or for schemes provided with Subsidy to the Homes and Communities Agency’s “Design and
Quality Standards” in force at the Commencement of Development including the need to achieve
that's according to Thrall, Grant Ian (2012). Locational standards are guidelines for the
placement of uses of facilities of land. Therefore, in the formulation of locational standards
considerations are given to safety from danger, nearnes from one use from another in time and
distance, land values and site development costs e.t.c. Therefore the standards stated above are of
great significance in trying to plan a suitable and sustainable residential settlement.

In planning, standards has influenced the urban form and character of residential stands in
Zimbwabwe.According to the circular number 70 of 2004 new residential standards were set.
The standards for high density being from 70square meters and 200square meters, the medium
ranging from300 square meters to 500 square meters and for the low density stands being from
800 square meters to 2000 square meters`. These residential standards has therefore influenced
the character of many areas in Zimbabwe, with the first class citizens living in low density areas
such as Borrowdale Brooke ,Mandara and Chishawasha hills whereas the low income earners are
located in areas such as Mufakose and Dzivarasekwa. With such classification of social classes
this has resulted in the building of infrastructures and activities which favor such, the low income
earners. In the context of urban form many industrial services such as the grinding mills are
found in the high densities areas and other facilities such as movie houses and golf courses are
found in the low density areas. Therefore, this then implies that if one is to start an service he/she
is guided by the planning standards so that he will do everything according to paper and also
with relevance to that appropriate environment.

Additionally, planning standards has remained an important tool for the practice of planning
especially to coming up with allocations for institutions within a residential settlement.
According to the design manual of Physical Planning under the Ministry of Local Government
and National Housing (1999) institutions have different standards in terms of construction they
have to follow. For instance the local authorities, community hall and the clinic, only to mention
a few have to occupy space of about2000 square meters . This therefore influence urban form
and character of residential settlements as these have to be located close to each other, such
arrangement can be seen in Zvishavane in Kandodo where the local authority is located near the
residential settlement. In addition according to the planning standards in Zimbabwe schools have
also influenced urban form and character as they are allocates in each residential area for each
500 residential stands for primary schools and the secondary for every three primary schools.
These standards shape the residential settlement making the more functional and aesthetic and
also this will then help the dwellers within the particular settlement not to be stressed with how
some of the services are to localised since through the use of these planning standards this will
help to localise basic and social services at small range.

Planning standards are very are of great importance since for the provision of community welfare
services and facilities and they guarantee accessibility of individuals to these services e.g. road
setbacks for the installation of infrastructure like water pipes, telephone lines, electricity lines
and parking. For every residential area to be developed there has to be a developer which will
then lead to the development of of social services for that particular residential settlement and he
should be inline with the planning standards. An example of a developed residential settlement is
Good Hope in Westgate with Dilatifin being the developer who followed the planning standards
and this has helped significantly the dwellers of that particular area since they access to road
networks, electricity and many others because the developer followed the planning standards.

Furthermore, the other important fact for planning standards is that it ensures safe location and
construction of building structures and as well as guarantee safe habitation in building e.g.
setbacks of structures to streams, rivers, roads and high tension power lines and also protection
of the rights to individual life. This will then help to the residential area to be conducive for the
residential settlers since they won't be any challenges in trying to find water, electricity and other
basic commodities so this will then make the environment to sustainable. If the planning
standards are not observed this will then lead settlers to settle on greenbelts like some in
Chitungwiza who just developed residential settlements without taking any consideration of the
planning standards and at the this will then lead to sharp increase in spread of disease like
cholera. It implies that in trying to establish a residential settlement the developer of the
particular settlement must take considerations of the locational standards to see if its suitable to
establish a settlement there.

Promotion of harmonious arrangement of different land uses through zoning and density control
is also another important fact of planning standards in planning of a suitable residential
settlement. In some localities zoning has been made more responsive by a linkage between
growth management thresholds, performance standards and feedback systems that can better
respond to changing development conditions and impulses (Kwartler, 1998). These novelties
have generated more chances for good urban design to flourish, and helped the fortification of
historic character and the provision of public space and residential amenity. Zoning systems
which are used to ensure the maintenance of particular local architectural and urban design
traditions (e.g. San Francisco: Wakeford, 1990). With this noted the Great Zimbabwe in
Masvingo is an example of a historic feature which has been kept a historical place in regard to
zoning. Therefore this zoning has facilitated for the generation of income through tourist
attraction. It has also helped in the aesthetic view of the area and it has also allowed the
accommodation of the religious people within the area therefore influencing its urban character
and also making it a better suistanble residential settlement. On the issue of density control this
will then help managing the number of people and also on the sizes of stands depending on the
location of the settlement such that the rate of overcrowding is minimized.

Additionally, the other important fact for planning standards is that it checks the generation of
pollution and threats to human lives through relocation of noxious industries out of residential
areas. According to Erwin E. Schulze (1960) process like Environmental Impact Assessment are
done so that they see if the location of the residential settlement is appropriate and to see if it
suits the planning standards because it won't be necessary to establish a residential area in places
like Southerton because there so many industries there and the rate of emission of
CFCs(chloroflorocarbons) into the atomosphere is high and to those living near the area they
might end up suffering from respiratory diseases. The a suitable residential settlements is placed
in areas free from such threats to human disease such that dwellers live in a peaceful conducive
environment like the a residential located in Crohill which is free from industries.

The other important fact of planning standards in planning a suitable residential settlement
standard is that it is an important tool for the practice of planning especially to coming up with
allocations for institutions. According to the design manual of Physical Planning under the
Ministry of Local Government and National Housing (1999) institutions have different standards
in terms of construction they have to follow. For instance the local authorities, community hall
and the clinic, only to mention a few have to occupy space of about2000 square meters and this
therefore influence the form of the residential settlement and character of residential settlement
as these have to be located close to each other, such arrangement can be seen in Zvishavane in
Kandodo where the local authority is located near the community hall. In addition according to
the planning standards in Zimbabwe schools have also influenced the residential settlement form
and character as they are allocates in each residential area for each 500 residential stands for
primary schools and the secondary for every three primary schools. These standards shape the
residential settlement making it more functional and aesthetic.

Moving on, the other important fact for planning standards is that it prevents overstressing of
facilities and overcrowding through the control of intensity of uses. The minimum stand size of
each residential area is based on location and to soil type to some extend so basing on these
credentials for a residential to be conducive it has control the number of people who are going to
inhabit that particular settlement so that it prevents pressure on social services like pipes which
carry waste, road and also clinics because if the number of people is more than the expected
problems will occur within that particular residential settlements. An example of an of an
overcrowded residential settlement which did not observed planning standards is Epworth and in
that area the rate at which pipes are busting is high and this has led to increase in the spread of
disease like cholera and typhoid. The other problem is also that since the planning standards are
not observed doctor to patient ratio is unbearable such that other patients might die because they
won't be attended to in time only because of overcrowding whereas in areas like Chishawasha
planning standards were observed and this has made the residential to functional and conducive.

Enhancement of rental values and functionality of property by ensuring that necessary supporting
facilities are provided e.g. parking and refusal disposal facilities in residential settlements is also
another important fact of planning standards in the planning standards of residential settlements.
The availability of necessary supporting facilities will help to make the environment clean and
also this will also make the air around it not to be bad to breath since the refuse disposal is
collected because the planning standards strengthens the point that the environment must be
alwas clean according to the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act(Act 22/1976). If these
are observed this will make the residential settlement to be conducive to stay not the ones like in
Chitungwiza where refuse is not even collected to such an extent that the outside beauty of the
area is demolished.

Adding to, the other important fact for planning standards in the planning of a suitable residential
is that it enhances aesthetic values of the residential area through the provision of open spaces.
The open spaces are for mainly for recreational purposes of that particular residential settlement
and the type of recreational depend on the hierarchy. Journal of Urban Design, Vol. 12(2007)
suggest that these recreation facilities will then help the settlers to find somewhere to relive
themselves from pressure of life since and also this will reduce the rate of increase in population
of that particular area. Therefore, if the planning standards are not observed open spaces for
recreational purposes will not be present e.g. in places like Hopely in Harare planning standards
were not observed such that even open spaces are not found because the number of settlers in
that residential area is more than the expected number.

The other important fact for planning standards in the planning of a suitable residential
settlements is that that the standards act as a control mechanism so that the physical development
of the area that is sewage pipes, road networks e.t.c of an area will comply to the needs and
requirements of a the population of that particular residential settlement. Since the standards are
placed before the development control of that particular residential settlement development is
managed because everything is done according to standard and this will prevent the risk of
bursting of sewage pipes, peeling of roads to increased pressure and also the problem with
electricity networks in minimized. Through this control mechanism the the planning of a suitable
residential settlements is made easy and also it will be a beautiful place to live in.

In conclusion the planning standards that have been discussed above are of great significance in
planning a residential settlement if they are observed so that the residential settlement that is
being formulated is conducive and sustainable so that people can live within that particular
residential settlement freely.

REFERNCES
Barnett, J. (2003). Redesigning cities: Principles, practice, implementation. Chicago: APA

Bernard, SH (197)2, Land Use without Zoning, D.C. Health and company, London

Circular 70 of 2004

Erwin E. Schulze (1960) PerformanceStandardsin Zoning, Journal of the Air Pollution Control
Association, 10:2, 156-174, DOI: 10.1080/00022470.1960.10467915

Journal of Urban Design, Vol. 12. No. 2, 167–202, June 2007

Kwartler, M. (1998) Regulating the good you can’t think of, Urban Design International, 3(1),
pp. 13–21

Layout Design Manual of Zimbabwe

Planners Press. Barnett, J., Benfield, F. K., Farmer, P., & Poticha, S. (2007). Smart growth in a
changing world. Chicago: APA Planner

Regional, Town and Country Planning Act(Act 22/1976)

Thrall, Grant Ian (2012) Land Use and Urban Form, Routledge Ltd

Urban Initiatives, Neighbourhood Character Area 104, accessed via website Ross & Philips,
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