CHAPTER 1

PLANNING PRINCIPLES

 “The role of planning is to relate the pieces to the whole so that each fulfills its own purpose without impairing that of the others”.  The Nature of Cities by  Ludwig Hilberseimer

Saving Planet Earth

The first decade of the 21^st century has seen a broad public awakening to the connection between the deteriorating health of our planet and the future well being of the human species.  Much attention has been focused on planetary issues such as global warming and its impact on the food supplies, economies, and the health and safety of specific human communities.  Particularly affected are coastal communities that will be impacted by melting ice caps and changes in climate, flora, fauna and sea levels.  This has resulted in numerous initiatives to reduce the man made contribution to climate change by reduction of “green house gasses”.

Global warming is also connected to the deterioration of air quality, a rising cost of living and political conflicts resulting from the petroleum based energy consumed prodigiously by industrial nations. Other contributors to the global problem include destruction of the earth’s flora and fauna by human activities carried out to house and feed large urban populations throughout the world.  The clearing of the rain forests, overharvesting of the seas and non-sustainable agricultural practices further threaten the health, safety and welfare and the quality of life for the human population of the planet.  Efforts have been initiated to gain international cooperation in the management of ecosystems and natural resources whose boundaries are defined by natural connections and not defined by political boundaries.  Regional planning has similar objectives within more defined areas that have a multitude of local political jurisdictions such as within a metropolitan area. 

There is a growing understanding of the powerful connection between individual actions and choices that, when taken in the aggregate by large urban populations, significantly impact the health of the planet.  Individual actions have social consequences!  There are a vast array of strategies and initiatives now offered to individuals and groups that aim to create more sustainable communities.  We have programs for constructing green buildings, recycling, reducing water consumption and saving energy.  There are standards for green site planning and for sustainable property maintenance and management.  People are becoming educated to the implications of “imbedded energy” – that is the amount of energy required to produce, package and distribute the food and products they use.