DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND HOUSING PLANNING

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Question: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND HOUSING PLANNING

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Introduction

Transportation planning and housing planning both are considered important concepts. Transportation planning is mainly focused on the financing of transportation assets (particularly on public transit systems and roads) and public provision. It typically addresses some definite problems or wide transportation concerns at a local level. Due to this fact, transport planning is most developed in the urban sphere, and it is generally required high experience for its better development. The transportation planning process is similar to the policy process to some extent. On the other hand, housing planning is a combination of working and construction drawings that define all the construction specifications of a residential house like, materials, installation techniques and methods, layouts, and dimensions. In the housing planning, various plans are developed such as site plans, floor plans, foundation plans, framing plans and interior elevation drawings. Basically, housing planning is considered as an art and science of erecting and designing buildings or large structures. In this essay, we will discuss in brief the transportation and housing planning history of the U.S. and also studied the adequate process of housing and transportation planning for developing the plans successfully. All this helps in identifying issues involved in formulating the plans which can be resolved in a timely manner for managing the quality of the developed plans.

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Transportation planning of U.S.

In the case of transportation planning in the U.S., it is necessary to understand where it has been so that it can understand where they are going as a profession. The role of the U.S government in the development of transport planning and investments evolve from the starting days of the Republic to a comprehensive bill of 300$ billion that was signed by President Obama in 2015. In the early 1960s, various steps was taken towards the transportation planning such as, new federal initiatives was taken for emerged transportation planning and a new field was also created that combined regional planning, engineering, and the public policy with the motive of providing a significant approach to solving all the traffic problems of U.S. On August 10, 2005, accountable, safe, flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) which is considered as a transportation legislation for U.S., became law. This Law was signed by the President George Bush with the authorized capital of 286.5$ billion dollars to fund the transportation system of the nation. On the other hand in September 2009, the government of the U.S., provide 228$ billion for the highway program and 53$ billion for the transit programs (Lang, Shoup, Donohue, & Goldberg, 2016). This bill expired on September 30, 2009, and had been extended various times since that date. The government of the U.S., through the Federal funding, provides a significant amount for the effective development of the transportation system. Federal Highway program of the U.S., generally pay the 80% costs of the whole project, this income generally came from grant programs of the government. Since, 1956, Congress government was also playing significant initiatives towards the transportation system. In 1956, Congress increased the tax on gas and diversified all taxes and fees which were associated with funding the transportation system. The government of the U.S. developed Metropolitan Planning Agency (MTP) which is a regional policy agency serving the urban areas of the country with the populations over 60000 (Sperry, 2016). This act is responsible for the cooperation with the state and other transportation providers for carrying out the MTP requirements of transit legislation and federal highway.

Housing planning history of U.S.

U.S. Government introduced public housing system in 1937. It is a program which introduced on the federal level that provides low-cost housing for public in the form of publicly managed and owned multi-family developments. Public Housing Act 1937, was not designed specially built to house the ‘poorest of the poor,' but it was mainly intended for select segments of the working class. It was specially designed for fulfilling the needs of the ‘submerged middle class', who were basically outside from the market of the labor during the depression time. After a long struggle, Congress government introduced first national housing legislation in 1937. The main purpose of this legislation is not only providing low-cost housing, but it also improves the economy of the lagging by providing various jobs to the young generation in the building industry. The explicit purpose of this act was to alleviate present and recurring unemployment and to remedy the unsafe housing conditions. Most of the advocates of the public housing system of the U.S. supported tenant screening. Tenant screening helps them in a successful housing development for most residents. In 1981, rent ceilings were eliminated by the government. Rent ceilings made public housing system of the U.S., less attractive than the housing system of the other countries. Congress formulate the system of standard deductions for minors, allowable expenses and for the heads of the households. Rent ceiling was reintroduced by the government again in 1987, but at this time federal preference for tenants also introduced in this system (Stoloff, 2016). The Housing Act of 1954 introduced for public housing to be developed only in areas of urban renewal and slum clearance. Public housing system of the government mostly faced financial difficulties. Congress government funded only fewer units than were authorized beginning with the first housing act. The act of 1937 only fulfilling the capital costs and it was expected that all the operational and maintained cost would be fulfilled by the rental income. 

Transportation planning process:-

Transportation planning is a cooperative and performance-driven process by which short-term and long-term transportation improvement priorities are determined. Transit operators and Metropolitan planning organizations conduct transportation planning, with a strong and active participation of the public, freight operators, environmental organizations, and the business communities (The Transportation Planning Process: Key Issues, 2015). Transportation planning is generally following the following steps:-

  • Engaging the stakeholders and public for formulating shared visions and goals for the community.

  • Measuring the current conditions and situations and then comparing them against goals of transportation performance. 

  • Forecasting the employment growth and population of any particular country in future, assessing projected usage of land in the region and identifying the main elements of growth or development.

  • Identifying projected, and current transportation needs by formulating the performance targets and measures.

  • Analyzing different transportation improvement strategies, and their tradeoffs by using detailed studies of planning.

  • Formulating the short-range plans and long-range plans of management, alternative capital improvement and operational strategies for moving goods and people.

  • Estimating how suggested improvements in the transportation system will impact achievement of the performance goals, as well as effects on the environmental quality and the economy, including quality of air.

  • Developing a financial plan for the purpose of securing sufficient revenues that cover all the costs involved in implementing particular strategies and ensure proper maintenance of all business operations.

Housing planning process

House planning process is one of the most important part of the whole design process in the process of planning for a home or remodeling and even designing of the home. Therefore, it is essential to have a clear idea on how to design a house. First of all, a local planning process for identification of a perfect location of housing is considered then the total number of rooms are identified as the essential criteria for the house planning. But these factors are not enough for the determination of the house planning. It is a total project planning. Some of the preliminary planning tasks are also performed for helping the people along. The whole process of house planning is divided in four sections namely the target population, site selection, financing, and design.

 

  1. a.    TARGET POPULATION: The house planning process must be able to fulfill the responsibility of the state for ensuring that an affordable as well as decent housing is available to the people of the state. Furthermore, the population target of the immigrants and their living conditions in the area must also be considered. Furthermore, the housing commissions must also be involved in this process so as to adhere to all the regulations imposed on the landlords by the government. 

  2. b.    SITE SELECTION: Various locations have been placed under discriminatory site selections practices which are highly being carried on the local level of the states. Therefore, the practices which led to the racial segregation in the U.S. while considering the house planning process were abolished (Michalos, 2012). Now the projects must not be race-specific where the blacks and whites are designated as per the areas. For example, the Williamsburg Houses project in Brooklyn, in New York was built in 1935 specifically for the whites whereas, in Manhattan, the Harlem River Houses project was built for the blacks. 

  3. c.    FINANCING: The residents as well as the community are benefitted by the effective affordable housing programs at large. The high-quality house planning is seen to improve the health incomes as it helps in reducing the exposure towards the acting and stressors for delivery of the health care services.  The education of the children as well as the residents can be improved by preventing the disruptions which are highly associated with the mobility of the residential areas. Furthermore, a boost is seen in the local economy as it leaves the residents to have disposable income. Therefore the although the government puts a lot of money on the house planning process, a majority of residents as well as society is benefitted.

  4. d.    DESIGN: The house planning process must involve houses with better circulation as well as more light and windowless interior rooms must be demolished. All the undesirable qualities leading to the unsafe as well as unsanitary living conditions must also be taken into consideration while planning the house process.

Key political issues with housing and transportation planning

As the programs, laws and policies determining the functioning of the transportation as well as housing are seen as the product of the separate legislative committees and unconnected departments. Therefore it is seen that the laws as well as the regulations governing them leads to competition, confusion as well as conflicts. The transportation and the house planning elements are seen to be governed by varying requirements as well as standards. 
The planning for transportation is seen to be local and regional level and is done by the public sector. Whereas the house planning is a local and private affair. As the transportation development is usually seen to be government funded and/or regulated therefore the political decisions on these material affect the pattern of development of the transportation planning. Whereas the housing is highly dependent on the private sector and its market forces, public attitudes, funding from private sector and finally the consumer preferences. Therefore, the emerging political policies regarding the environmental sustainability and land use are thought to affect more the transportation planning rather than the house planning process. However a momentum in weaving together the concerns of the environmental health as well as community is seen to impact both the sectors equally (Renne, 2016). A considerable dialogue have been prompted amongst the stakeholders regarding the promotion on these ends for both the sectors. 
Furthermore, the transportation planning has been rigorously as well as properly bound by the strict requirements which are designed at cleaning the air. Further no transportation plan is seen to gain approval unless the plan is funded reasonably by the government. Whereas the house planning process has no such drivers which can shape or guide except or the zoning categories and the land use designations, which are highly inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and even in some of the communities. Therefore the political factors are not a key ingredient for improvement of the urban transport policies but in the case of transportation these matter highly. 

Plausible political issues that urban planners could potentially encounter

Some of the places and areas, due to their historical significance are highly renowned and therefore the planners must be mindful of its significance where they must protected these areas by specific ordinance. The areas might be sensitive due to the political or the environmental concerns. Therefore the planners and the developers must take into consideration the requirements and the rules set by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Key players in transportation and housing planning

The various key players in the process and development of the house planning, these include:
Cities who control the land use and house plan regulations traditionally, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), councils of government (COGs), tribal governments, regional planning agencies, local jurisdictions, local transit providers. Whereas some of the other key players include the religious organizations, developers, local neighborhoods etc.  (Manual, 2012) 
Transportation planning is seen to work at three different levels: local (city) and regional.

  • Local: The key players in transportation planning include the Department of Transportation which is responsible for building, designing and maintaining the sidewalks and the roadways. Furthermore, the Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for designing, building, as well as maintaining the pedestrian and bicycle facilities, along with the parks and open spaces within its jurisdiction. Then the Planning Department is responsible for developing the zoning codes for land uses and policies on access towards the buildings and properties. Furthermore they also are responsible for setting parking minimums for developments, and approves site plans for housing developments.  These local officials help in securing the funds for the projects and setting up local policies on the transportation performance standards and environmental initiatives.

  • Regional: the key players at the regional level are the MPOS i.e. the planners and engineers who generally play a significant role so as to define the direction of regional policies and priorities. The MPOs have a commission for guiding the work where these members represent the countries as well as the cities in the region (LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION, n.d.). Local elected officials champion and secure funding for projects and help set local policies on transportation performance standards and environmental initiatives.

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References:-

  • Lang, M., Shoup, L., Donohue, N., & Goldberg, D. (2016). Transportation 101: An Introduction to Federal Transportation Policy.

  • Sperry, B. (2016). A Brief History of U.S. Transportation Policy and Planning.

  • Stoloff, J. (2016). US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Policy Development and Research. Washington DC 20410.

  • The Transportation Planning Process: Key Issues. (2015).

  • Manual, S. (2012). Shanghai Manual – A Guide for Sustainable Urban Development in the 21st Century.

  • Michalos, A. C. (2012). Environment, Transportation, and Housing: A Comparative Study of the Quality of Life in Canada and the USA from 1964 to 1974. Vol. 4: Environment, Transportation and Housing (Vol. 4). Springer Science & Business Media.

  • Renne, J. L., Tolford, T., Hamidi, S., & Ewing, R. (2016). The Cost and Affordability Paradox of Transit-Oriented Development: A Comparison of Housing and Transportation Costs across Transit-Oriented Development, Hybrid and Transit-Adjacent Development Station Typologies. Housing Policy Debate, 1-16.

  • LAND USE & TRANSPORTATION (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies-pdfs/travel-options/technical-summary/land-use-planning-4-pg.pdf

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