Settlement Planning and Architecture

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This section covers the morphology of the city and processes involved in city growth, and the theoretical models of planning proposed by Sir Patrick Geddes, Sir Ebenezer Howard, C.A.

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Perry, and Lewis Mumford.

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City Morphology and Growth Processes Urban morphology is the study of a city's physical form — its street pattern, plot/block structure, building form, and open space arrangement — and how these evolve over time.

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City growth processes include organic/incremental growth (unplanned, evolving over time along existing routes), planned/directed growth (per a master plan), concentric growth (radiating outward from a core), ribbon/linear development (along transport corridors), and satellite town development (planned peripheral growth nodes).

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Theoretical Models of Planning Theorist Model/Concept Key Idea Sir Patrick Geddes Survey-Analysis-Plan; conurbation Advocated thorough regional survey and analysis before any planning proposal (“diagnosis before treatment”); coined “conurbation” for a continuous urban area formed by merging towns/cities Sir Ebenezer Howard Garden City Proposed self-contained satellite towns of limited size, surrounded by a permanent agricultural greenbelt, combining the advantages of town and country living, with balanced live-work provision C.A.

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Perry Neighbourhood Unit Proposed a residential planning unit sized around the walking-distance catchment of an elementary school, with internal roads discouraging through-traffic and local facilities (school, shops, open space) at its centre/edge Lewis Mumford Regionalism; critique of the metropolis Advocated regional planning integrating city and countryside, and critiqued unchecked metropolitan growth, favouring human-scaled, decentralized urban forms

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This section covers urbanization trends, and the hierarchy of development plans and planning practices in Nepal, including national plans, regional plans, planning hierarchy, master plans, structure plans, zonal development plans, local development plans, and land use planning.

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Urbanization in Nepal Nepal has experienced rapid urbanization in recent decades, driven by rural-to-urban migration, economic opportunity concentration in urban centres, and (more recently) the reclassification of many rural settlements as municipalities.

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This urbanization has often outpaced planned infrastructure/service provision, creating challenges of unplanned settlement growth, inadequate urban services, and pressure on land/housing.

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Hierarchy of Development Plans Plan Level Description National plan The highest-level plan setting national development goals/priorities/policies, within which subordinate regional and local plans must align Regional plan A plan covering a defined region (e.g. a province or development region), coordinating development across multiple local jurisdictions within it Master plan A comprehensive, long-term plan for a city/urban area, guiding its overall physical growth, land use, and infrastructure development Structure plan A broad, strategic framework plan indicating major land use zones, transport corridors, and growth directions, typically less detailed than a master plan but providing its overall structure Zonal development plan A plan prepared for a specific zone/area within a city, providing more detailed guidance than the master/structure plan for that particular area Local development plan The most detailed level of planning, guiding development at the local/neighbourhood level, often implementing the policies of higher-level plans Land Use Planning Land use planning allocates land within a settlement to appropriate use categories (residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, open space/recreation, agricultural/conservation) based on suitability, demand, and planning policy.

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Effective land use planning in the Nepalese context must integrate with the planning hierarchy above, and increasingly account for disaster risk (seismic, flood) and heritage/conservation zone constraints.

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This section covers demographic/population survey and statistical analysis methods (mean, mode, median, standard deviation), population projection, growth rate, and demand forecasts, and their relevance in design and planning.

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Demographic Survey and Statistical Analysis Statistical Measure Description Mean The arithmetic average of a data set, calculated by summing all values and dividing by the number of values Mode The value that occurs most frequently within a data set Median The middle value of a data set when arranged in ascending/descending order (or the average of the two middle values for an even-numbered data set) Standard deviation A measure of the amount of variation/dispersion of data values from the mean; a low standard deviation indicates data clustered close to the mean, a high standard deviation indicates greater spread Population Projection and Growth Rate Population projection estimates future population using historical data and a projection method: common methods include the arithmetic increase method (constant absolute growth), geometric increase method (constant percentage growth), and incremental increase method (accounting for a changing rate of growth over time).

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Growth rate expresses the rate of population change (typically as an annual percentage), derived from historical census/survey data and used as the basis for projection.

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Demand Forecasts and Relevance to Design/Planning Population projections directly inform demand forecasts for housing units, water supply, sanitation infrastructure, schools, healthcare facilities, and transportation capacity required to serve the projected future population.

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In architectural and urban design/planning, accurate demography/population studies are essential for right- sizing buildings, infrastructure, and settlements — both under-provision (leading to overcrowding/inadequate service) and over-provision (leading to wasted resources) are avoided through sound demographic analysis.

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This section covers land development concepts including Guided Land Development (GLD), Site and Services schemes, Land Pooling, and slums and squatter settlements, along with housing and their application in the Nepalese context.

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Land Development Approaches Approach Description Guided Land Development (GLD) A relatively light-intervention approach in which the authority guides the layout of roads, utility corridors, and plot boundaries on land expected to urbanize, allowing landowners to develop their own plots within this guided framework, without full land acquisition Site and Services The public authority provides serviced plots (with basic infrastructure — roads, water, sanitation, electricity) to beneficiaries, who then construct their own housing incrementally, often to an affordable, self-build/progressive standard Land Pooling (Land Readjustment) Individual landowners' plots within a designated area are pooled together, replanned with proper roads/infrastructure/open space, and then redistributed back to the original owners as smaller (but now serviced and more valuable) plots, with a portion retained by the authority to recover infrastructure costs Slums and squatters Slums are typically deteriorated, informal, or substandard existing residential areas; squatter settlements are unauthorized occupations of land (often public or hazard-prone) lacking secure tenure, both often characterized by inadequate infrastructure/services Housing and Application in the Nepalese Context Land Pooling has been a particularly prominent and actively used land development tool in Nepal's urbanizing areas (especially in the Kathmandu Valley), used to convert unplanned agricultural land into serviced, plotted urban land while retaining landowner participation.

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Addressing slums and squatter settlements in the Nepalese context typically requires a combination of approaches: in-situ upgrading (improving infrastructure/services in place), resettlement (where the site is hazardous/unsuitable), and tenure regularization, alongside broader affordable housing policy.

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Site and Services and GLD approaches offer lower-cost, more incremental alternatives to fully built public housing, allowing beneficiaries to invest according to their means over time.

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This section covers the basic concepts, fundamental principles, and elements of urban design, including knowledge of the “Image of the City” and the concept of Place Making.

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Image of the City (Kevin Lynch) Element Description Paths Channels of movement (streets, walkways, transit lines) along which people move through the city Edges Linear boundaries/breaks in continuity (e.g. a river, wall, or shoreline) that separate one area from another Districts Medium-to-large sections of the city with a recognizable, common identifying character, which an observer mentally enters “inside of” Nodes Strategic points/focal junctions (e.g. a major intersection, square, or transit hub) that an observer can enter, serving as points of intense activity/orientation Landmarks Distinct, memorable point references (a building, sign, or monument) external to the observer, used for orientation and identification Fundamental Principles and Elements of Urban Design Urban design integrates elements such as urban form/massing, street network and public realm (streets, squares, parks), building typology/frontage relationship to the street, and legibility/wayfinding to create a coherent, humane, and functional urban environment.

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Key principles include human scale, mixed use/vitality, connectivity and walkability, a sense of enclosure/spatial definition (achieved through consistent building lines/heights), and context-sensitivity to local climate/culture.

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Place Making Place Making is a collaborative, community-centred approach to planning, designing, and managing public spaces so that they capitalize on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, ultimately creating good public spaces that promote people's health, happiness, and wellbeing.

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Place Making emphasizes observation of how people actually use a space, active community participation in the design process, and incremental, adaptable interventions rather than only large, singular top-down design gestures.

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This section covers the regulatory frameworks relevant to settlement planning and architecture in the Nepalese context, including planning legislation, and applicable policies, norms, and standards.

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Planning Legislation Planning legislation in Nepal establishes the legal basis for preparing and enforcing development plans (national, regional, local), land use zoning, subdivision/land pooling procedures, and building permit/byelaw enforcement at the municipal level.

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Key legislative instruments typically address: the mandate and powers of planning authorities (national/provincial/local government bodies), procedures for plan preparation and public participation, and enforcement mechanisms (penalties for unauthorized construction/land use violations).

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Policies, Norms, and Standards Instrument Type Description Policy A statement of government intent/direction on a particular matter (e.g. a national urban development policy, housing policy) guiding subsequent legislation, plans, and programmes Norms Generally accepted benchmark values/practices (e.g. a norm for minimum open space per population, or minimum service level standards) used as reference points in planning and design, often less rigid/binding than a formal standard Standards Formally specified, typically mandatory technical requirements (e.g. minimum room dimensions, structural safety standards, road widths) that a design/development must meet Application in Practice Effective settlement planning and architectural practice in Nepal requires working within this layered regulatory framework: national policy and legislation set the overall direction and legal basis, while local (municipal) byelaws, norms, and standards provide the specific, applicable requirements for a given project or area.

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Architects and planners must remain current with evolving legislation/policy (e.g. post-earthquake building code updates, evolving urban development policies) to ensure their designs remain compliant and appropriately responsive to national priorities.