Urban drift affects city planning

Editorial

THE promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors pulls people to cities.
According to a research published in UN-HABITAT’s1flagship report, The State of the World’s Cities 2010-2011, all developing regions, including the African, Caribbean and Pacific, will have more people living in urban than rural areas by the year 2030.
With half the world’s population already living in urban areas, the challenges we face in the battle against urban poverty, our quest for cities without slums, for cities where women feel safe, for inclusive cities with power, water and sanitation and affordable transport, for better planned cities, and for cleaner, greener cities is daunting.
But in city two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation. Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments.
Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world’s urban areas swell.
The major cities and towns here in PNG have already become a jumbled making it look like there is no planning when it comes to establishing or extending new urban development.
Take our national capital city as an example. It’s already a mess.
One area that has experienced a rapid development phase in what city authorities have termed as ad-hoc and unplanned is the entire Taurama Valley area.
Taurama Valley was a vacant land some 20 years ago.
The landowners were and are still selling land like hot cakes without realising that they are selling their birth rights. The buyers are developing and building at will.
They do not realise that there are established government policies, laws and regulations to control development in cities and towns.
Whether the developments in Taurama Valley are approved by NCD Physical Planning Board and NCD Building Board remains unclear.
We understand that Taurama Valley is within the boundaries of NCD and is subject to the Physical Planning Act.
All its developments should be within the framework of this legislation.
Currently, it is difficult for service providers such as the NCDC, Eda Ranu and PNG Power to provide road infrastructure, reticulated water supply or sewerage infrastructure, storm water infrastructure and treatment.
Look at the Duran Farm Housing Project in Port Moresby. The project lacks the trunk infrastructure that has been earmarked for it.
The Government (through its agencies) is responsible to provided trunk infrastructure in areas where it is lacking and providing maintenance work on the existing infrastructure.
Trunk infrastructure should be constructed in any housing projects before houses are built.
The area should have trunk infrastructure such as portable pipe-borne water supply, good road networks, sewerage and electricity should be provided before houses are constructed.
These urbanisation challenges require comprehensive and sustainable urban governance and management systems and strategies. Both national and local urban authorities are unable to cope with the increasing pressures on urban services.
And that is why, government authorities should not be by-passed by landowners and facilitate development with developers.
To promote orderly development, effectiveness and efficiency in especially housing projects in the country, relevant government agencies should ensure that trunk infrastructure is introduced in the project areas before houses are built.
Every developer should consult the urban, provincial and other relevant government authorities before any development.