Cities growing at a rapid pace constantly face the challenge of providing quality life to their dwellers. Battling this concern requires adequate architecture and urban planning. The global population currently stands at over 8 billion; Bangalore city alone has marked a significant increase of about 3.35% since 2021, generating anxiety in urbanization. Especially since most of the population reside within or travel to the city for work frequently. The need for efficient and sustainable urban planning arises from common urban issues such as finding ways to avoid cities from overcrowding, combating traffic congestion, providing affordable housing, protecting people from natural calamities, providing adequate sanitation in the city, etc.
One such remarkable product and element of urban planning in the city is the Bengaluru metro, also known as ‘Namma Metro’, a transport masterplan to reduce traffic and provide urban masses with faster and cheaper means of commute designed to run on standard-gauge tracks.
Who is an Urban Planner and what do they do?
Urban planners and architects work towards administering plans in cities to make the best use of open space, implementing suitable strategies to provide appropriate infrastructure, transportation, and layout planning for its people. Urban planner architects niche down to work as town planners, transportation planners, regional planners, surveyors, etc. They work with city or state governments to facilitate development, and their principles apply in many fields such as municipal, educational, engineering, scientific, construction, and many more. Urban planners consider the needs of their city and plan to improve its quality of living using architectural skills.
The key roles of an urban planner are:
- Identifying market data using the ethically collected census.
- Strategizing ways to use available land ensures urban needs such as safety, functionality, and sanitation are met.
- Designing significant urban features such as roads, parks, buildings, etc.
- Conducting surveys to investigate and identify potential impacts of land use.
- Reworking on historical structures, commercial infrastructures, and public establishments to constantly upgrade the urban structure.
A career in urban planning:
Advancing in the career of urban planning and architecture is suitable for individuals who aspire to change in metropolitan areas and would like to create an impact by working with the government on large-scale architectural projects where science and design collaborate. An urban planner job would require creative, mathematical, interpersonal, planning, leadership, and decision-making skills that can be acquired through an urban planning or architecture degree. To avail urban planner jobs, one can write civil exams such as UPSC or apply with government departments. On average, an urban planner earns about Rs. 2.5 lakhs to Rs. 10.5 lakhs per annum within the first few years into the career.
CMRU‘s School of Architecture ranks high as one of the top architecture colleges in Bangalore, providing students with an opportunity to pursue an urban planner course with their Bachelor of Architecture programme. The undergraduate degree implements an integrated method of learning through experiential, theoretical, reflective, and independent practice where students are trained to:
- Identify and assess architectural requirements.
- Design urban establishments from buildings to transportation facilities.
- Understand the importance of well-structured urban planning that is sustainable and on par with rapid industrialization.
- Analyse sites and open spaces.
- To integrate structural and service systems.
- To gain a deeper understanding of various fields linked to architecture, such as visual communications, landscape designing, Industrial design, etc.
To establish a career in architecture, the student must complete a 10+2 examination scheme and an aptitude test in architecture. The 5-year programme at CMRU helps steer students’ careers toward several opportunities, such as Architecture, Urban Designer, Developer/ Builder, Interior design, Landscape designer, Construction project management, Architectural journalism, and Design manager. The amenities at CMRU help the institution stand out in architectural studies as students can avail material museums, audio-visual rooms, exhibition halls, a full-scale library, and events where students meet industry experts to help expand their understanding of the field. With interactive study modes and enthusiastic faculty, CMRU will help pave your way into architecture and urban planning.
