Review To National Layout & Planning Strategy - Calling

BY Prince Samuel Parku – UK (Freelance Quantity Surveyor)

Nation Development requires careful, calculated consideration to plan, evaluate and develop in order to ensure that the right development is in the right locations, serving the right purpose, at the right time, for the appropriate cost. As a nation, we must meet these needs, without jeopardizing the ability of future generations and sustainable design is the systematic consideration of a projects life.

Planning strategy authority also known as policy resources committee, made of Planning Committees; Specialised Decision Making with Attaching Conditions is expected to make these system works technically within a legislative policy framework, ensuring that particular development is coordinated with relevant plan for areas concerned. Its activities are also concerned within the regulation, design, manufacture, construction and maintenance of buildings and other structures. The information in hand, design team can define and understand the interrelationships between needs and achieve balanced design solutions that will minimize environmental impacts as well as ensure health, safety and comfort of project occupants.

These staffed officers professionally trained, sets budgets and overall strategy; give advice to elected council members. Both officers and councillors are bound by an ethical framework of local government established by its “Act.” Where breaches of the code are thought to have taken place they are reported and investigated by an independent adjudicator appointed by central government as well as disciplinary procedures within their professional body.

Problems within the construction industry in our dear country Ghana is how to develop stable working relationship with the politicians, traditional authorities, town and country planning; local authorities and construction companies on housing, roads, highways, railways, utilities, water supply, waste management and it coordination to national layout under land economic and environmental planning. There are question marks regarding the following Areas in Ghana: ? The origins and contents of a project design brief vis-à-vis: cultural, environmental demands and requirements ? The contribution in successful completion of a design brief following project feasibility studies

? Project life cycle especially with respect to pre-project phase and its long term effect.

? The impact of urban architecture on social and cultural aspects, concept and development design

? A clear national procurement system, options available of legibility, clarity of expression, presentation and professionalism

? Constructional processes and technology besides exploitation of local materials

? Site Safety & Environmental Rules and conditions

? Standards regarding controlled legislation, code of conduct and practice

Yes I admit, ever since the word planning first surfaced in the title of a piece of Ghana legislation after Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. The system has always been subject to politically inspired changes to meet the objectives of the government of the day. Is time Ghana comes first.

I believe the proposed housing project by the NDC is the best opportunity to rebuild the nation using a comprehensive master plan approach of planning and prepared one plan based on a formal grid layout on a grand scale with formal vistas squares. Yes, there may be opposition from individual landowners to impose under real property rights.

The Willingness of State and society intervention approach to political and social structures influence, with parliamentary democratic presentation in respect of controlling, land-use zoning system, furthers differentiating housing development and different types of land use within the country. At this point, I am calling for a review to national layout why all things need to be considering. These would obviously shape Ghana on geographical factors for better residences where normal average family is meant to live, in a deviance-free areas setting in and becoming part of the community. The architectural language of this design have come to believe that these presents a great inclusive through which humankind adapted the environment to human needs and reciprocally attuned human life to its cosmos amid continual changes, architecture could keep human life more natural and nature more humane. Nowadays it is interesting that there is a move among some planning authorities towards a greater emphasis upon the acceptance of mixed land uses, only to reduce the need to travel, and in order to provide employment and investment in local areas.

Likewise, private sector developers and businesses have welcomed the establishment of out-of-town shopping centres and decentralised business parks, which have made it almost essential for people to have cars, particularly in the light of the decline of public transport.

Is about time to reorganise our construction industry by so doing, it can employ over 70% of the nation, out of 50% with professional career and transferable skills and 20% admin. All that is needed is to step up the national development programme with state owner consultants and corporations. Why by experience ones with professional skills required call upon to run standard designed workshops for professional without experience or qualification.

As well as passing it on as syllabus to our technical and vocational institutions, I trust students would come out with better understanding and a clear career market waiting.