Planning and
developing mega cities have become essential part of social integration and
globalization. Migration of people from rural to urban areas and from one
country to another in search of better life necessitates development of
functional cites that have facilities to provide descent livelihood for people.
Such a city have been called mega city.
Social amenities
and public utilities are both available and functional in a mega city. Decent
dwelling units are enough and new ones are being provided to serve population
increase. Road networks get to every part of the city and are regularly
maintained. The road networks carry along with them other functional
infrastructure such as underground drainage systems, sewage systems, gas
supply, water supply, electricity cables and communication systems.
Needless to
say, developing such a large and functional city requires robust, comprehensive
and adequate planning. Accurate and up-to-date geospatial data are of utmost
importance for successful planning. As geospatial data creation and management
experts, surveyors make available the geospatial data upon which the planning
shall be based. Surveyors are therefore the first experts to be consulted for
planning and development of a mega city.
During the planning
phase, the surveyor gives expert advice on the appropriate Geographic Information System (GIS) or Land Information
System (LIS) that will provide the best technological tool for the development
of the city.
Geodetic
reference framework of first-order and second-order survey controls will be
needed as geospatial backbone upon which projects in the proposed city shall be
based. Surveyors shall position accurate and reliable control monuments at
appropriate locations around and within the proposed city. All surveys and
engineering works within the city shall be tied to those control points.
Large scale
topographic maps shall be needed for planning and design of engineering
projects. Surveyors shall carry out topographic surveys using photogrammetric
methods of map compilation. The topographic maps should be to scale 1:1000 to
1:2500 with contour intervals from 0.5metre to 2metres.
Aerial
photographs and/or satellite imageries will be needed for digital mapping to
produce topographic maps, thematic maps and land cover maps. Other digital map
products that will be useful for planning and development of the proposed city
include Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and ortho-photo. These products, used in
GIS environment, make planning, design and visualization of land-related projects
easier to carry out. GIS technology provides the interface through which
planners can zone large portions of land, surveyors can plan layout surveys,
and engineers can design large engineering structures. Nowadays, GIS has become
pervasive in almost all professions as every project related to the earth can
be simulated, designed and visualized on GIS.
While
building the new city, surveyors shall carry out as-built surveys to determine
exact position, extent and size of engineering structures. These surveys can be
compiled to form maps of the area. However, a small-scale topographic mapping
of the city can also be compiled using satellite imageries and digital mapping.
Finally,
surveyors shall develop a multi-purpose cadastre of the entire city. The
cadastre contains title records, fiscal records, tax assessment records,
infrastructure records, land resources and environmental records such as type of
soils, land cover, water courses, and waste disposal sites. Therefore, among
other things, the multi-purpose cadastre can be used for equitable distribution
of land, tax assessment and enforcement, population estimation, maintenance of
infrastructures, agricultural development, and environmental assessment.
In
conclusion, as geospatial data managers, surveyors provide data in form of
various maps that are needed for comprehensive planning, execution of projects
and development of a mega city. These data are needed by planners, architects,
engineers, agriculturists, tax managers, hydrologists, estate managers and
others. Surveyors are therefore indispensable professionals whose contributions
to planning and development of a mega city cannot be overemphasized.
DISCLAIMER: This material
is only an attempt to answer an examination question, though written from a
background of solid knowledge and practical experience in Surveying and
Geoinformatics. It has not gone through peer review. Therefore, all views and
opinions expressed therein remain the responsibility of the author and do not
necessarily represent that of any institution. Feedback on corrections
and constructive criticisms are welcome. Thank you.
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