Dear Mr. Oyeku, what is your field of practice/interest in urban design?

My interest is in urban planning and management. Basically, my field of practice contributes to efficient urban land use planning and effective  control of urban land use in the urban systems. For a city to be liveable and to serve its functions as engine of growth and catalyst of development, its important to ensure efficient urban planning and control, this will certainly provide a safe , clean, healthy and aesthetically pleasing urban environment. In the expansion of urban centres, the understanding of the spatial structure of the urban systems and the challenges associated with their development is very crucial in order to craft relevant strategies for planning and management of the cities.  

What distinguishes this field from other fields in urban design?

I believe urban design is multidisciplinary in nature. Urban planning is just one approach to solving some of the problems of the urban environment. Urban planning provides a convenient framework for the understanding of the urban spatial structures, problems that are asssociated with urban development and proffering appropriate solutions towards solving the challenges that the urban systems presents.

In your opinion, What are the goals of Urban Design and how do you see and approach urban design?

The goals of urban design basically are to plan, build, manage and add value to the urban landscape for the common good. Of course, this usually involves various professionals i.e. Architects, Planners, Engineers, Sociologists, Geographers etc.Its important to state here that for the urban environment to be liveable the input of these professionals is crucial. 

Can you generalize about the contributions that urban designers and bring to cities?

Cities are large settlements and centres of high population densities and commerce, thus the challenges they present are often complex ande diverse e.g. congestion, urban slums, infrastructure decay, waste and health hazards etc. Urban designers by virtue of their knowledge, skills and expertise can contribute towards providing solutions to tnese problems of urban development.

Where do you see opportunities for urban designers to make a contribution in the future?

In the future urban designers can make contributions in the area of urban renewal whereby some specific urban slums can be regenerated, in such manner that they will be made safe, clean, healthy, liveable and aesthetically pleasing for humanity. Also, infrastructure decay is a basic problem in many cities of the world, urban designers can make significant contributions in resolving this particular problem.   

Part B

Where do you live?

Ibadan, Nigeria.

How old are you?

30 years old

What is your professional background?

I am a doctoral student at the Department of Geography, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. My research interest is in the area of urban planning and analysis. My field of practice is in urban planning and GIS applications.

Dear Mr. Oyeku, thank you very much!

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