Urban development is a massive undertaking that happens between public and private partnerships, and it almost always involves the use of reliable, heavy-duty machinery like concrete mixers in order to ensure large-scale change. City development is something that can benefit both locals and tourists, allowing for increased economic growth and the robust improvement of public facilities. Whether you are doing maintenance and improvements on public parks, or perhaps building a new mixed-use commercial centre, then you will likely require powered mixers, a good labour force, local buy-in and sustainable planning mechanisms to ensure that these new developments can function as intended.

 

 

What is Urban Development?

 

Urban development is a phenomenon that occurs in response to an increased demand for housing and an influx of tourists, skilled workers or investment. As more and more people move into city centres in search of work opportunities and a space to settle down, urban development occurs in order to serve local residents and new businesses. Local residents may notice an increased number of roads, houses and commercial and industrial buildings being erected to support the growing population. This is more commonly known as ‘urbanisation’, and it is often associated with heightened numbers of tourists and tourism stimulus, job creation and technological advancement.

 

Urban development is a common occurrence all over the world. Everywhere you go, you will notice limited resources and opportunities for those living in urban peripheries or rural areas, while inner cities are being built up quickly. To prevent people from travelling long distances to city centres in search of resources or employment — which can be costly — many workers actually choose to move into city centres in order to streamline their work lives and personal lives.

 

This migration of people inwards to city centres is a long-standing trend that can be seen in the history of Johannesburg, where work was widely available in the mining sector at first, and Cape Town, where the harbour provided numerous opportunities for shipping and manufacturing job opportunities. Geographic location is a major determinant of work opportunities, and built-up areas found in city centres are generally good sites for socio-economic growth.

 

What’s more, with the new ‘digital nomad’ allowances in countries all over the world, many have found travel to be more accessible. With freelance and remote working, it is far easier for tourists to travel to places like South Africa with the hopes of experiencing new horizons in different parts of the world. This influx of tourists also influences the expansion of industry, particularly the entertainment and hospitality industries.

 

To accommodate tourists with greater spending power, many investors are choosing to fund residential and commercial developments to house guests. Similarly, restaurants, co-working spaces, and other tourist attractions will continue to pop up all over the city, drawing in new visitors and attempting to stimulate local markets.

 

As a result, there can be major social and cultural development too. Cities can become increasingly diverse with the interaction of locals and foreigners leading to more hybridised communities and enhanced cultural exchange systems. What’s more, museums, theatres, parks and other entertainment venues will enjoy heightened activity, and the history of a city will become popularised by global citizens, resulting in a more widely shared historical narrative. On top of that, innovation and business growth can occur as a result of new skilled workers and businesses investing in the area. This can lead to technological development, greater access to more diversified products and the flow of new ideas and information.

 

The Importance of Access to Services and Infrastructure

 

Without adequate access to services, facilities and infrastructure, the initial excitement of urban growth is likely to be short-lived. This is because people and businesses require access to basic facilities like water, electricity, internet coverage and shelter in order to go about their daily lives. Beyond basic access, proper care and maintenance should be provided to existing local infrastructure in order to ensure sustainability — socially, economically and environmentally.

 

While business development can help to expand a city’s infrastructure, the state will also have to work on improving public facilities like parks, promenades, healthcare facilities, transport infrastructure and connectivity networks through maintenance programmes that make use of concrete mixers and other hardy materials. This will make the city more attractive for incoming people, while also serving the local communities, leading to a reduction in poverty and crime.

 

It is vital to prioritise local residents even while expanding entertainment and residential spaces for tourist stimulus. If not, prioritisation of foreigners can lead to increased cost of living, reduced access to housing and the loss of culture. By investing in builds using mixers and more, states can ensure that public facilities are still robust enough to offer foundational support to locals, thereby proving that local needs are still addressed within communities and that brain drain or flight does not occur.

 

The state can ensure that locals are protected by offering affordable housing, tax incentives for small business owners and enhancing public spending. Beyond that, resource allocation should be well-matched against private spending, and the private sector should be regulated along the lines of city planning and visions, otherwise private interests may override public interests.

 

By including the local communities in the plans for urban development and expansion, the state can ensure that the benefits of growth are felt by everybody fairly. In this context, the social, cultural and economic determinants of the city will only become more appealing, helping to place that area on the world map, drive investment and gain global appreciation. When cities are well managed like this, inclusive development is possible and growth is sustainable for residents; cities will thrive and people will enjoy a good quality of life and a sense of social harmony.

 

 

Inclusive and Efficient Resource Use and Allocation

 

In order to develop urban spaces, you will need collaboration from both the state and private sector, with a diverse array of projects to supply the growing demand. The kinds of spaces that develop will vary, with different suppliers and stakeholders deciphering their own unique needs and plans. Depending on the audience, the budget, resources and capacity, construction plans and implementation will differ greatly.

 

In general, people associate rapid urban development with gentrification, as a result of new commercial spaces drawing in more people with greater spending power and effectively crowding out locals. However, urban development does not have to include the drain of local culture and local residents. In reality, urban development can be more equitable when there is a fair distribution of development budgets towards alternative spaces. This may mean that retail shopping centres and malls are complemented by new public parks, green spaces, affordable housing and mixed-use developments. Pedestrian areas, sports facilities, libraries, and of course, schools, universities, and industrial and manufacturing areas can help to uplift the local labour force and provide new jobs.

 

The only thing that would make these things work is the wide availability and effective maintenance of transportation and mobility infrastructure. Public transport systems will allow for easier commutes, effective logistics, and wider imports and exports. This will give people greater access to the city, and certainly also ease the commute of workers moving between urban peripheries and city centres — what’s more, business will operate more smoothly.

 

Of course, these things will require financial resources and capital investment as well as a strong labour force and effective administration from public and private partnerships. Such huge construction plans will be difficult to coordinate in busy areas where traffic flow rarely stops and building happens at a massive scale. However, to make up for these difficulties in preparing building sites, construction workers will enjoy easy access to resources and build aggregates, as well as reliable equipment such as BS Power’s concrete mixers.

 

Construction Needs and Materials for Inner City Development

 

In densely populated regions where construction companies plan to upgrade residential, commercial and public buildings, space management is key, and to keep budgets low, it is important to determine the most cost-effective ways to apply materials and minimise waste. Chances are high that construction companies will have to operate on uneven terrain, so it is important to also have mobile, durable equipment that can stand against difficult conditions.

 

Utilities and access to water and power will also determine the type of equipment that you can use. Fortunately, when constructing in city centres, automated or electrical equipment and concrete mixers is easy to instrumentalise, but as you move to peripheries, construction planners may want to consider alternative machinery that can be utilised more easily with limited resources.

 

Mixers, and concrete in general, is a vital element of construction that will naturally be used widely throughout all projects, whether it is for recreational use or local business use. This is because concrete is a highly versatile material that can be trusted to serve as a reliable foundation for almost any building plan. What’s more, it is cheap, accessible and easy to mix on-site so long as you have the right mixers to work with.

 

With BS Power’s concrete mixers, you are guaranteed to get good use out of them no matter the terrain. These products are portable, automated and high-powered, have a high volume capacity for mixing large quantities, and will work efficiently to match the speed of your project plans.

 

Although concrete and concrete mixers will probably form the basis of your material needs, it is also important to incorporate a range of other sustainable materials in order to minimise costs, reduce waste and meet environmental standards. Alongside concrete, builders may also want to consider the application and use of sustainable materials such as recycled steel and plastics, timber and bamboo. When building in the city, it is important to design buildings in energy-efficient ways, using insulated materials and renewable energy wherever possible.

 

On top of that, building plans that incorporate smart technology are far more likely to survive change and advancement, while also ushering in innovators and skilled workers. Beyond that, the most important thing is to make sure that, following your building site’s completion, these areas are given sufficient budget for maintenance and routine repair or upgrades.

 

 

Concrete Mixers are Important for Urban Development

 

As we’ve demonstrated, urban development has a massive range of benefits for both public and private sectors. But in order for it to be completed effectively and efficiently, the strategic use of resources is important. Similarly, development needs to happen in such a way that locals can benefit from labour opportunities, infrastructure investment and enhanced access to public facilities. Building sites and construction companies can make good use of concrete to ensure that new developments are sturdy and reliable.

 

These machines will provide an easy way of developing speedily and efficiently, without any difficulties with transport and logistics. If you wish to start your city development plan soon, visit our online store today and take a look at our concrete mixers as well as our larger range of power tools and equipment.