Urban planning and development in harmony with the geosciences

Abstract

Urban geology is the study of the different geological elements that impact and restrict human activities in engineering and economics inside urban areas. Over half of the world's population, or 4.2 billion people, lived in urban areas in 2018. Projections suggest that by 2030, this figure will rise to nearly 5 billion. Notably, the majority of this urban growth is anticipated to occur in developing countries, with towns and cities in these regions accommodating around 80% of the urban population by 2030, as stated by the United Nations Population Fund in 2007. A quick and comprehensive review of the literature reveals the growing importance of urban geology as an emerging area of study as well as the vitality of geosciences for natural disaster mitigation, resource management, sustainability, and understanding geological processes and natural hazards. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration between geologists, engineers, architects, urban planners, and policymakers at the national and local levels is inevitable given the current acceleration of urbanization and rapid environmental degradation as a backdrop. Geology is also an essential part of site selection, infrastructure design, and construction, water resources management, land use planning, and environmental protection during the urban planning and development phases. Incorporating geoscience insights into planning processes and raising public awareness allows cities to be planned and managed in ways that promote sustainable development, and resilience to natural disasters, and safeguard residents' health and well-being. In order to construct safer, more resilient, and sustainable cities for our communities and future generations, geoscience education and research must be acknowledged within the scientific research agendas related to urban planning, development, and transformation endeavors. Given the above, this study aims to examine the close relationship of geosciences with urban planning and development activities and to investigate and analyze the impact of geological factors on the urbanization process. This research also aims to raise public awareness about the importance of geology among the people who live in urban areas.