Introduction
Urban planning is a significant endeavor that needs a lot of analysis. It requires the planner to design and regulate the use of space (Bush & Doyon, 2019). The urban planners must also ensure they consider the city’s economic functions and the impacts of the urban environment on people’s social lives (Bush & Doyon, 2019). Since urban planning is a technical profession and involves public participation and political involvement, it is important to maintain ethics in this endeavor. Cities are complex systems that require thorough planning. In the past, urban planning involved the physical layout, and civil engineers and architects were used in creating the physical structures (Lurev, 2020). However, current city planning involves technical processes of design, and planners have to identify how they should improve the usage of natural resources and enhance urban infrastructures.
Although urban planning involves land development, it also includes redesigning the city parts. Urban planning is like any other project that requires identifying a goal and making predictions and data analysis (Taiwo & Lawal, 2016). Since it is a complicated endeavor, it requires cooperation among multidisciplinary sectors. The significance of urban planning and the involvement of various entities make it critical to identify and analyze the various ethical issues on statistics, statistical methods, and data that could arise. Based on the article by Wachs (1989), the essay discusses and analyzes data use based on the American Institute of Certified Planners. Then, it discusses and analyzes the descriptive, analytical, and prescriptive ethical issues on misusing statistics, statistical methods, and data. Lastly, the essay determines a biblical viewpoint on planning.
Ethics in Data Use
The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) has a significant role in planning. The institution gives the necessary guidelines to planners. It also helps them address the chores they could encounter and occasional crises that they could meet (Wachs, 1989). The institution requires the planners to work for the public’s best interest. Its code and principles notify the public of the high standards that the planners should meet. It also requires the planners to act ethically (Wachs, 1989). Rather than providing the basic guidelines on ethical conduct, the institution provides the specific ethical standards that the planners should observe. For instance, it provides specific guidelines on the planners’ sexual conduct (Wachs, 1989).
Many significant factors make it necessary for the AICP to set rules on how planners should conduct their operations. These planners interact with different bodies, including governments, real estate developers, and private landowners (Wachs, 1989). The planners have to ensure that they check the interests of these bodies while respecting the public interest. Planners can be scientists as well as advocates. As scientists, they analyze data and identify the best course of action to take in a certain situation (Wachs, 1989). On the other hand, they could consider themselves advocates, using data to show that the client’s opinion is the best choice in a certain situation. The AICP tries to solve the conflict. While the AICP Code of Ethics requires the planners to judge situations professionally and also accept the clients’ decisions.
Schweitzer and Afzalan (2017) identify the mentions from the AICP Code of Ethics. First, the institution is dedicated to providing timely and correct planning information. Secondly, it vows to avoid the disclosure of information that should be kept confidential (Schweitzer & Afzalan, 2017).
Descriptive Ethical Issues that could Arise
People use data to plan and manage cities. The new era increases the prospect of using big data that is thorough and exhaustive (Hand, 2018). Urban planners could use raw observations. They could synthesize the data into accurate and timely information as they work on the data. This information is specific and organized and could give insight into how to approach projects with increased certainty (Hand, 2018).
However, ethical issues could arise when synthesizing data. Wachs (1989) presents the various ways that ethical issues in urban planning could occur. First, a planner could fail to give accurate details on public opinion on a certain real estate project. Rather than giving the correct details, the planner could publicize the results that favor the project and leave out the results that criticize the project. In the second example, a consultant could estimate a rail transit route has a demand of 2000 passengers daily. However, the county’s board of supervisor’s head could urge the consultant to remodel the work until the transit route supports 12000 riders every day to warrant a federal grant (Wachs, 1989). Lastly, planners could estimate the cost of dredging a harbor to be greater than the harbor’s economic benefits. However, the planners could add indirect benefits to the project to make the benefits appear greater than the cost.
Information confidentiality is also a significant ethical issue among planners. These planners have information that could influence social programs or affect an election’s outcome (Wachs, 1989). These planners could face ethical dilemmas, where they may wonder whether to keep the information confidential or make it available to any person who asks for it. For instance, when information is important to the public, a news reporter could ask for this information to verify the claims. However, the planner could have conducted a survey where they promised the participants to keep their personal details confidential.
Planners of digital cities also experience significant ethical complications. These planners use smart technology in making these cities, and smart technology could be extremely invasive when people fail to regulate them effectively (Clever et al., 2018). Using smart city technology allows people to examine and control machines in buildings to allow efficient resource distribution and services’ cost-effectiveness. Such cases could bring significant issues over data privacy and the rights of the affected individuals (Abosaq, 2019). Hence, planners of the smart cities deal with too much data. Having such amounts of data at their disposal amplifies the possibility of data misuse. These incidences make observing ethical misconduct a necessity.
Analytical Ethical Issues
Planners have various reasons and strategies to falsify data. They could fudge data when they lack reliable data by using findings from another city (Wachs, 1989). Additionally, they could assume facts from years ago to apply in the present, yet this information could be significantly different (Wachs, 1989). These planners may fail to record this information in technical reports, making the information escape criticism. The planners could also falsify data since the actual data do not exist. Since people can support themselves with facts and figures to appear convincing, planners should provide facts to support their claims to validate these claims. However, they could be forced to falsify the calculations since the cost of deriving the facts could be prohibitive. A client could require the planner to provide facts supporting the costs of a certain project. The planner could lose the contract if they fail to provide facts supporting their claims. To avoid such an incident, the planner could have to give unfounded information to get the contract.
Other planners just follow the orders given by the clients. Lauria and Long (2019) concluded that some young planners in Turkey had different professional values from what they learned in professional practice. They were expected to follow a certain set of rules. Some planners in the Netherlands suffered a similar ordeal (Lauria & Long, 2019). When some young planners in South Africa considered practicing the noble concerns of planning, they were caught between risking their careers and giving up their profession and work for a salary (Lauria & Long, 2019). These examples show that planners are faced with significant challenges when deciding their course of action. Although they may feel that they are doing the wrong thing, they may be unable to refuse bad proposals.
Prescriptive Data Issues that could arise
People could take various precautions to avoid data misuse. Urban planning in Lahti City shows how people could conduct urban planning to avoid data misuse. Lahti is a city in Finland, and its governance makes it stand out as an example of a well-governed city. The city’s planning process takes place in four-year cycles, and the City Council reviews the master plan during every City Council meeting (Lurev, 2020). Hence, Lahti’s government engages in regular city planning to have an overall picture of the urban center’s land use. This continuous planning process also ensures the necessary timing of developmental projects. After every four years, the city’s governance renews the master plan to have another strategy for the following term (Lurev, 2020).
The city collaborates with local citizens during urban planning. Specifically, the planners involve the city dwellers who could be affected by the plan and other people who could be interested in the project. These individuals could give their opinion in writing or orally (Lurev, 2020). The city spreads urban governance between the planners and the locals to promote sustainability and competitive growth. Therefore, the city enhances transparency and inclusiveness in urban planning to ensure data accuracy. The results of these strategies are evident. In 2019, the city won the title of European Green Capital for efforts in urban development (Lurev, 2020). It had the highest points in eco-innovation, air quality, and waste management. It aims to have a sustainable circular economy, and other cities copy Lahti’s strategies to develop their cities (Lurev, 2020).
The city also controls the budget. When planning the budget, the city approves the operational objectives, estimates the amount that could be used to develop a certain project, and implements the project. The city also monitors, adjusts, and changes the budget (Lurev, 2020). This information shows the importance of inclusiveness and involving the public in decision-making. The government should not trust the city planners’ statistics. Instead, it should make its estimates and ensure that it uses facts where possible.
The city should also engage in effective decision-making to eliminate data misuse. In this ICT era, cities should shift to “smart” solutions to increase the objective arguments instead of personal opinions from the planners or using intuition (Abosaq, 2019). Cities should follow various steps to improve decision-making. First, the planners should identify the need for decision-making and collect the necessary information for the project. Then, it should identify alternatives and weigh the evidence (Lurev, 2020). As it way the evidence and compares the alternatives and arguments, it would choose and implement the right alternative. Consequently, it should review and assess the results and consequences to see whether it would change its actions. Intelligence-driven data could improve the quality of decision-making.
Biblical Viewpoint on Planning
The Bible gives elaborate lessons on planning. The overall story of creation depicts how people should plan their projects. He spaced the creation over six days, and every creation was made upon the former. For instance, God separated the water from the dry land before he could place creatures on land and sea (Genesis 1:9). Additionally, he made a garden before he could place Adam in it (Genesis 2:8). God knew the concept of sustainability and taking careful and calculated steps. He could not have placed terrestrial animals on the water since they could drown. In addition, he knew that Adam needed sustenance, so he placed him in a garden where he could get food. Adam’s creation was also a work of art and a carefully thought plan. God thought of a plan to make people in his image and proceeded to mold Adam from mud. He ensured that each body part was in its place (Genesis 2: 7).
The Bible reveals how various people in the Bible design various plans. For instance, God gave Moses a plan on how he would drive the Israelites from bondage, and Moses carried it out to perfection (Exodus 4:1-12). Later, when he grew tired of having to solve all the cases that arose among the Israelites, Jethro designed a plan for him. He was to choose heads among the people who could solve the cases that arose among the people under their jurisdiction, and Moses could solve the cases that were of national importance (Exodus 18:17-24). These illustrations show that people should formulate ideas before acting on them. The Bible also recommends that people should analyze their ideas before working on them.
The Bible also shows the significance of foreseeing danger and identifying ways of avoiding them. It says that careful people see danger and take precautions, but the unwise will move on and suffer the repercussions of their actions (Proverbs 22:3). This verse shows the significance of analyzing the plan carefully and identifying dents that could bring losses. After identifying the areas that could bring losses, the planner should find ways of counteracting the loss.
The story of the ants and the wise woman in Proverbs 31 adds more planning teachings. Although the ants do not have leaders, they store food when there is plenty to have enough food in times of scarcity (Proverbs 6:8). Similarly, the Bible presents a wise woman as she who works hard, spends wisely, and plans ahead (Proverbs 31). There cannot be a plan without a vision for the future (Taiwo & Lawal, 2016). People have to have a vision for the future to begin laying plans on how to advance their lives (Taiwo & Lawal, 2016). Therefore, the scriptures emphasize the significance of having a vision. After having a vision, people can check their actions and ensure that their current actions will improve the quality of their future.
Conclusion
Literature reveals that numerous ethical issues could arise in urban planning. Some planners could be constrained to falsify data, while others could intend to falsify data to gain public approval. However, there are various methods that urban planners could use to reduce data usage. Involving every stakeholder is a significant method to employ to reduce data falsification. The scriptures give various lessons on planning. For instance, it emphasizes the importance of analyzing an idea critically before working on it. This action could allow the planners to identify a problem and work on it before it worsens.
References
Abosaq, N. H. (2019). Impact of privacy issues on smart city services in a model smart city. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 10(2), 177-185.
Bush, J., & Doyon, A. (2019). Building urban resilience with nature-based solutions: How can urban planning contribute?. Cities, 95, 102483
Clever, S., Crago, T., Polka, A., Al-Jaroodi, J., & Mohamed, N. (2018). Ethical analyses of smart city applications. Urban science, 2(4), 96
Hand, D. J. (2018). Aspects of data ethics in a changing world: Where are we now?. Big data, 6(3), 176-190
Lauria, M., & Long, M. F. (2019). Ethical dilemmas in professional planning practice in the United States. Journal of the American Planning Association, 85(4), 393-404.
Lurev, A. (2020). Role of data in urban planning and development: case city Lahti. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/337219/Role%20of%20data%20in%20urban%20planning%20and%20development.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
Schweitzer, L. A., & Afzalan, N. (2017). 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0: Four Reasons Why AICP Needs an Open Data Ethic. Journal of the American Planning Association, 83(2), 161-167.
Taiwo, A. A., & Lawal, F. A. (2016). Vision and mission in organization: Myth or heuristic device?. The International Journal of Business & Management, 4(3). The Bible: New International Version
Wachs, M. (1989). When planners lie with numbers. American Planning Association. Journal of the American Planning Association, 55(4), 476. http://www.honolulutraffic.com/Wachs_3.pdf
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