Government of India Government of India

Reports & Studies

Working Group on Urban Planning

There is a widespread concern that urban and regional planning undertaken in post-Independence has failed to address the challenges of urbanization, which has necessitated a relook at existing policy framework on urbanization. It needs to be examined whether future migrants can be accommodated in existing cities, which are already facing critical infrastructure issues due to shortage of water and expensive infrastructure components, or whether it may be feasible to construct greenfield cities to fulfil demand of future urbanization or to go for some other model of urbanisation. This would also enable the easing out of existing cities.

With the above background, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, vide O.M. number K-14011/3/2017-AMRUT-IIA dated 26 September 2017, constituted a Working Group under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary (AMRUT) to examine issues related to Urban Planning consequent to the presentation on “Rethinking Urbanism – A Step Towards Golden Era” by Shri Pradeep K Saxena of Team Rethinking Urbanism on August 29, 2017. Members were drawn from School of Planning and Architecture, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Delhi Development Authority, and Central Public Works Department. Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) was entrusted the work of compiling member inputs and report preparation for the Working Group, which was submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It was decided by the Ministry that the major outcomes of the Report will be incorporated into the National Urban Policy Framework.

Draft National Urban Policy Framework

The National Urban Policy Framework lays out how cities should be planned and managed to promote sustainable urbanization in a holistic manner. A Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Smart Cities), on 03.10.2017 to look into the matter, with Principal Economic Advisor, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Director Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad (CEPT), UN-Habitat (India) and others. Different aspects of urbanization were examined and TCPO was invited to contribute chapter on “Urbanisation and Information & Communication Technology (ICT)”. TCPO also contributed to chapters on Urbanisation and Environment” and “Urbanisation and Tranport”.

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