Urban Planning and Development- Explained Pointwise+Infographic

The India Infrastructure Report 2023 on Urban Planning and Development was recently released. The report covers various complex issues related to urban planning and development in India.

India is experiencing rapid economic growth. Economic development is often accompanied by urbanisation. According to the 2011 Census, the urbanisation rate in India was 31.2%, which is expected to increase to 43.2% by 2035 (UN Habitat World Cities Report). This rapid increase in the rate of urbanisation in India, has necessitated proper urban planning and development in India.

What is the need for Urban Planning and Development in India?

Proper urban planning and development is key to achieving India’s dream of being a Vikshit Bharat by 2047 due to the following reasons-

1. Urban centres as propellents of economic growth- Urban cities in India occupy just 3% of the land but contribute to ~60% of the GDP. Urban centres are economic hubs which contribute to the rapid economic development of the country. For Ex– Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurugram- IT hubs, Mumbai-Financial Hub.

2. Rapid growth in Urban population- India is the second-largest urban system in the world, with almost 11% of the total global urban population living in Indian cities. India’s urban population is expected to cross 50% of the total population within the next two decades, necessitating proper planning to ensure ease of living.

3. Planning for the large number of urban poor- According to the Ministry of Finance, one in-three poor people lives in urban areas. This figure was about one-in-eight in the early 1950s. Hence, proper urban planning is necessary to stop the growth of unabated slums and shanties. For ex- Slums of Dharavi near the financial hub of BKC in Mumbai.

4. Improving the quality of urban life- Proper Urban planning ensures access to basic services such as water, sanitation, and healthcare. It also creates livable and walkable neighbourhoods that are safer and more pleasant to live in.

5. Enhancement of environmental sustainability- Urban planning ensures that cities are designed in a way to minimize their impact on the environment through measures such as green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, and sustainable transportation options.

What are the Challenges to Urbanisation in India?

1. Uneven urbanisation- There is uneven distribution of urban centres and lack of uniformity of pace of urbanisation across the country. States such as Bihar, Odisha, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh lag in urbanisation rates while states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra are leading. This makes it difficult to implement a uniform policy for urban planning and development.

2. Statutory Towns Growing Without ‘Master Plans’- According to the NITI Aayog Report ~50% of India’s statutory towns are expanding without any master plan to guide their growth and infrastructure.

3. Lack of Capability of Local Governments- The local government lacks funds, functions and functionality for planned urban infrastructural development and service delivery. For Ex- reliance on grants from Centre and State for their functioning

4. Sub Optimal Utilisation of Urban Land- Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has noted the paradox of congested land parcels of high population densities co-existing with vast parcels of under-utilized lands. Multiple public sector organizations/agencies (ports, railways, ULBs, etc.) own land under their jurisdictions. This hinders holistic urban planning and development.

5. Magnitude of Population Living in Slums- According to Census 2011, 17.3% of the total urban population is living in slums. Lack of affordable housing is contributing to creation and expansion of slums.

6. Increasing Risk of Water Scarcity in Cities- Indian cities dominate current and future lists of global cities with the highest overall water risk (The World Wide Fund for Nature India 2020). For Ex- the looming fear of ‘Day Zero’ in Bangalore

7. Lack of Planning for Disaster Mitigation- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its report has observed that the encroachment of lakes and riverbeds had played a major role in urban flooding in Chennai.

What steps can be taken to improve the process of Urban Planning and Development in India?

NITI Aayog has provided recommendations in the ‘Reforms in Urban Planning In India‘ Report to improve the urban planning and development in India.

1. Programmatic intervention for planning of healthy cities- NITI Aayog has recommended a central sector scheme ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme’, for a period of 5 years to ensure holistic socio-economic development of Indian cities.

2. Planning for optimum utilisation of urban land- All the cities/towns under the proposed ‘Healthy Cities Programme’ should strengthen regulations to maximize the efficiency of urban land (or planning area). There must be regular review of town and country planning or urban and regional development acts.

3. Empowerment of Local bodies- The local bodies must be empowered by proper devolution of funds, functions and functionalities. The NITI Aayog has also recommended ramping up of human resources of local bodies by adopting the following measures-
(a) Expediting the filling up of vacant positions of town planners.
(b) Lateral entry of town planners for positions for a minimum period of 3 years and a maximum of 5 years to close the gaps.
(c) Existing centres of excellence established by MoHUA and State-level training institutions need to be further strengthened to regularly build the skills and expertise of urban functionaries.

4. Involvement of Citizens in Planning- NITI Aayog has recommended a ‘Citizen Outreach Campaign’ for making the process of urban planning more inclusive and accessible.

5. Enhanced Role of Private Sector- The role of private sector must be enhanced in urban planning and development, like the empanelment of private sector consultancies.