Urban planning reforms making cities attractive destinations for investments: Housing Minister Hardeep Puri

Urban planning reforms are making our cities attractive destinations for investments, Puri said

Urban planning reforms are making our cities attractive destinations for investments and there is a need to “get rid of the planner’s mindset of imposing norms and rules”, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at the National Urban Planning Conclave held in the national capital on July 13.

“In the last two years, attention has been given to implementing urban planning reforms, especially to make cities attractive destinations for investments. Reforms have been incentivised and prioritised. States have benefited from funds received for undertaking urban planning reforms,” he said.

Puri said at the Urban20 Mayoral Summit organised as a part of India’s G20 presidency last week, he had suggested the need to “get rid of the planner’s mindset of imposing norms and rules”.

“Norms are good for control but the problem is that our urban planning norms restrict rather than facilitate development today. Let us review provisions related to town planning, revenue processes, land administration, rent control, etc, to create a flexible and enabling environment for the market to innovate and flourish,” he said.

Citizens should be at the heart of urban planning

He said citizens should be at the heart of urban planning and plans should go beyond traditional boundaries to include regional plans.

There is a need to put citizens at the heart of urban policy and financial self-reliance of cities, fostering a culture of innovation, harnessing the power of data and technology, focusing on impacts and not inputs, and strengthening local governance. There is also a need to leverage local culture and economy.

“It is not enough to solicit citizen inputs before a Master Plan. We need their constant cooperation to make a success of projects,” he said.

“Urban planning can only be strengthened in urban local bodies themselves create a demand for excellence. We are empowering our cities to create solutions that are suited to their local needs. We need to consider hybrid governance models that combine strengths of local governments, parastatal agencies, SPVs, etc, to close capacity gaps while also infusing new-age skills, processes and organisational structures,” he said.

He added that cities should become self-reliant, rather than depend on Central funding as they do now. He cited the example of around Rs 4,000 crore raised by some cities from municipal bonds so far.

Puri also highlighted that with an allocation of Rs 15,000 crore to implement various reforms, the ministry has incentivised and prioritised reforms in priority areas such as modernisation of building bye-laws, transit-oriented development, adoption of Transferable Development Rights, integration of blue and green infrastructure through nature-based solutions; affordable housing through in-situ rehabilitation and increased capacity building and recruitment India’s rapid urbanisation presents an economic opportunity.

He stressed on creating a holistic policy ecosystem for ensuring last-mile access to services, enhanced operational efficiencies, area-based planning, infusion of digital technology, ease of doing business and outcome-based performance frameworks.

National Urban Planning Conclave

The two-day conclave will see as many as 24 presentations from speakers including chief town planners from state town and country planning departments and urban development authorities. Lead academicians in the field of urban planning will moderate technical sessions on a wide range of themes like Transit oriented Development, Transferable Development Rights, Local Area Plans and Town Planning Scheme, Affordable Housing, Environmentally Sustainable Development (sponge cities), NCR Plan, 2041 and Master Plan of Delhi-2041.

During the inaugural ceremony, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore expressed confidence in the readiness of various cities to implement the reforms on various crucial parameters through this platform through knowledge and experience sharing.

Manoj Joshi, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, stressed on the need of focusing on Transit Oriented Development and Transfer of Development Rights based concepts, transportation and road network and other crucial frameworks for effective township planning.

The conference was attended by more than 1,000 participants including principal secretaries of state urban development departments, Chief Town Planners, State TCP Departments, Urban Development Authorities, Urban Local Bodies and heads of leading academic institutions. Other stakeholders working in urban planning like GIZ and JICA are also participating.