NITI AAYOG’S REPORT TITLED ‘REFORMS IN URBAN PLANNING CAPACITY IN INDIA’

NITI AAYOG’S REPORT TITLED ‘REFORMS IN URBAN PLANNING CAPACITY IN INDIA’

Context:

On September 16, 2021, NITI Aayog has launched a report titled ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India’ which presents measures to ramp up urban planning capacity in India.

• The report was released, jointly by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Shri Amitabh Kant and Special Secretary Dr K. Rajeswara Rao.

About the Report:

• It suggests that every city must aspire to become a ‘Healthy City for All’ by 2030.
• It has also recommended a Central Sector Scheme named ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme’, for a period of 5 years. Under this priority cities and towns would be selected jointly by the states and local bodies.

Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity: Summary

India is home to 11% of the total global urban population. Urban planning is the foundation for the integrated development of cities, citizens, and the environment. The report makes several recommendations, some of them are:

Programmatic Intervention for Planning of Healthy Cities:

• All cities should aspire to be a ‘Healthy City for All’ by 2030. The report recommends a Central Sector Scheme ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme’, a five-year period, in which cities and towns will be jointly selected by states and local bodies.

Programmatic Intervention for Optimum Utilization of Urban Land:

• All cities and towns under the proposed ‘Healthy Cities Programme’ should enforce development control regulations based on scientific evidence to increase the efficiency of urban land (or planning area). This report a sub-scheme ‘Preparation/Revision of Development Control Regulations’ for this purpose.