Urban planning needs shift from regulation to facilitation: Hardeep Puri

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri has put forward nine key ideas around which the future of urban planning and governance needs to be conceptualised. Addressing the 'National Conclave on Urban Planning' held here in the national capital, Minister Puri said it is important to shift from just regulation to facilitation as the system needs to get rid of the 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,» Puri said. «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.» Putting citizens at the heart of urban policy, financial self-reliance of cities, fostering a culture of innovation, harnessing the power of data and technology, focusing on impacts and not inputs, strengthening local governance, and lastly leveraging local culture and economy are among the other key ideas around which the future of urban planning and governance needs to be conceptualised, he added.

«Urban planning can only be strengthened in ULBs 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 the strengths of local governments, parastatal agencies, SPVs, etc. to close capacity gaps while also infusing new-age skills, processes and organisational structures.» Citizen engagement, the minister added, has to be seen as a continuous process integrated with the development cycle.