Kerala Urban Policy moots public, private and people’s partnership in the future development of State

Kerala Urban Policy Commission submits comprehensive urban policy report to Chief Minister, focusing on sustainable development for next 25 years.

The Kerala Urban Policy Commission, constituted by the State government to frame a comprehensive urban policy to guide Kerala’s development activities for the next 25 years, submitted its final report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday.

The commission, headed by M. Satheesh Kumar, a Senior Associate Professor at Queen’s University, Belfast, prepared the 2,359 page report based on 33 short studies and 53 stakeholder meetings with 2,500 individuals from various sectors across all districts.

Addressing a press conference after the submission of the report, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh said that Kerala had yet again become a model for the rest of the country by becoming the first State to frame an urban policy. Some of the recommendations including municipal planning committees and municipal bonds are already integrated in this year’s Budget. The Cabinet will adopt the report after discussion, he said.

Mr. Satheesh Kumar said that a northward shift is expected in urbanisation in Kerala by 2050, based on population projections.

The commission report is arranged around the 10 policy pillars which are identified as critical instruments to manage urban challenges in Kerala and to advance an urban policy, prioritising people, enhancing resilience and strengthening collective local governance. It has suggested a public, private and people’s partnership (PPPP) in the future development of Kerala.

The report says that Kerala should develop a risk-informed master plan at the local level to integrate climate resilience into urban planning. All spatial plans, including Disaster Management Plans, Master Plans, Development Plans, and Local Area Plans, should be aligned with this framework to ensure cohesive and risk-sensitive development, particularly in ecologically fragile and hazard-prone areas.

The commission recommends a targeted green fee on urban development projects to fund disaster risk reduction initiatives, including resilient infrastructure and emergency response systems. A comprehensive climate-risk insurance framework is also suggested.