Development Plan for Colombo City

Thilak Karunaratne, immediate past President of Alumni Association, University of Colombo, was absolutely right when he said in his vote of thanks that no other would have been found fitting to deliver the seventh Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration than Defence Secretary Dr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

By Shelton Dharmaratne



Thilak noticeably held his attention on how Sujata was affectionately remembered for her generous concern for her fellow citizens and her robust social conscience.

‘The Development Plan for the City of Colombo,’ the theme of the Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Speech by Rajapaksa at the Sri Lankan Foundation Institute, was presented in a coherent and scholarly manner and was well-received and ably strengthened public aspiration for the transformation.

Desire to move toward a sustainable eco city to optimise quality of life for its community gained significant momentum soon after the end of the war against terrorism and dividends of peace in Sri Lanka.

By encouraging the innovation of green architecture and technology, Rajapaksa lucidly clarified the way in which a coherent framework for applying sustainable design to all sector of society in developing Colombo City would enhance the quality of life of the community, in consequence by making the city vibrant and modern.The rate of unprecedented population growth over years increased the urban population while thinning the rural population. Urbanisation was a major cause for increased urban dwellers living in poverty.

The cultural, social and political consequences of this transformation are enormous and the long-term effects difficult to foresee and therefore difficult to plan for. Urbanisation is inherent in economic and cultural development and the trends are common. Local conditions may temporarily speed up or slow down the process, but urbanisation can neither be stopped nor reversed.

Ways to meet the challenges and manage rapid urban growth and mitigate subsequent economic despair have become important and imperative in order to smooth the progress of equitable income distribution and creating wealth for the nation.Modernisation of the city provides opportunities and benefits and the rapid transition over time with good governance overcomes inherent urban problems and poverty. Increase in per capita incomes come with the modernisation of the city, which could contribute even more to the national economy, thus reducing poverty and creating more habitats, health, clean water, prosperity and happiness.

Spontaneous shanty towns sans essential services where conditions are depressed are also the products of failed policies of the past, bad governance, inappropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, dysfunctional markets, unresponsive financial systems, corruption, and not least, a lack of political will. Developing the Colombo City in an environmentally-sustainable manner in Sri Lanka may require action by both the private sector and civil society and political leadership that support laissez-faire including proficient and essentially transparent urban council.

Planning, developing and managing our urban environments more wisely will benefit health and improve environmental outcomes: Public health intervention to reduce dependence on motor vehicles thus improves air quality, locating jobs, services, schools and shops close to where people live, promoting active modes of transport (walking and cycling) and providing mass transit options.

Good for the environment because it reduces carbon dioxide emissions, and good for business because it reduces the cost of traffic congestion. Mass transit is particularly good for young people, the elderly and the disabled, who may not have access to a motor vehicle.The profile of our population and their needs and aspirations will also be very different in the future.  

How can Colombo continue to be a special place for its community, a home that offers hope and opportunities, a home that offers a high standard of living and above all, a city that is socially inclusive, where no one is left out?

Concluding his deliberation, Rajapaksa appealed for national consensus to make that vision a reality.This is the moment when we must come together. Let’s commit to share our knowledge in order to build the ‘Grand City’. The scale of our challenge is great. With courage, with heart and hand and let us all combine to take Sri Lanka forward.

(The writer is CEO, Sustainable Solutions and can be reached via [email protected].)