Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Saturday Sep 21, 2024
Wednesday, 18 February 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
is obviously in the air, and our country looks forward to a united and inclusive future.
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka’s future will be defined by how well we manage its urbanisation, so I find myself in a Ministry which will essentially map that path. And you, the members of the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects, will be part and parcel of crafting that future too.
As it rapidly urbanises, Sri Lanka faces the challenge of ensuring that development is systematic, fairly distributed, and sustainable. The rather haphazard ribbon development which characterises most of Sri Lanka’s urban areas, and the congestion, limited services, and infrastructure in our cities show that Sri Lanka is still struggling to implement the investments needed to effectively manage urban growth.
We understand the challenges that investors, and those of you that work with them face. Despite the best efforts of the officials concerned, regulatory processes can be lengthy and confusing. Many of our agencies could be much more customer responsive and constructive. Greater competition could be encouraged on many fronts. These are issues we are actively seeking to address.
Creating an enabling environment
Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that substantial progress has clearly been made in recent years, particularly in cleaning up Colombo city and upgrading its public spaces. The Colombo we see today is fundamentally different than the Colombo of five years ago. The transformation is palpab
le, and many major investments in urban infrastructure development are underway. These initiatives will continue unabated, while we strive to create greater transparency and technical rigor in their execution.
Major challenges remain in ensuring sustainable urban growth and management across our nation in all its major urban centres. And meeting this challenge is a key thrust of the new unity Government.
I believe our role, as Government, is to create an enabling environment for you – investors, entrepreneurs, architects, engineers – to create a vibrant environment for all our people. We realise that professional engagement is vital in this process. Therefore, we have strived to appoint highly-qualified and experienced professionals to our key institutions. We are confident that they will be able to bridge the gaps between our State institutions and you, the private sector, and together lay the foundation for the change that our nation seeks.
Pushing the UDA forward
To give you a sense of where we are heading, let me give you a bit of insight on the UDA. We hope to push the UDA forward along four specific dimensions:
First, we will strive to ensure that our urban development is systematic and underpinned by integrated urban planning. Bring back development planning that is truly multidisciplinary, strategic and forward looking, and make that the foundation for the evolution of our cities.
Second, we will carefully examine and streamline our development control and regulation processes. We will work with local authorities to enable more efficient approvals processes. We will relook at the land use regulations and update them as required to accommodate the new challenges we face in our cities. However, you will also need to count on tighter enforcement of the rules and stronger punitive measures for violations. Plans obviously are useless unless they are implemented properly.
Third, we will re-examine our pipeline of State-funded projects and streamline and prioritise them. We will finish what we have already started, and going forward will ensure investments are more focused and grounded in the realities of an integrated development strategy – one designed to encourage, rather than compete with the private sector.
Finally, we will reconsider our asset management and disposal processes. We will strive to bring in greater private sector participation, competition, professionalism, and transparency in this area as well.
I would encourage the SLIA to engage proactively and constructively, particularly with the Urban Development Authority and the local Government units, and help us with this transformation process. I look forward to seeing the results in the months and years ahead.
In this regard, let me take this opportunity to briefly provide you an overview of the Regional Structure Plan of the Western Region Megapolis development plans that are underway at the Ministry of Urban Development.
Our Regional Structure Plan
The RSP provides the basis for reservation of land for various issues that lays down the space requirements for the coming years or decades. This suggests land uses, green belts, land reclamation and water bodies, new residential areas with amenities and services.
The RSP for the Western Region Metropolis is to provide opportunities for increased economic development, employment generation and improved living standard and quality of life for all inhabitants of the western regions of Sri Lanka.
Colombo Core
The urbanisation in the Core Areas is centred around the City of Colombo. The City of Colombo dominates in terms of urban development within the core area with the harbour and as a major financial and business centre. Rapid expansion program gradually spilled into the outer regions thus extending the urban development much beyond the limits. This is essentially a comprehensive plan of the growth and extension of the Core area.
Whose plan is it?
The RSP of the Western Region Megapolis is a people’s plan. This land use prescription of a Master Plan is based on future quantity of land needed for various activities. These are located depending on the suitability of different locations, topography, compatible and incompatible uses, accessibility and other objectives of achieving compact settlements where services can be extended economically.
What’s new in the plan?
1.The RSP of the Western Region Metropolis makes provision for land requirement up to the year 2030 to house 8.4 million for the Western metropolitan area including districts of Gampaha, Colombo and Kalutara.
2.Development Guide Plans and Urban Design Requirements (i.e. Development regulations and implementation proposals) to guide developers and architects in achieving development potentials put in place by RSP proposals.
3.New townships development along inner necklace and outer necklace corridors as per the RSP to house future growth
4.Plans for Colombo to improve its positions to become South Asia’s most prominent township.
5.Provisions for residential areas to develop affordable homes catering to new lifestyles at new regional centres and townships.
6.Plan spatial measures to strengthen the manufacturing/industrial sectors
7.Enhance environmental assets in the region to become a destination for eco-tourism
8.To derive a system of infrastructure network conducive for industrial sector.
9.Iconic sites to preserve culture and heritage of the island.
10.Identify areas where communities can grow, employment centres and new townships can be developed.
11.Upgrade Colombo to a regional finance and business hub.
Thank you.
