Kerala charts 25-year roadmap with new urban vision

Kochi: The Kerala Urban Conclave, which charted ideas and strategies for the state’s development over the next 25 years, concluded with the announcement that a draft urban policy will be prepared soon.

Local Self -Government Minister M B Rajesh, speaking at the valedictory session, said Kerala is once again showing the way for the country by formulating a comprehensive urban policy for the first time.

The policy will focus on inclusive urban development, ensuring participation of children, differently -abled, elderly, poor, and marginalised communities. Necessary changes will be made in planning guidelines and regulations to achieve this, the minister said.

Among the major proposals are local climate action plans for all cities within a year, carbon -neutral and sustainable urban planning, and linking risk information action plans with annual projects. Knowledge corridor hubs are envisaged in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, financial education hubs in Ernakulam and Thrissur, an industrial hub in Palakkad, and literary hubs in Kozhikode and Malappuram.

Kannur and Kasaragod are proposed as centers for education, health and fashion- driven economic growth.

The conclave also called for the creation of a professional urban governance cadre, measures to enhance local body revenues, and public- private partnership projects to deliver better services.

Plans include strengthening digitisation, tapping climate funds and green bonds for resource mobilisation, and leveraging the potential of the cooperative sector.

A state -level urban observatory with city-level data will be set up within two years, along with a business development council, social auditing for welfare and development schemes, and a special authority for integrated waste management.