Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala capital will host the 73rd National Town and Country Planners Conference from January 10 to 12, setting the stage for leading urban planners and policymakers to deliberate on sustainable, inclusive and resilient development of India’s urban and country landscapes by leveraging technology-driven solutions.
‘Intelligent, Digital Spatial Planning and Governance’ is the focal theme of the conference, organised by the Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI), New Delhi, with the support of the Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Govt. of Kerala.
The meet will deliberate on a host of live topics relating to urban and country development including technological advancements, the effectiveness of smart cities, finances of local bodies and mitigating the impact of climatic challenges, ITPI President, N K Patel told a press conference.
ITPI is the premier institution of qualified urban planners in the country which came into existence in 1951 with the vision to promote dynamic, inclusive and integrated town and country planning practice, education, research and institutional mechanisms for vibrant, sustainable and resilient spatio-economic development of towns, cities and regions.
“The NTCP Conference is being held in Kerala, the famed God’s Own Country,’ after a gap of 18 years. The conference will come out with insights and perspectives that will contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat and the goal of the country growing into a USD 5 trillion economy, ITPI Secretary General, V P Kulshrestha said.
Over the past decade, urbanisation has undergone a significant transformation with the deep integration of technology into urban planning. The introduction of GIS-based planning in both urban and rural areas has brought a paradigm shift to spatial planning, he said, highlighting the importance of the central theme of the meet. Significantly, town planners from across the country are assembling in the city at a time when climate change is posing grim challenges in its various manifestations like urban floods, landslides and storms.
The experts at the meeting will offer their insights on adoption of technology-driven innovations that have transformed the planning process, making it more efficient, data-driven, and citizen-centric. The conference will conclude with a field visit of project sites on January 12.