International Conference on Inclusive Urban Planning

New Delhi, February 14, 2013: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India is organizing a two day International conference on “Inclusive Urban Planning” on 18-19th February 2013 at Vigyan Bhavan. The conference is a part of the series of such events organized every two years, where publication of India Urban Poverty Report is an immediate outcome.

It has been realized that over time, the models and practices for urban planning have become so institutionalized as to be unresponsive to dynamic changes in society, economy and demography in cities. In the absence of comprehensive social protection measures, urban policies which should have facilitated the process of inclusive development in urban areas, have remained hostile to new migrants in cities, thereby creating innumerable road blocks in getting urban citizenship and other entitlements.

Against above background, this conference is being organized with the objective of critical evaluation and introspection of the urban planning processes and outcomes in India; cross-learning from select international experiences on the ways in which inclusion can be incorporated into urban planning. The larger objective is to attempt a conceptual governance framework to integrate inclusive urban planning into policy and practice in India.

The conference will see participation from some of the leading international urban planning and policy experts representing Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, Europe, UK, Canada and the United States who will present models that have succeeded in their countries, in addition to lessons sharing from some of the leading practitioners and policy makers in India.

On Day 1 of the conference, a series of discussions and debates will focus upon the nature of inclusiveness and its applicability to urban planning as well as evaluation of inclusiveness of the master planning process in India. The session will seek to draw lessons from World Cities where these practices have made any positive change. Debates on Day 2 will focus on issues of revising the framework of urban planning in India to prioritize inclusive urban planning in policy, governance and practice.

The conference will be inaugurated by Ms. Kumari Selja, Hon’ble Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mr. Ajay Maken, Hon’ble Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation will chair the Valedictory session.

The conference is organized under the project “Support to National Policies for Urban Poverty Reduction (SNPUPR)” a programme supported by Department for International Development), United Kingdom.