No plan is a terrible plan for our cities

India is poised for a remarkable transformation. Its urban population is projected to surge from today’s 450 million to a staggering 800 million in the next 25 years. Urban GDP is expected to rise from 60% to 80%. But there is one big problem: most of our cities are not prepared for the future. Bengaluru-based think tank Janaagraha’s 2023 Annual Survey of India’s City-System finds about 39% of state capitals lack active master plans, essential blueprints that guide urban development over the next two decades. A 2021 NITI Aayog report highlights that nearly 65% of urban settlements, including census towns, lack master plans, resulting in unsustainable urban sprawls marked by disjointed interventions, haphazard construction and rampant environmental pollution. This is bad news for an aspiring ‘developed country’.

Three core issues can be attributed to the looming crisis: a severe shortage of skilled urban planners, financial constraints and limited powers of local governments. While India would require 300,000 urban planners by 2031, it now has about 5,500. It has about 8,000 cities and towns, 600 districts and over 400,000 villages, compounding the planning challenges. Also, most cities generate only a fraction of their revenue, relying heavily on central and state governments. Local governments lack autonomy and are often restricted from performing their constitutionally mandated duties. The absence of empowered mayors exacerbates this problem.

Urbanisation is intrinsic to development and economic growth. So, getting a fix is a must. It is also imperative that development plans are insightful, adaptable and responsive to evolving needs, and integrate views of citizens. Only then can India’s cities be adequately future-ready.