Urban Planning Reforms for Viksit Bharat
India’s journey toward Viksit Bharat (Developed India) depends on strong urban planning and sustainable city development. This blog explores how India can reform its outdated master plans through inclusive growth, environmental planning, regional integration, and good urban governance to create resilient, people-centric, and future-ready cities.
Reforming Urban Planning for a Viksit Bharat Vision
Urban planning in India stands at a crucial crossroads. As B. V. R. Subrahmanyam and O. P. Agarwal observe in “Rethink the Master Plans” (The Indian Express, 29 October 2025), the way Indian cities are planned still follows ideas developed in the 19th century. At that time, city planning focused mainly on solving public health crises such as plague outbreaks. Because of this legacy, most Indian cities continue to rely on rigid land-use rules that decide which areas can be used for housing, industry, or public services.
These rules, however, no longer meet the needs of a fast-changing, modern society. Cities today face new challenges such as migration, pollution, and climate change. Instead of helping cities grow, many master plans restrict them by making it difficult to adjust or innovate. The approval process for any change is often slow and complicated, preventing cities from developing naturally.
India now needs a more flexible approach to urban planning—one that responds quickly to people’s needs, supports economic opportunity, and prepares for environmental change. This essay argues that Indian city planning must move away from rigid land control and towards a system that promotes growth, inclusion, and resilience.
Jobs Before Maps
One of the most important ideas from Subrahmanyam and Agarwal is that city plans should focus first on economic vision—in other words, what kind of jobs and industries the city wants to promote. People move to cities for work, not just for better housing. Yet, most city plans are made by projecting population growth and then deciding what land is needed. This backward approach often fails because it does not consider where the jobs will come from.
Instead, planning should start with an understanding of which sectors can create jobs—like technology, manufacturing, logistics, or green industries. Once this is clear, city planners can plan housing, transport, and infrastructure around those sectors. This approach would make cities engines of economic growth rather than centres of congestion.
It would also make planning more realistic. For example, if a city plans to attract manufacturing, it must prepare land, power, and transport facilities. If it aims for a digital economy, it must invest in education, internet access, and urban amenities. By linking jobs to infrastructure, India’s cities can better support their growing populations.
Balancing Growth and Nature
As cities expand, they use more water, energy, and land. Many Indian cities already struggle with shortages of water and clean air. This makes it vital to include natural resource budgeting in every city plan. This means understanding how much of each resource a city can use sustainably—its “carrying capacity”—and planning development accordingly.
Urban plans must also include a climate action plan, focusing on reducing pollution and preparing for floods, heatwaves, or droughts. Since transport is one of the main sources of air pollution, cities need strong mobility plans that support public transport, cycling, and walking. Cleaner transport systems not only reduce pollution but also improve health and accessibility.
Sustainability should not be treated as a separate issue but as a key part of planning. Every decision about roads, housing, or industries should consider its impact on the environment. If cities ignore this, they risk damaging the natural systems that keep them alive.
Beyond City Borders
Cities do not exist in isolation—they are connected to nearby towns and villages. Many people who work in cities live outside municipal boundaries. Similarly, goods and resources move in and out of cities every day. For these reasons, planning should not stop at the city border. It should cover the entire region that supports the city.
This means creating metropolitan region plans that include surrounding areas and link them through transport, jobs, and housing. Smaller towns and cities can act as manufacturing and service hubs, easing pressure on megacities like Delhi or Mumbai. This balanced growth can prevent overcrowding and promote fair development across regions.
However, regional planning in India is difficult because governance is fragmented. Different areas are managed by different authorities—municipal corporations, panchayats, and state departments—often with little coordination. To make regional planning work, India needs stronger institutions that can bring all these bodies together.
Smaller Cities, Bigger Roles
While large cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai drive India’s economy, smaller cities also play an important role. They can become centres for manufacturing, education, or logistics if given proper support. Land is cheaper in these places, and they can offer good quality of life if planned wisely.
But small cities face unique challenges. They often lack proper roads, electricity, skilled workers, and investment. Turning them into growth centres will require careful planning and significant funding. The government must ensure that investment in smaller cities does not come at the expense of larger ones but instead creates a balanced network of urban centres across the country.
Empowering smaller cities can also reduce migration to large metros, making development more evenly spread and improving living conditions for millions.
People and Inclusion
Cities are not just about buildings and industries—they are about people. While focusing on economic growth, planners must not forget the social and cultural dimensions of urban life. Cities must provide affordable housing, open spaces, schools, and healthcare for all residents, especially for the poor and those working in the informal sector.
If planning focuses only on economics, it may result in exclusion—where only the wealthy benefit, and the poor are pushed to the margins. Inclusive planning ensures that everyone has access to opportunities, regardless of income or background. It also makes cities more stable and harmonious in the long run.
Institutions and Laws
Even the best plans will fail without strong institutions. India’s planning system still follows colonial-era laws designed for control rather than growth. These laws must be reformed to allow flexibility, transparency, and participation.
City governments also need better-trained professionals. Urban planners should be skilled not only in land-use and engineering but also in economics, sociology, and environmental science. Universities must update their curricula to reflect the complex challenges of modern cities.
Reforming laws and education will take time and political will. It requires leaders who think long-term and resist the temptation of short-term popularity. Politicians must see the value of well-planned, inclusive, and resilient cities as essential to national progress.
Governance and Implementation
A major challenge in Indian cities is not the lack of plans, but the failure to implement them. Plans often remain on paper because of weak governance, corruption, and overlapping authorities. Rules are ignored or changed for political or commercial reasons, leading to unplanned growth and inequality.
To make city plans effective, there must be clear accountability. Municipal bodies should be empowered to enforce rules fairly, without political interference. Citizens should also have a voice in planning and monitoring. Public participation can improve transparency and ensure that city plans reflect real needs.
Technology can help too. Digital platforms for urban data, real-time monitoring, and citizen feedback can make governance more efficient and responsive.
The Political Challenge
Urban reform is not just a technical issue—it is deeply political. Many people in power benefit from the current system, which allows discretionary decisions and exceptions. Reforming it means reducing opportunities for corruption and misuse of authority.
Asking politicians to give up this power is difficult, but it is necessary. True reform will only happen if there is strong political commitment and if citizens demand better governance. The journey to modern urban planning will require courage, cooperation, and honesty from all sides.
A Vision for the Future
India’s vision of Viksit Bharat—a developed nation—will depend largely on its cities. To achieve this dream, urban planning must change from rigid, outdated maps to living blueprints that guide cities toward sustainable growth. The master plan of the future should combine economic planning, environmental protection, and social inclusion.
Such a plan would:
- Start with an economic vision based on job creation;
- Include climate and natural resource management;
- Extend beyond city borders into regional networks;
- Empower smaller cities and promote balanced growth;
- Ensure fairness, transparency, and participation in governance.
This transformation will not be easy. It demands new laws, institutions, and attitudes. It requires India to move from a reactive to a proactive way of planning—one that anticipates challenges and builds resilience.
If done well, India’s cities can become models of inclusive prosperity—places where opportunity, sustainability, and community thrive together. The path may be long, but the destination is worth every effort. The future of Viksit Bharat will be written in its cities, and rethinking the master plans is the first step towards that brighter tomorrow.
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The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH
