Approval of Pakistan’s First-Ever Urban Policy by KP
Approval of Pakistan's First-Ever Urban Policy by KP
On January 18, 2023, the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mahmood Khan, made history by consenting to the province’s first-ever urban policy and action plan.
KP is the first province in the country to have Urban Policy. The KP Land Use and Building Control Council (LUBCC) formally approved the KP Urban Policy 2030 and its concurrent plans.
This policy is the outcome of the hard work of years in the Urban Policy and Planning Unit and Sub-National Governance Program, with the input of domestic and international experts.
The CM highlighted the importance of effectively implementing the master plans and guided authorities to devise a practical implementation strategy within the next quarter.
He noted that the highest objective of these efforts is to establish a well-organized and effective land use and management system that fulfills the current needs and requirements of the cities and urban centers in the province.
This urban policy involves all cities within the province and will be implemented by urban area development authorities and authorities under the K-P tourism act. The policy marks will be assessed every two years until 2030 and then materialized on a rolling basis for three to five years.
The policy seeks to foster the development of smart cities, concentrating on regarding social, gender factors, and environmental in city development. City administrators can create city management plans that meet the needs and requirements of their respective areas.
The critical components of the urban policy retain land use and floor area planning, affordable housing, economic and real estate development, municipal services and livability, traffic and mobility ease, tourism in cities and the northern zone, institutional capacity building to implement the policy correctly, and strategic city management planning.
