Ahmedabad buzzed with urban development fervor as the Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI) unveiled its 74th National Town and Country Planners Conference at the opulent Karnavati Club on SG Highway. The event kicked off on Friday morning at 9:30 AM, with Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Katikithala Srinivas delivering the inaugural address.
Gujarat’s Urban Development Minister Darshana Ben Mukeshbhai Vaghela, Uttar Pradesh advisor Keshav Varma, ITPI President Pradeep Kapoor, and a galaxy of top town planners graced the occasion. The conference’s centerpiece theme, ‘Active Regional Planning and Development for Viksit Bharat,’ sparked intense deliberations on sustainable urban density, inclusive growth, and strategies to accommodate future populations in constrained spaces.
Minister Vaghela emphasized the urgency of scientific town planning amid rapid urbanization. ‘Modern infrastructure, green spaces, traffic management, housing, and citizen amenities demand meticulous attention,’ she stated, highlighting discussions with national experts and policymakers.
Secretary Srinivas, in an exclusive chat, praised Gujarat’s progress as a blueprint for other states. ‘Prime Minister Modi’s vision is profound. With 50% of India’s population set to be urban and contributing 75-80% to GDP, especially powered by youth, proactive planning is key,’ he noted. The government is gearing up through continuous dialogues with mayors, commissioners, and ministers like Manohar Lal, who frequently host such forums to phase urban growth effectively.
The conference underscored India’s urban transformation journey, blending innovation with sustainability to forge a developed nation by 2047.