On Wednesday, Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Mahmood Khan, made history by approving the first-ever urban policy and action plan for the province.
KP Land Use and Building Control Council (LUBCC) formally approved the KP Urban Policy 2030 and its accompanying plan, making KP the first province in the country to have such a policy in place.
This policy is the product of over a year of hard work of the Urban Policy and Planning Unit and Sub-National Governance Program, with input from experts both domestic and international, as well as feedback gathered through various means such as print, electronic and social media, webinars, and seminars throughout the province.
The CM emphasized the importance of effectively implementing the master plans and instructed authorities to develop a practical implementation strategy within the next quarter. He emphasized that the ultimate objective of these efforts is to establish a well-organized and effective land use and management system that meets the contemporary needs and requirements of the cities and urban centers in the province.
The urban policy applies to all cities within the province and will be enforced by urban area development authorities and authorities under the K-P tourism act. The policy targets will be evaluated every two years until 2030, and then developed on a rolling basis for three to five years.
The policy aims to promote the development of smart cities, with a focus on considering social, environmental, and gender factors in city development. City administrators will have the ability to create their own city management plans that meet the needs and requirements of their respective areas.
The key components of the urban policy include 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 in the northern zone, institutional capacity building to properly implement the policy, and strategic city management planning.
