Kathmandu, January 31

The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, which is mandated to prepare and implement an integrated physical development plan for the Valley, has drafted a 20-year Strategic Development Master Plan (2015 -2035), considering the existing and emerging trends of urbanisation, environment and the current socio-political and economical situations.

The SDMP was drafted through a series of interaction programmes and workshops with major stakeholders, including local bodies, urban planners, policymakers, NGO/INGO representatives, planning experts, political leaders, students and individuals, whose works revolved around sustainable urban development of the Valley, said KVDA.

During the process, a base map for the plan was prepared through preliminary inputs from planners and policy makers.

The map was presented at various workshops to build on the initial ideas and broaden the planning horizon by incorporating expert advice from leaders in various fields.

Workshops organised by KVDA for the development of SDMP, interaction with members of Parliament, a series of ‘Livable Kathmandu Forum’ moderated by member of Parliament Gagan Thapa as well as workshop by KVDA and Society of Nepalese Architects on mapping a vision for the Valley have been influential in developing SDMP.

In addition to the series of interactive programs, SDMP utilises the studies of Urban Growth Trend, Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment, and Constraint Analysis as major basis for the study.

According to SDMP, infrastructure improvement, environmental improvement, urban regeneration and risk-sensitive planning are the four major areas that the Valley should focus on in order to manage growing urbanisation.