Nawalapitiya Urban Area Development Plan (2024 - 2034)

Preparation of a development plan for the future of a city begins by examining the underlying trends of the social, economic, political, and environmental forces. Because the nature of the development of a city is driven by more or less the strengths and weaknesses of the above forces, the inverse and direct proportionality nature of the forces. The Urban Development Authority is the apex regulatory body of the urban development of Sri Lanka. Thus, it has been empowered to function as the key urban planning implementing agency in the country by the Urban Development Authority Act No. 41 of 1978. Development plan preparation for the declared area of UDA is a vital aspect under the legal background of the authority. Considering these scenarios, development plans are prepared for the wellbeing of the city with a futuristic vision and to take advantage of the city's new development opportunities and to provide development benefits to the inhabitants of the development area. Nawalapitiya was incorporated as “Nawalapitiya Town Council” on 01st January 1933 under the Town & Country Planning Ordinance. Later on, the Nawalapitiya town council area was declared as an urban development area on 4th August 1980, and special gazette notification no. 100/4 was issued under the Urban Development Authority Act No. 41 of 1978. As a result of the declaration of the Nawalapitiya Urban Council area as an urban development area, the Urban Development Authority initiates the preparation of the Nawalapitiya development plan, considering the physical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of the Nawalapitiya declared urban development area. Even though there is a draft plan prepared for the time period of 2008-2025, new planning intervention is required because the existing Nawalapitiya development plan has several limitations in terms of meeting the current demands of development. Since its preparation was based on the ground situation more than ten years ago, it needs to be updated to meet the present and emerging situation. On the other hand, it is accepted that a physical development plan has to be updated each 10-year time period in order to meet the present-day trends. After the declaration of the Nawalapitiya Urban Development Area in 1980, the fringe of urban areas has sprawled outwards within the Nawalapitiya Urban Council limits within a 40-year time period. This development plan will guide the urban development in said area after identifying the planning boundary in a rational manner. The preparation of the town development plan was started in early 2018, and a comprehensive study of the city's structure and its surrounding aspects was carried out to find out the context of the Nawalapitiya area. This development plan has also introduced developmental strategies and guidelines for the next 10 years (2024-2034). The Nawalapitiya Urban Area Development Plan 2024–2034 addresses only the area that has higher urban characteristics. Sprawling urbanization is a typical characteristic of the fringe of an urban area; planned intervention is required in such an area rather than letting haphazard developments occur. Considering the planning area and urban hierarchy, this development plan belongs to the local-level plan category.