How to Establish an Effective Growth Management Strategy?

To establish an effective growth management strategy we must advocates for future land development within compact, pre-identified urban and rural containment boundaries that include existing urban and rural centres and corridors. These areas should predominantly consist of existing developed areas. All other options must be exhausted before Greenfield development is considered.

This approach encourages communities to proactively pursue intensification of existing urban and sub-urban coverage through infill and redevelopment strategies. It encourages public residing in the neighborhoods to embrace appropriate densification for the common goal.

Over the last two decades, the rate of Nepal’s population growth was only about 24,702,120 as per US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past and on assumptions about future trends.

The rate of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) in Nepal was 2.71 as of 2000 and the population growth was only about 2.84 as of 2017. This suggests that we are not using our land as efficiency as possible to accommodate our increasing population.

This inefficient use of land has severe consequences on our economy, environment, our farm land, our health and safety and natural resources as well. Studies show that we are in need of a residential density of at least 15 units per acre or 30 units per hectare to create good neighborhoods that support transit and offer a range of affordable housing options.

Furthermore, low density, inefficient development often occurs on land with better uses over a long-term sustainability timeframe: green field sites are better suited for resource use, agriculture, recreational parks, and conservation of biodiversity than they are for residential, commercial, mixed-use, institutional or industrial and trade development.

The following steps would be an effective growth management strategy taken together through collaboration between local and regional governments in communities of all sizes as like villages, towns, elected councils, boards, corporation and municipalities.

1. Establish defined growth areas within each jurisdiction by mapping urban, rural and green infrastructure land uses for the protection of natural resources, biodiversity, environment and landscape.
2. Identify farmland, forest land, cultivable land, riparian coverage & environmentally sensitive coverage that are not currently zoned for protection from urban sprawl and critical urbanization.
3. Identify and establish multi-modal transportation corridors.
4. Identify current and future transit needs and expectations.
5. Measure and identify current and future housing and job protection to prevent the traditional core from declining.
6. Establish minimum density targets for urban and suburban coverage of 30 dwelling units per hectare to ensure transit viability and measured density.
7. Establish parking guidelines in urban and cities to prevent more traffic in roads which would be a reason for traffic jam and environmental pollution.
8. Establish minimum lot sizes of 8 hectares or more in rural areas both within and outside of the containment boundary.
9. Establish financial incentives and mechanisms to encourage investment in town centres and along transit corridors.
10. Develop plans and policies and incentives to encourage growth in existing areas.
11. Develop and implement a comprehensive affordable housing strategy and provide incentives to foster local economic development opportunities.

The identification of and commitment to growth concentration in urban and rural centres represents a combined, targeted effort by local and regional governments to move away from conventional development patterns and towards the creation of more compact, complete and livable communities.

Growth Management Strategy in context of Nepal

Urban and rural containment boundaries are one part of a comprehensive growth management strategy that is supported by densification policies and has a firm protocol in place for reviewing or amending boundaries. Specific composition for successful growth management strategies include:

• Establishing job and dwelling unit density targets that are transit viable.
• Limiting large scale commercial development outside downtown cores or existing outskirts areas.
• Providing incentives for variable development cost charges, and density bonusing.
• Limiting infrastructure servicing over time and location which means restrictions outside certain areas and or before targets are met.
• Providing market and non-market affordable housing policies to promote housing choice and diversity. 
• Establishing and adhering to agricultural preservation policies of large minimum lot sizes, development permit areas, edge planning, agricultural area plans, and the agricultural land reserve for future needs.
• Designation parks and open public spaces and other green spaces as like green belts, green zones, regional park systems, greenways at least on public and private lands.
• Avoidance of sprawl on rural land coverage.
• Adopt policies regarding the buffering, long-term maintenance of servicing boundaries.
• Prohibit the extension of sewer and water services and prohibit an increase in servicing capacity outside the boundary.
• Allow new developments only on land inside the boundary.
• Locate a minimum of 90% of new dwelling units in the developed lands within the boundary.
• Establish or strengthen policies within official community plans to ensure long term protection of green infrastructure including agricultural areas, and to buffer these lands from activities in adjacent coverage using edge planning techniques and encourage development in targeted areas with incentives and new policies.

Growth Management Strategies to Prevent Decline of Traditional Core in Kathmandu Valley

In order to prevent decline of traditional core, revitalization can be an effective urban growth management strategy that implies growth, progress and improvement of urban infrastructure and influx of economic activities into the declining or say stagnant core area in terms of quality of life.

According to Clark (1989) decay of inner urban space usually occurs with respect to the transformation which is accompanied by crime, social tensions, riots, mass unemployment and falling standards in the provision of urban services.

Revitalization can address above mentioned problems existing in the core along with shaping of environment and enhancement in quality of life of every individual living within the coverage areas. However, this approach should be carried out in the basis of economic efficiency for the sustainability.

Question can be how to generate economy for the sustainability of the Valley and whole Nepal?

In context of Country like Nepal, small scale industries, handicrafts, homemade fabrics, hand knitted fabrics have tremendous advantages for economic growth and employment opportunity. This can also incorporate community associated skill, preservation and promotion of cultural practices, cultural assets, heritage, tradition and customs and conservation.

For example, Bhaktapur has adopted progressive policy toward entrance fees for tourist. It charges tourists an entrance fee for entering the conservation and protected monument zone which is actually a financial resource to protect and work for the preservation of traditional zone at least.

According to Donnison (1993), organization is important along with the involvement of local residents, and active community groups and poor in deprived and impoverished neighborhood. Therefore, community based organization should be equally mobilized. In Britain government, investment is the fundamental for economic generation.

Likewise in USA during 1960’s and 70’s for regeneration programs, government money was a key stimulus. For Country like Nepal where government cannot invest huge amount of money on revitalization there is another alternative options Public private partnership can be implemented with proper job distribution of public and private sector which needs transparency, regulatory framework with well-functioning infrastructure which can be the turning point for the development of the rural and urban areas which would help to distribute equal economic growth with good service delivery.

Apart from this, enterprise zones can be created with area designated for private companies to promote economic activities. City government and state government can create tax abatements to attract private developers on conditions like creating job opportunities at particular place with the involvement of drive stricken people and minority group in return providing building permits.

Possible outcomes of revitalization on proper initiation and implementation include:

• Improvement of physical environment, construction and upgrading of infrastructure and services like solid waste management, sewerage, drainage, drinking water-supply, street and pedestrian pavements, preservation of green and public spaces.
• Adaptive reuse of existing buildings which has its historical importance, rehabilitation of dilapidated housing and upgrading of slums tenements by providing some incentives to uplift the poor and alleviating poverty.
• Developments of small and medium sized enterprises including tourism for economic regeneration and prevent out-migration providing employment opportunity.
• Transfer of development rights which motivate local people to renovate privately owned buildings through compensation such as availability of government owned land for alternative development for sustainable goals.

However, there are constraints and issues regarding legal and institutional dimension, land ownership and management issue which can be resolved only through general agreement and adopting some bylaws which can be a helpful tool or kit for sustaining the development activities inside and outside the community for local, regional and national development.

Some strategies can be included in the development procedures as a comprehensive vision plan to:

• Capitalization of core’s uniqueness and potentiality with integrated approach of redevelopment, preservation and revitalization of historical assets, built environment and landscape.
• Broader vision on overall economic status in order to propose how to attract economic sustainability such as skill designs and innovations along with vocational trainings to local, poor and marginalized people.
• Labor classification and infill development with mixed income development which offers a range of uses for a variety of users and appeal to a broader and targeted population.
• Create comfortable, walkable and connected neighborhood for approachable streets, pavement and pedestrian developments. “After 50 years of planning of cars, it is time to start planning for people”-Donald Soup
• Improving traffic management and prioritize pedestrian planning and design for planning for citizens. Revise the zoning code to reflect public realm recommendations and public realm analysis to look after environmental concerns.

 Instruments can be the proper land development regulations, formulation of policies and new zoning techniques for redevelopment in infill areas and sites. Zoning should state density per hectare and land regulation defining plot size that could not be fragmented into pieces or fragmented for plotting of lands and destroying all the protected agricultural land which are preserved and conserved for the future purposes to pass to the future generation to fulfill their own needs.

Develop design control to ensure compatibility of larger areas and proper initiation, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the policies is fundamental.

Besides that, open stock inventory and revision of the building bylaws is the utmost essential with the changing context of the dynamic core. Integrated framework plans and policies of the government should consider 3E’s equity, environmental and economic aspects or it can be said as physical, environmental and financial aspects.

Approval, proper acquisition, land record and cadastral map updating, evade double registration fee, relax property tax for certain period. In this regard both the central and state government should proactively involve in the conservation of traditional areas by preparing comprehensive policies, plans and legislations and their effective implementation through genuine community participation for the economic stability by encouraging competitive and inclusive development in all states so to develop our Country so that the states modality would help the local, regional and national to achieve the targeted mandates which was to be supported by introducing good techniques for the overall developments to initiate for long term goals. 

To support and enhance economic uplift and alleviate the poverty; rural, urban and semi urban areas need to be more sustainable in achieving the development needs for the better future.

REFERENCE

1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40984-016-0022-2
2. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/81205/41609-012-tacr-01.pdf
3. https://cityofmhk.com/DocumentCenter/View/728/23--Chapter-4-Land-Use--Growth-Management
4. https://www.china-up.com:8080/international/case/case/1490.pdf
5. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/pdf/mgb_jic_rbm_rep_0702.pdf
6. https://www.scientific.net/AMR.243-249.6725
7. https://www.thesustainabilitysociety.org.nz/conference/2008/papers/Johnson.pdf
8. https://www.metropolis.org/sites/default/files/c2_metropolis_urban_growth_-_english.pdf
9. https://workon.codatu.org/wp-content/uploads/Urban-Development-Planning-and-Management-in-AfricaThe-quest-for-City-Management-2.pdf
10. https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_nc265/gtr_nc265_045.pdf
11. https://www.chapa.org/sites/default/files/CPAarticle.pdf
12. US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses.