Labour, employment to be spatially mapped by CMDA
CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has proposed a study on spatial mapping of labour or employment distribution and agglomeration of economies within the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). The study aims to make planning more realistic and to integrate spatial planning with economic and social planning, that in turn will help improve the quality of life, said Anshul Mishra, member-secretary of the CMDA.
“We want to conduct a study on the employment patterns and distribution of labour force that will help us understand the concentration of firms and employment opportunities. This is connected with housing and transportation requirements. All these aspects of planning are inter-related and are important inputs for regulating spatial growth,” Mishra told Express.
“The study will give us ideas that will act as critical inputs in fine-tuning our planning process,” he said, adding that there was also a proposal to map blue-green assets and preparation of a conservation plan as part of the master plan which will be a first of its kind in the country,” he said.
The blue-green concept refers to a kind of urban planning where the water bodies and land are interdependent, and grow with the help of each other, offering environmental and social benefits. The move is a result of a discussion at the CMDA for a third Master Plan for CMA, with the World Bank team.
‘Learning from success, failure of previous masterplans’
The member secretary, keen on ushering in reforms in the planning authority, said, "The meeting went very well. There was a lot of excitement and positive exchange. Most importantly, lessons from the successes and failures of the previous master plans were to be incorporated as we move forward."
"As highlighted by the World Bank team, we are open to adopt clear goals of institutional and legal reforms with effective consultation process and community engagement for a meaningful planning process," said Mishra, while vowing to bring in transparency and make the entire process 'hassle free' and 'people friendly' on par with global standards.
The third Master Plan is likely to have a long-term vision for desirable urban development of CMA through a participatory approach. The preparation of the Master Plan is part of the Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project, a World Bank-financed project of the State government.