Spatial strategy for development of the CMR

Abstract

Major objective of this study is to formulate a preferred spatial strategy for planned, and sustainable development of the Colombo Metropolitan Region. The study has comprised in Five Chapters. Chapter One of the study has comprised a brief introduction to the CMR and it's past physical plans. This Chapter has also discussed the spatial strategies adopted in the past development plans. It has highlighted the major development issues of the region. It has further dealt with the objectives and the scope of the proposed study, the methodology employed in the study, and has illustrated the study process. Chapter Two has dealt with the theoretical framework applicable in regional planning. In this Chapter, alternative approaches to regional planning has been widely discussed by elaborating various practical applications of the theoretical concepts in metropolitan regions in both Developed and Developing Countries. It has also undertaken a comparison of regional problems' and policies in order to assess the successes and failures of the theoretical concepts giving special reference to metropolitan regions. In the latter connection, this Chapter has highlighted the fact that relevant theoretical concepts cannot be selected only by comparing the successes and failures of various regional development strategies applied in other regions due to their varied regional problems and differences at the different stages of development. Therefore it has concluded that a relevant theoretical concept can only be selected after analysing the regional problems and assessing the stage of development of a particular region. Chapter Three has analysed the present role of the CMR in both global and national contexts and identification of problems and potentials for reinforcing it's emerging role. In this connection, it has discussed the globlisation of the economy and it's impact on metropolitan regions in the South and South-East Asian Region. It also makes an attempt to identify a existing hierarchy of metropolitan areas based on functions performed by these regions in the global economy. This functional hierarchy has been used to identify the roles played by the CMR in the Asian Regional context and to assess the stage of development of the CMR in relation to other metropolitan regions. The emerging role of the CMR has thus been determined after analysing the problems and potentials in the region both in the national and global context. In Chapter Four, the existing potentials and constraints for reinforcing the emerging role of the CMR in the global context has been discussed. Then a relevant spatial strategy has been generated in terms of the conclusions made in Chapter Two regarding the application of various theoretical concepts and analysing the causes and effects of regional problems. A preferred strategy has then been evaluated against the strategy proposed by the UDA in, it's Colombo Metropolitan Regional Structure Plan(Final Draft, 1996). The last Chapter has recommended the preferred spatial strategy and it's proposed hierarchy of the growth/service centers in the region and recommended land uses for such areas/centres and policy guide lines for land use, housing, transport, and infrastructure investment in the region.