Abstract:
Urban development in Sri Lanka has begun to draw tho
attention of researchers, practitioners* and even the
politicians, due to the inherent advantages it has provided
by way of solutions to some of the most pressing problems
in the country. In this connection, an important
obligation of the researcher is to examine the fundamental
issues of both the process as well as the policies that
would rationalise and consolidate urban development.
Accordingly, this study has indertaken to examine the policy
issues pertaining to national urban development. The study
has been divided into four parts, comprising 10 chapters in
all, describing urban settings, development options,
existing policies, and proposals for national urban development
policy.
The first three chapters, which comprise Part One, are
devoted to a description of the urban setting in Sri Lanka,
identifying its degree of urbanisation in Chapter 1, the
issues this involves and their several magnitudes in Chapter-l^
and the:" institutional resources that exist towards development
in Chapter 3.
The Second Part, which consists of the next three chapters,
offers a theoretical framework for the comprehension of
urban developnent and policy. Here, Chapter £ outlines the
challenges faced by developing countiies; the available
options in respect of urban development are discussed in
Chapter 5; and this is followed by an analysis of the
Mational-Urban planning phases in Chapter 6,
The details of the current urban development programmes
have been identified in the context of overall development
programmes9 in Chapter 7j and the existing policies with
respect to urban development are analysed in Chapter Sj
both of which chapters form the 1Ehird part of the text.
In the final part of the study, Chapter 9 examines the
policy options of relevance to Sri Lanka, and proposes a
framework within which these can take place; and Chapter 10
represents conclusions and recommendations arising from the
study.
