Landmark Events of Town Planning Profession in Sri Lanka

Introduction:

The town Planning was practiced in Sri Lanka since the ancient time of Human Settlement of Sri Lanka. However its came ass profession in mid of colonial era (late British ruling period). Anyhow when  the academic (post graduate and undergraduate) courses started in university of Moratuwa, it became popular in Sri Lanka.

Every profession development have several milestones / landmark events on their history of development. those can be divided as Legal, Educational, Institutionalization and Key achievement development Landmarks. In the Town Planning Profession of Sri Lanka also have those kind of Landmark events in their history.

legal landmarks:

a.       Housing and Town Improvement Ordinance

b.      Town and Country Planning Ordinance

c.       Urban Development Authority Act

Education / Profession Development Landmark:

a.       M.Sc in Town and Country Planning (University of Moratuwa)

b.      B.Sc in Town and Country Planning (University of Moratuwa)

Institutional Landmark:

a.       Establishment of Institute of Town Planners Sri Lanka.

In addition of these Some of the events have historical value due to their occurrence may change the path of profession development. In that category some of key city plans also have importance when we are speak about the Town planning profession of Sri Lanka.

Landmark Events of Town Planning Profession in Sri Lanka

Housing and Town Improvement (H&TI) Ordinance of 1915

This ordinance has been enacted in 1915 when Sri Lanka was a colony under the British rule. The H&TI Ordinance has been the oldest as well as basis for all subsequent laws of urban planning and development. As stated in the ordinance, the purpose of it was to provide for better housing of the people and improvement of towns. It was expected to deal with existing problems of insanitary conditions and urban overcrowding as well as to prevent such conditions in the future. As the economic situation of most industrial countries during this period is based on the free enterprises, the state control on urban development was minimum. Most legal provisions were enabling legislations for the local authorities to manage insanitary and overcrowding situation with private sector and other civil society organizations. The ordinance had been enacted to empower the urban local authorities that included municipal, urban and town councils. It had given powers to these local authorities for the implementation of H&TI Ordinance in addition to any powers of such local authority under any other enactment.

Impact on the Profession:

It is a first legal step for Town Planning profession in Sri Lanka. Due to this ordinance ensure presence of Town Planners. anyhow the ordinance not mention directly about town planning profession but when implementing of the law is required town planning profession skills.

Patrick Geddes Plan - 1921

Physical plans have been prepared for Colombo since colonial times. The first attempt was made by Sir Patrick Geddes in 1921, confining the planning area to Colombo City Boundaries. The main concept of the Plan was to make the City of Colombo "The Garden City of the East". The tree lined streets (Bauddhaloka Mawatha) and the grid system of roads in Cinnamon Gardens are legacies of the Geddes Plan which still provide the most sought after residential areas in the city.

Impact on the Profession:

it is first comprehensive city plan in modern era of Sri Lanka and in history involvement of town planner in the development of a city. This event create a step forward of Town planning profession.

Anuradapura Town Plan

The Anuradhapura Preservation Ordinance of 1942 was indeed a historic piece of legislation in the annals of town planning history not only for Sri Lanka but also for the world; for it was the first legislation ever in the modern times to concern itself with the preservation of an area of historical, archaeological and religious significance. It predated the Venice Charter of UNESCO, considered as setting a new approach in conservation of historic monuments and sites by well over 22 years. The person whom the late Hon.S.W.R.D.Bandaranaike, the then Minister of Local Government selected to implement the provisions of the Ordinance was an architect-planner who was in the United Kingdom at that time, the late Oliver Weerasinghe. He was invited to return to Sri Lanka and undertake the task and was offered the position of Government Town Planner.

Impact on the Profession:

In this Anuradhapura Sacred area plan created a chance of the Government Employment for Town planners in Sri Lanka. Due to the Tilted issued for late Oliver Weerasinge as a Government Town Planner.

Patrick Abercrombie Plan – 1948

In 1948 Patrick Abercrombie developed a plan which was approved by the Central Planning Commission in March 1949. The Plan focused on the City of Colombo and the surrounding region covering nearly 220 sq. miles which extended up to Ja-Ela in the North, Moratuwa in the South and 14 miles inland to the East. The main problems highlighted in the Abercrombie Plan were the high concentration of economic, trade and port related activities in the city and their effects. Decentralization of activities was one of the main objectives of the Plan. The introduction of Satellite Towns in Ratmalana, Homagama and Ragama were based on the proposal made in the Plan. Zoning Proposals were introduced in the Plan including Character Zoning and Density Zoning.

Impact on the Profession:

The plan of Patrick Abercrombie, is more than a city plan; it is a kind of regional plan. due to the studies of Economic, trade & etc. development of new satellite cities. So we can category this is a developed a regional planning activity.

Town and Country Planning Ordinance

Town and Country Planning Ordinance came into effect in 1946. The purpose of the ordinance as cited in the ordinance itself is.

“ To authorize the making of schemes with respect to the planning and development of land in Ceylon, to provide for the protection of buildings and objects of interest or beauty to facilitate the acquisition of land for the purpose of giving effects to such schemes and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with the matters aforesaid.”

In order to achieve the above objectives, a national level consultative body known as ‘Central Planning Commission’ was established to provide advice to the minister who is in charge of planning and development of land in the country. Most important outcome of the ordinance was the creation of the Department of Town and Country Planning and the appointment of the Government Town Planner as the head of the department. The function of the department was to prepare planning schemes and to act as technical agency to provide technical assistance to prepare town-planning schemes for every

municipality and every town within the meaning of the Urban Council Ordinance.  As per the ordinance, the Department was responsible for the preparation of three types of planning schemes:

                       I. Regional Planning Schemes

                     II. Detailed Planning Schemes

                     III. Outline Planning Schemes

Due to the limitations of financial resources and manpower, many local authorities had been unable to prepare Town Planning Schemes for their respective towns. Some towns in the country were important due to their history and location architecturally prominent and important religious structures. Under this law, the Minister in-charge of the subject of town and country planning can declare such towns or areas to be developed as special projects or planned towns. 

The Department in collaboration with the respective local authority carries out Planning and implementation of new towns development.   Important feature of the ordinance was that the urban local authorities remained as the planning and executive authority of planning schemes. Attempts have been made through this Ordinance to improve the technical capacity of urban local authorities for the preparation of planning schemes as well as implementation of preventive and remedial measures entrusted to local bodies under the Housing and Town Improvement Ordinance of 1915.

The ordinance has been amended in several time as follows purpose of the practice of the planning and the policy implementation as well as budget allocation and project prioritizations. 

No 49 of year 2000 amendment is an important amendment of this ordinance. under this amendment National Physical Planning Department was established for National Physical Planning Policy plan.

Impact on the Profession:

Every profession needs statutory power to long term survive of the profession. This is a key statutory for Town Planning profession in Sri Lanka. This Ordinance gives powers to Town Planners to prepare local or Regional Plans for the country. Otherwise the profession cannot be survive in this country

MSc in Town and Country Planning Programme in University of Moratuwa

The Department of Town and Country planning was established in October 1973 at the University of Moratuwa, then known as the Katubedde Campus of the University of Sri Lanka. It is presently, one of the Departments in the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

The Department was entrusted with the task of organizing and commencing postgraduate courses in Town and Country Planning, both by full-time instruction and by research. It commenced its first Course leading to the M.Sc. (Town and Country Planning) Degree in July 1975. It was a landmark event in planning profession development in Sri Lanka. Because the Educational development in the profession is very important to successfully survive of the profession in this country.

Impact on the Profession:

The Development of profession is depend on Carrier development academic courses. When the University of Moratuwa was started the post graduate of town and Country planning its support to involve much of other professionals in to planning.

Urban Development Authority Law

Urban Development Authority (UDA) was established on first of Oct. 1978 ,under Urban development Authority Law No. 41 Of 1978 as an "authority to promote integrated planning and, implementation of economic, social and physical development in certain areas".

Unlike any other public agency which are conferred with authority to deal with a subject specific area, UDA’s operational area cannot be demarcated single subject wise. For instance in case of subject agencies such as irrigation or power supply, area of operation is the District, or the Division Local Authorities which are charged with the administration of regulation and control of thoroughfares, and public utilities at Local Level, have their areas of operation fixed under Local Government enactment’s and leads to no problems in their operations within such areas. Local authority areas though entrusted with multiple duties, have been prescribed with clearly identifiable functions related to public health, and welfare. Generally a Local Authority has the responsibility to be charged with streets, drains, sewerage systems, lavatories, conservancy and cleanliness, public markets, cemeteries, prevention of nuisance, removal of insanitary, overcrowded and ruinous buildings and construction of buildings. They are all directly related to public health, comfort and convenience.

Impact on the Profession:

UDA Act provide chance to  planners involved in private practices like land subdivision and confirm the survey plans etc. due to this the planning professional requirement is involved with property development and real estate business of Sri Lanka like civil engineers and architects.

Establishment of Institute of Town Planners Sri Lanka (ITPSL)

ITPSL is playing a vital role in the sphere of physical planning and development of this country with an integration to economic, social and environmental aspects of land. Accordingly, the professional functions of the Town Planners in the urban, and also in the agriculturally predominant areas (so-called rural) with an integrated spatial development approach. They are employed in planning and development of the central, provincial and local government institutions. ITPSL was established as an incorporated body by the Act of Parliament No. 23 of 1986. Its preamble states that WHEREAS and Institute called and known as the "Institute of Town Planners, Sri Lanka", has heretofore been established in Sri Lanka for the purpose of effectually carrying out and transacting all objects and matters connected with the said Institute according to the rules agreed to by its members: This profession is actively engaged in all development matters pertaining to Planning, design and management of land and human settlements.

Impact on the Profession:

The institutionalization of profession is facilitate to survive the profession in long-term and its guide the professionals to work with professional ethics. The ITPSL is grading the professionals based on their membership levels; this is help to identify the right professional to public. further it will help to Planning Professionals to face the issues from outside with cooperate mentality

BSc in Town and Country Planning Programme in University of Moratuwa

Bachelors Degree in town and country planning was stated in University of Moratuwa under the Department of Town and Country Planning in 2003. In taking Approx. 50 students per year according to the Advanced level examination.

Impact on the Profession:

This multi-disciplinary course directly accepted Students from Advance level. Hence it provide chance to enter the fresher’s to the planning profession arena. further it produce certain number of planning professionals in every year. It will help to make a voice for planning profession and ensure popularity of the profession