3-Day Capacity Building Programme on “Resilient and Responsible Urbanisation in Hill Towns” begins
23/11/2025
Jammu,November 23 (KIP)-The 3-Day Capacity Building Programme on Resilient and Responsible Urbanisation in Hill Towns began here today at Vikas Bhawan, Jammu.
The programme is being organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) and the Jammu Development Authority in association with the Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Centre of Excellence for Urban Planning and Design, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department.
Others present were Professor Virendra K. Paul, Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, Dr. Devansh Yadav, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC); Dr. Rupesh Kumar, Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority and Faz Lul Haseeb, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) besides other senior officials and stakeholders from government institutions.
The first day of the programme included a series of technical sessions led by experts from SPA New Delhi, focusing on the evolution of hill settlements, their unique physiography and the vulnerabilities emerging from rapid urban growth. Discussions covered carrying capacity challenges, tourism-driven pressures, climate-linked risks and sustainability concerns, while emphasising the need for evidence-based planning and regulatory frameworks tailored to hill environments.
The speakers also highlighted the approaches such as green growth, contextualised development strategies and resilience planning for Himalayan towns.
Mandeep Kaur emphasised the importance of this capacity-building initiative for Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in the context of Union Territory’s growing urban centres located in hill geographies. She underscored the need for responsible planning strategies that balance development with ecological sensitivity, especially as climate-related vulnerabilities continue to intensify in mountain regions.
The 3-day programme, scheduled from 23rd to 25th November 2025, aims to equip the urban practitioners with knowledge and tools to promote sustainable, resilient, and context-specific urban growth in hill towns.