Ahmedabad, Feb 5 : Ahmedabad will host the National Town and Country Planners Conference from February 6 to 8 after a gap of 13 years, as urbanisation pressures and regional development challenges take centre stage across India.

More than 500 town planners, policymakers, academicians and urban development experts from across the country are expected to participate in the three-day event to deliberate on the future of regional planning.

The conference is being organised by the Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI), with support from the Gujarat governmentâ??s Urban Development Department, and will be held on the theme â??Proactive Regional Planning and Development to Usher Viksit Bharatâ??.

Discussions will focus on emerging approaches to regional and metropolitan planning, including the perspective of high-speed rail projects such as the bullet train and the use of artificial intelligence and GIS-based modelling tools in planning processes.

K Srinivas, Secretary, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, will attend the inaugural session as the chief guest. Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibha Jain and former Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Keshav Verma will be the guests of honour.

The conference is being held against the backdrop of Indiaâ??s rapidly expanding urban population, which is projected to reach about 600 million by 2031, nearly 40 per cent of the countryâ??s total population.

As many as 68 cities are expected to have populations exceeding one million, intensifying the need for coordinated and forward-looking regional planning to manage growth in a balanced manner.

ITPI President Pradeep Kapoor said the conference would serve as a national platform for dialogue on planning strategies aligned with long-term development goals.

â??As India moves towards its goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, proactive regional planning has become essential to address the challenges of rapid urbanisation and infrastructure growth,â?? he said, adding that the event would enable participants to exchange ideas and learn from successful planning models across the country.

NK Patel, Patron and Past President of ITPI, said the deliberations would place special emphasis on spatial planning for balanced growth, climate-resilient infrastructure, development of economic corridors and industrial clusters, and institutional mechanisms for effective regional governance.

These include Metropolitan Planning Committees, Regional Plan Authorities and interstate coordination mechanisms for river basins and economic regions.

R J Rawal, Chairman of the Gujarat Regional Chapter of ITPI, provided an overview of the institute and the national conference. Sub-themes include inclusive infrastructure planning for global events such as the proposed Commonwealth Games to be held in Ahmedabad in 2030, applications of artificial intelligence in planning, and a review of 100 years of town planning schemes in Gujarat.

Ahmedabadâ??s metropolitan region will be discussed as a case study, with sessions covering Dholera Special Investment Region, GIFT City, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, metro rail connectivity, industrial hubs such as Sanand and Becharaji, the Gujarat governmentâ??s recently announced satellite towns policy, and opportunities for integrated regional development.

ITPI has a presence across 26 states with more than 10,000 town planners as members. Adani Cement is the conferenceâ??s preferred brand partner.

/IANS