Kerala’s Urban Policy Commission(KUPC): Lessons for India

Syllabus: GS1/Society; Urbanisation

Context

• Recently, Kerala Cabinet decided to tackle the rapid urbanisation with the Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC), in response to projections indicating that over 80% of Kerala will be urbanised by 2050, outpacing the country’s average.

About the Kerala Urban Policy Commission (KUPC)

• It is India’s first State-level urban commission, was set up in December 2023, with a 25-year roadmap for reimagining cities as climate-aware, people-centred ecosystems.
• It aims to build resilient, inclusive, and climate-ready cities tailored to Kerala’s unique realities, reflecting a shift from reactive governance to strategic planning.
• KUPC submitted its report in March 2025, which laid out a blueprint for:
  • A digital data revolution;
  • Governance reforms;
  • Financial empowerment for municipalities;
  • Reviving cultural and ecological identity.

Key Recommendations of the KUPC

• Climate-Responsive Planning: Hazard-based zoning integrating flood, landslide, and coastal risk maps.
  • Planning that anticipates disasters rather than reacting afterward.
• Data-Driven Governance: A Digital Data Observatory at KILA to centralise LIDAR, satellite, tide, and weather data.
  • Real-time intelligence accessible to every municipality.
• Financial Empowerment: Municipal bonds for major cities like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
  • Pooled bonds for smaller towns.
  • Green fees and climate insurance to fund resilience and ensure pre-approved payouts for disasters.
• Governance Overhaul: City cabinets led by mayors, replacing bureaucratic inertia.
  • Specialist municipal cells on climate, waste, and mobility.
  • ‘Jnanashree’ program to embed youth tech talent in governance.
• Place-Based Economic Revival:
  • Thrissur-Kochi: FinTech hub;
  • Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam: Knowledge corridor;
  • Kozhikode: City of literature;
  • Palakkad & Kasaragod: Smart-industrial zones.
• Commons, Culture, and Care: Revival of wetlands and waterways; Protection of heritage zones.
  • City health councils for migrants, gig workers, and students.

Key Innovations in Kerala’s Urban Policy

• The KUPC report and the Kerala Urban Conclave 2025 introduced several pioneering ideas like City Cabinets; Local Economic Development Departments; Green Fees; Decentralised Waste Management; and Climate-Risk Insurance & Carbon Sink Zones.
• A feedback loop where citizen stories fuel data, and data fuels policy.
  • These dismantle silos in planning, finance, and governance, creating a 360° urban intelligence system.

Lessons for Other States & India

• Long-Term Vision: Planning for 25 years, not just electoral cycles.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Inclusive consultations with citizens, experts, and civil society.
• Climate Integration: Embedding resilience into every urban decision.
• Decentralised Governance: Empowering local bodies with autonomy and resources.
• Policy-Research Synergy: Linking academic insights with practical implementation.
• Other lessons include:
  • Constitute time-bound urban commissions.
  • Merge technical data with community knowledge.
  • Institutionalise citizen dialogue through data observatories.
  • Empower local bodies with fiscal tools like bonds and risk premiums.
  • Embed youth and specialists in governance systems.

Source: TH