Bhubaneswar: Odisha Urban Academy, under the aegis of the Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department, organised a Consultative Workshop on drafting a suitable a parking policy for urban areas of the state.
The workshop on the Draft Parking Policy for Urban Odisha brought together key stakeholders from across the state to deliberate on sustainable and practical solutions to the growing challenge of urban parking.
The workshop held on last Thursday witnessed the participation of senior officials from the H&UD Department, Municipal Commissioners, traffic and transport experts, town planners, architects, civil society representatives, and academicians. The deliberations focused on creating a comprehensive policy framework that will enable better management of parking, reduce congestion, and support safe and liveable cities.
Unregulated parking has emerged as one of the most pressing concerns in Odisha’s fast-growing urban areas. Addressing this, the draft policy has been designed to:
Regulate on-street and off-street parking through a structured system.
Introduce demand-based parking charges to discourage indiscriminate parking.
Promote sustainable mobility options such as walking, cycling, and public transport integration.
Ensure optimum utilisation of urban land and infrastructure.
Leverage smart technologies for efficient parking management.
Participants contributed valuable suggestions on integrating modern mobility trends, fostering private sector participation, and aligning the framework with environmental sustainability goals.
Special Secretary, H&UD Department, Rajesh Pravaakar Patil delivered the keynote address, presenting a detailed walkthrough of the draft policy and its potential to improve traffic flow, enhance safety, and create citizen-friendly urban spaces.
Expert inputs were shared by Mriganka Saxena, Zohra Mutabanna, Bankim Kalra, Aswathy Dilip, and Prof. Shalini Sinha, in a panel discussion moderated by Ashtha Malhotra, which sparked enriching ideas on Non-Motorised Transport (NMT), Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), and enforcement.
Once finalised, the Draft Parking Policy will serve as a guiding document for all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Odisha to implement efficient, transparent, and sustainable parking systems.
This initiative is aligned with the vision of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to develop inclusive, people-friendly, and sustainable cities across the state.
