The Shan State Department of Urban and Housing Development (DUHD) plans to carry out a town planning and capacity building program in collaboration with the Hlan Chi Programme, a UK Aid-funded cities and infrastructure project, according to the Myanmar Times Daily.
The town plan for Taunggyi includes both short and long-term projects in urban development planning and heritage restoration, said Shan State DUHD director-general U Tun Aung Kyaw.
The department has finished urban development plans for six townships including Mongmit, Mantong, Mong Hsat, Hopang, Namsang and Kokang.
Preparation of the town plan and capacity building program is underway for tourism development and heritage restoration in Kalaw township. For Kalaw, a Swedish organisation is helping with data collection.
The department is also managing housing developments for civil servants. So far, six five-storey buildings have been constructed for retired staff in Taunggyi and one five-storey building in Tachileik, U Tun Aung said.
The Shan State DUHD recently completed a total of 28 housing projects with 316 units in ten townships and 68 staff housing complexes with 1,046 units in 26 townships for civil servants.
Hlan Chi
Hlan Chi is part of the UK Aid funded Cities and Infrastructure for Growth Programme. It started in 2018 and will run until 2023. The programme aims to provide technical assistance (TA) to support development of productive cities and sustainable infrastructure to secure inclusive growth in Myanmar.
In addition, the urban planning in secondary cities, the programme supports the following projects:
- The Project Bank
- Capacity building for power purchase agreements
- Sustainable industrial zones
- Integrated urban planning in secondary cities
- Affordable housing
- Accounting reforms and revenue mobilisation
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Separately, we note that on 6 November, the Hlan Chi Programme Team met with Chairman of the Yangon Region Investment Committee and Chief Minister of Yangon Region, U Phyo Min Thein, to discuss implementation of the industrial zone database.
Hlan Chi aims to launch a database of the region's industrial zones to support industrial development and increase investment in the region.