What is Port Moresby's Urban Development Plan?
The purpose of the National Capital District Urban Development Plan (NCD UDP) Review Project is to prepare a revised overall master plan for the whole city. The existing NCD UDP was prepared in 2006, and is based on the exhaustive “Urban Development & Services Plan” prepared in 1996. The existing NCD UDP identifies the need for a more comprehensive and updated study. Preparing this updated study is the focus of the NCD UDP Review Project. The basis of this plan is the NCD Sectoral Profile, completed in 2015.
The resulting revised plan will provide the statutory policy framework for the land use, physical development and infrastructure services with a view to balance social objectives, economic advancement and environmental sustainability. This policy framework will help physical planners and developers achieve urban environments that are pleasant, safe, community-oriented and generally liveable.
Why is the Urban Development Plan important?
For several years Port Moresby has experienced a very rapid rate of population growth, an estimated 4% per annum, while total population is approaching half a million people. The city has also seen significant urban consolidation and extension. However the city structures have not kept pace with the growth.
The successful and orderly growth of any city will be the result of effective operation of a range of agencies: utilities providers, development agencies and an effective private property development sector.
NCD UDP Review Project's revision process and the resulting revised plan are important tools in identifying and improving on gaps in the successful implementation of the existing Urban Development Plan. The process is a way to propose a policy framework that is practical for the National Capital District, and addresses the current urban planning issues and challenges faced by the Port Moresby.
Balancing social objectives, economic advancement and environmental sustainability.
Who is preparing the revised plan?
The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has engaged Atlas Urban Design and Strategy PNG to prepare the revised plan. The NCDC Project Management team are facilitating the work of the Atlas Urban consultant team in the implementation of their tasks. Atlas Urban bring a team that has unrivalled experience in physical planning in PNG, combining technical expertise with a unique understanding of the real constraints and opportunities in Port Moresby. The team includes a combination of PNG national and international experts, all with wide experience in PNG. This existing foundation of knowledge about PNG planning culture will allow the team to move into the central tasks of the project with a thorough understanding of the study area.
An important input into the plan is the participation of the Community and Stakeholders, during the course of the project several rounds of formal engagement and consultation will be conducted. The main stakeholders included governmental agencies and departments as well as service provider and providers of social services. A targeted community consultation program will be conducted with the aim of focusing attention to local concerns and encouraging the participation and engagement of the local communities in the development of the area covered by the Urban Development Plan. In this way there are four main authors of the revised plan, are NCDC Strategic Planning with support from Atlas Urban.
How long will the project take?
The NCD Urban Development project was launched on the 26th October 2017 and is expected to run until mid 2018. This website will be updated regularly throughout the course of the project to provide updates on the process and progress of the Plan. Most importantly it will request valuable input from the Port Moresby community at different stages of the project.
How can we contribute?
The 'Have your say' page on this website opens up an opportunity for the early involvement of the community to express views, aspirations and ideas and provide critical input to the plan as it develops and takes shape. As the project progresses residents will be invited to contribute and share via this channel. If you have a spare moment we greatly appreciate you filling out a short questionnaire about what you love about your city, and what you would like to see happen in the future.