Chennai, Feb 14 (PTI) Claiming that the demand for sustainable housing was likely to increase in the coming years, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday called for innovative urban development plans to meet the increasing requirement.

He said efforts were on to prepare master plans for 136 cities, including Coimbatore, Madurai, Hosur, Salem, Tiruppur, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore and Tirunelveli.

For the city, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) was developing the third master plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) focussing on sustainable urban development, he said, while inaugurating the 17th edition of FAIRPRO 2025, a real estate exhibition being organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations (CREDAI) here.

The exhibition features over 500 projects spanning 32.5 million square feet of residential space, 0.25 million sq ft of commercial space, and 325 acres of plotted development in Chennai.

Speaking at the three-day event, the chief minister said housing and urban development, which includes real estate and infrastructure development, was an important sector that ensures the economic growth of the state.

"Tamil Nadu is highly urbanised with nearly 48 per cent of its population living in urban areas. This will increase further in the coming years enhancing the demand for sustainable housing. Therefore, innovative urban development plans should be prepared," the CM stressed.

The state government was actively involved in preparing the third master plan for Chennai to promote urban development and improve the quality of life of the people, focusing on sustainable development, economic progress, and technological initiatives. "This will guide the development of the Chennai Metropolitan Area for the next 20 years," he said.

Similar plans were being readied for developing cities and villages across Tamil Nadu. Plans were being evolved for 136 cities, including Coimbatore, Madurai, Hosur, Salem, Tiruppur, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, and Tirunelveli and the master plans for Coimbatore and Madurai will be published by next month, the chief minister said.

Nine satellite townships will be formed around Chennai city namely Minjur, Tiruvallur, Tirumazhisai, Mamallapuram, Chengalpattu, Kanchipuram, Maraimalainagar, Thirupperumbudur, and Paranthur.

"When I attended the FAIRPRO 2023, I assured to implement a single window system and online building permission mechanism and the same is being implemented now," Stalin said.

Under this scheme, the number of planning permissions granted for land and buildings has increased by 45 per cent and the time taken to approve plans has been reduced from 180 days to between 64 and 90 days. "This is a small example of how our Dravidian model government has always been a government that understands the needs of the public," the chief minister said.

Further, keeping in mind the transport needs of the CMA, modern transport terminals will be opened next year at Chengalpattu and Mamallapuram. The Chennai Shoreline Renourishment and Revitalisation Private Limited, to develop the coastline and lakes, has evolved plans for Rs 250 crore to develop 12 lakes and 4 coastal areas. This will ensure recreational facilities for the people besides preventing inundation, Stalin said.

"Our aim is to develop all areas, regardless of whether they are urban or rural," the chief minister emphasised and sought CREDAI's cooperation in this regard. Also, he urged CREDAI to facilitate the development of industrial parks and office spaces in Chennai and other parts of the state. PTI JSP KH

Sustainable urban development: master planning and streamlined building permissions to accelerate housing and infrastructure delivery. Tamil Nadu is implementing coordinated master planning and regulatory reforms to support sustainable urban development. The state is preparing new master plans for multiple cities and the Chennai Metropolitan Area, establishing satellite townships, transport terminals, and coastal and lake revitalisation projects. A single window system and online building-permission mechanism have been introduced to accelerate approvals, and the government seeks developer cooperation to deliver industrial parks, office space, and housing through combined public planning and private participation.