Stakeholder Preference for Ongoing Green Urban Planning in Kandy

Urban planning has become a mind stimulating concept in the twenty-first century which has been successfully adapted by many countries in the world in order to achieve a sustainable urban development. Stakeholders as the ultimate beneficiaries, plays a vital role in urban development platform whose opinions must be critically considered in the decision making process of urban planning. This research attempts to question and assess the preference of three stakeholder groups regarding the planning interventions that have been applied recently in the Kandy urban development platform. Its objective is to contribute insights to the planning and design of urban greening in Kandy in order to support user needs and preferences. The study is conducted through mixed methods via a visual preference survey and a semi-structured questionnaire survey. Samples were selected by judgmental sampling method including professionals, permanent residents and daily travelers within the Kandy Municipal Council area. This study reveals that the three stakeholder groups have different preferences towards the ongoing urban planning interventions based on their daily interactions with the city. In a nutshell, it can be stated that the stakeholder preference is well inclined towards manageable urban green spaces. They prefer the ongoing projects implemented beneath strategic cities development programme where the green features are incorporated and sometimes their preference pervades over strategic interventions and embrace the existing natural. Stakeholders emphasize the drastic need of green infrastructure planning into Kandy as a futuristic strategy in order to bridge the gap between compact urban constructions and natural ecosystems. Hence, it’s essentially important to promote a social discourse on best green planning practices raising awareness and academic stimuli. Moreover, the research evidences can be utilized to indicate the potential strengths and weaknesses of ongoing planning endeavors and broader researches must be conducted to execute further visually preferred plans in Kandy.