In a significant push for sustainable urban development, the Odisha government has announced the establishment of the Odisha Urban Design Hub (OUDH)—a specialised planning body under the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The hub will oversee the transformation of 11 major cities across the state through a design-led, integrated development approach.
The OUDH will serve as the apex institution for embedding design excellence and heritage preservation into Odisha’s urban growth. It will focus on a multi-sectoral strategy that combines infrastructure planning, municipal finance, community engagement, and data-driven governance to create livable, inclusive cities.
The initiative covers urban centres such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Baripada, Jharsuguda-Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Koraput-Jeypore, Keonjhar, Phulbani, and Paradip.
For the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Khordha region, the hub will develop 15-minute city models centred around key transit corridors to enhance accessibility and urban livability. Additionally, seven flagship public space projects will be rolled out across the state with a focus on heritage, commerce, and community interaction.
The OUDH will also act as an implementation and advisory agency for future urban interventions, ensuring that projects are locally responsive and globally aligned.
This move aligns with the broader Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BCPPER) plan, which aims to transform the capital zone into a USD 500 billion economic cluster by 2047, with projects like a Puri Aerotropolis, Cuttack Medi-city, and a new smart city near Chandaka in the pipeline.
