… the plan has been shared on a virtual platform for convenience and feedback

Sherab Lhamo

The draft Thimphu Structure Plan (TSP) was launched on a digital platform to seek public feedback yesterday. 

Nineteen years after its implementation in 2004, the TSP review plan was initiated in August last year. The plan will be reviewed once every five to 10 years. 

Its launch on Virtual Engage (VE) platform comes after the Royal Commission for Urban Development (RCUD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) and Thimphu Thromde worked on the Plan for more than nine months. 

Here is the link to the platform: https://thimphustructureplan.virtual-engage.com/

The Director of Department of Human Settlement under MoIT Tashi Penjor said that in the past only landowners and property owners came to the consultation meetings, so the plans would be only driven to them. “Even when other people came for the meeting they were unable to understand what is being discussed in those one to two hours,” he said. 

Through this VE platform, people can now go through the documentation and give feedback, their insights, and their vision for the capital city plan from any location, at any time. “For illiterate people, we still have the traditional way of going to Thimphu thromde or the ministry to discuss and give feedback,” said Tashi Penjor.

The platform enables the public to access information, view maps and drawings in a 3D format. 

TSP will serve as a roadmap to guide decisions and development, and regeneration activity until 2047. The next plan reviews would be expected in 2032 and 2042. 

The draft consists of key interventions grouped into three themes: urban structure and connectivity (land use, mobility, water utilities), socioeconomics development (employment, housing, community facilities), and nature and cultural preservation (green spaces, natural environment and cultural heritage).

According to the MoIT minister, around 20 percent of the country’s population resides in the capital city.  

The TSP of 2023-2047 (TSP) was developed by the RCUD with technical assistance from Arup, a global engineering expert, and Prior Partners.