The Uttar Pradesh government has announced plans to prepare Geographic Information System (GIS)-based master plans for 93 tier II towns across 49 districts to guide planned and sustainable urban growth. The initiative aims to introduce scientific land use planning and improved infrastructure development as smaller urban centres expand. The project will create detailed digital maps to guide future urban growth and inform local decision making.

GIS platforms will integrate multiple layers of spatial data to map roads, public utilities, water bodies, transport corridors, residential zones and commercial areas, enabling a comprehensive view of existing conditions. The digital maps will allow planners to identify development gaps, prioritise investments and sequence projects more effectively. Municipal officials will be able to access the maps through urban geo portals for planning and service delivery. Centralised spatial data is intended to improve coordination between departments involved in urban development and service delivery.

The master plans are intended to act as long-term blueprints that determine land allocation for housing, industries, commercial establishments, public institutions, green spaces and transport infrastructure in each town. They are expected to support better monitoring of urban expansion and reduce instances of unplanned development by providing clear zoning and regulatory guidance. The programme targets Class II towns with populations between 50,000 and 99,999 and forms part of the broader central AMRUT 2.0 framework.

Under AMRUT 2.0 the central framework promotes the preparation of standardised base maps, land use maps, master plans and urban geo portals using GIS technology to foster uniform planning practice. Urban planning specialists have long argued that scientific, data-driven approaches are essential to tackle traffic congestion, uneven infrastructure distribution and inefficient land use. The state government expects the digital tools to equip emerging urban centres to manage growth and improve infrastructure quality in the years ahead.