Engineering Consultants partners Keios Italy for Kandy City Urban Upgrading Project

• First of several under ‘Urban Vision’ of Sri Lanka by 2020

The joint venture between Engineering Consultants Ltd. (ECL), Sri Lanka’s leading multi-disciplinary consulting company, and Keios Development Consulting of Italy, has been awarded the consultancy contract of the Kandy City Urban Upgrading Project implemented by the Strategic Cities Development Project (SCDP). 

Keios provides planning, design and technical assistance services in the fields of urban development, cultural heritage and sustainable tourism.

The city of Kandy, the island’s hill capital, is renowned for the Temple of the Tooth Relic and many cultural endowments which has led to it being declared a UNESCO World Heritage City. However, this growing city’s location amidst lush mountain ridges poses new challenges for further expansion. As a result, the city is affected by several issues such as major traffic congestion, the lack of good pedestrian connectivity and vibrant public spaces, unplanned development, degradation of cultural assets, threats of landslides, lake shore erosion and social challenges due to impending gentrification. 

Furthermore, as a tourist destination, the city requires more quality facilities and attractions to ensure tourists spend more than a day exploring it. 

The Kandy City Urban Upgrading Project will transform the city’s built environment to a healthier, sustainable and respectful embodiment of the city’s rich heritage and make it a more vibrant city equipped with modern amenities for both citizens and tourists alike. 

Several projects are expected to be implemented, including the Kandy Lake Walk Around, retrofitting of D. S. Senanayake Public Library and surrounding areas, Market Zone, upgrading of the Post Office and surroundings, George E. De Silva Park and several other common spaces.

The World Bank and the Sri Lankan Government have embarked on the first phase of development to support this program through the SCDP, which has selected the Kandy and Galle city regions for its implementation. The Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development is executing the project with assistance from the International Development Association (IDA), which is part of the World Bank Group. The main objective of the SCDP Urban Upgrading Component is to upgrade key areas in the city of Kandy, transforming this city into a key tourism and economic centre. The Kandy City Urban Upgrading Project is planned as the first of several projects to be implemented under the SCDP’s ‘Urban Vision’ of Sri Lanka by 2020. Sri Lanka’s ‘Urban Vision’ is to develop as a system of competitive, environmentally-sustainable and well-linked cities and provide every family with affordable and adequate urban shelter by 2020.

Speaking about this historic project, ECL Managing Director Prabhath Jayasundara stated: “We are proud to be associated with such a groundbreaking project that will help restore the wonderful city of Kandy to its former majesty and glory. This is indeed yet another significant achievement for ECL and we are looking forward to the completion of the project. The company considers it a great honour to be given the opportunity to play a key role in the Government of Sri Lanka’s future urban city development across the island.” 

He added that the project would also create a world-class holistic urban design theme, adopting sustainable tourism attributes and a community-centric approach to the city. 

“ECL, as the local partner, will be responsible in assuring historic core regeneration, establishment of cultural identity and in harmonising the widely-accepted urban concepts to the city development,” he stated. 

He further revealed: “With our company’s vast experience in local architecture, infrastructure engineering, socioeconomic awareness, cost estimations and financial feasibility analysis within the context of sustainable development practices, ECL would achieve the deliverables of the project assuring the envisaged quality standards and the delivery timelines.” 

Engineering Consultants Ltd. (ECL) is a multi-disciplinary consulting company established in 1968 and is a fully-owned subsidiary company of MG Consultants Ltd. The company offers services from project concept to completion in a wide range of fields including architectural and building design services, highways and transportation, water supply, sewerage and sanitation, airports and harbours, irrigation and drainage, environment management and provincial and rural roads. 

Design of educational facilities, hospital and health care facilities, roads and highways are sectors that ECL has had a major focus in the recent past. ECL is a member of the Association of Consulting Engineers Sri Lanka (ACESL) affiliated to the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).