17 Sep
The British Embassy in Yangon has announced a US$3.4 million project of the UK government to redesign two prominent streets in the city yesterday. Under the ‘Myoe Lann Thar project’, Pansodan street and Kyun Taw road will be upgraded in close collaboration with the Yangon City Development Committee. Consultations will also be held with local residents, businesses and street users before implementing the project which will focus on gender equality and inclusivity for ensuring that changes benefit all communities including people with disabilities, women, girls and those of all ages, according to the embassy’s press release.
The assessments were conducted in selecting these two roads for the project. Pansodan street, in the downtown grid, is an important historic site, while Kyun Taw road is a typical suburban road. British Ambassador to Myanmar, Mr Dan Chugg, said, “I am delighted that the UK will be using its expertise in urban development to help Myanmar’s cities grow sustainably, for the benefit of all local communities. We hope this project can act as a model for the future of Myanmar’s cities, and will demonstrate how urban development can go hand in hand with social inclusion and environmental sustainability.”
The engineering and consultancy firm, Mott MacDonald, will lead the project with a team of local and international specialists working in close collaboration with YCDC and other government partners. The project team has now started its engagement with local residents, distributing a newsletter in the communities around the chosen streets and launching the MyoeLannThar Facebook page to share updates and gather feedback.
Daw Hlaing Maw Oo, the Secretary of YCDC, said, “YCDC is very happy to be part of Myoe Lann Thar. This project provides us the opportunity to work together to solve problems that we cannot do alone. In addition to the support from the project, our city can gain benefits by closely working with experienced local and international organizations as well as individuals. We hope we can all work together to solve the problems we face.”
The project will explore the use of other online tools to ensure continued collaboration with local communities while respecting COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. After this participatory design process, construction work will begin in 2021. Daw Hla Hla Toe, a local resident of Kyun Taw road, said, “I have lived on this road for 50 years since I was born. I welcome this kind of project, which I had never heard of before, and hope it can bring a better quality of life for the residents and businesses. I hope to get a better car parking management system after this project.”
Myint Maung (Translated by Ei Phyu Phyu Aung)
