science

Western Region Megapolis

Western Region Megapolis is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Western Region Megapolis rather than just read about it. In short: The Western Region Megapolis is an urban planning, zoning, and development area stretching from Negombo in the north to Beruwala in the south. It is designed to create a megapolis in Sri Lanka's Western Province by 2030.

Key takeaways

Western Region Megapolis belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Western Region Megapolis to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Western Region Megapolis from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Western Region Megapolis is an urban planning, zoning, and development area stretching from Negombo in the north to Beruwala in the south. It is designed to create a megapolis in Sri Lanka's Western Province by 2030. The plan was created by Surbana in cooperation with local experts. It hopes to create a Megacity that can match other economic hubs, such as Dubai, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo, and solve the issues of traffic congestion, garbage, slums, and environmental pollution. The project aims to foster economic growth and prosperity, good governance, the creation of an efficient and well-planned region, social equity and harmony, and environmental sustainability. The project includes social infrastructure development such as housing, healthcare, education, spiritual development, safety and security, transportation and traffic management, airport and port development, water- and energy-related infrastructure development, and the development of SMEs, industries and tourism.

History The concept was initially mooted in 1991 by the then young Sri Lankan Industries' Science and Technology Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He presented the plan to the visiting Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, with the objective of getting Japanese assistance to implement the project. However, development of the concept came to a halt with the change of the government in 1994. In 2004, the Singaporean Housing and Development Board's design subsidiary CESMA created the Western Region Megapolis plan. When Wickremesinghe returned to power and the proposal was submitted to the Board of Investment (BOI), however, the end of the administration again stopped the project. His successor Mahinda Rajapaksa mostly abandoned the plan but implemented piecemeal sections of the project. After returning to power in 2015, Wickremasinghe requested Surbana Jurong, the successor of CESMA, to revise the plan to suit the newer needs. The Megapolis plan was unveiled in a ceremony with Prime Minister Wickremesighe, President Maithripala Sirisena, and Megapolis and Western Province Development Minister Champika Ranawaka. In 2016 Siemens signed an MoU with the Ministry of Megapolis to provide solutions for smart cities.

Notable Developments

Colombo International Financial City

The Colombo International Financial City (CIFC) is a planned offshore city adjacent to Galle Face Green in Central Colombo that would be built on reclaimed land. It is touted as an international financial center and is funded by Chinese investment; the city will have a separate legal and financial system which is likely to be governed by the Chinese firms that control the land, although the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka still has the final word on legal matters.

Transport The megapolis project has several transport development proposals. The Plans include modernized bus service, an electrified railway system, a modern rapid transit system, and an inland water transport system for a new boat/ferry service that uses Colombo's historic canal network, a new urban expressway system, and improvements to existing roadways. Transport-related related projects identified by the master plan of Western Region Megapolis Planning Project are implemented under the Transport Development Project (TBD). The Western Region Megapolis Transport Masterplan has published the detailed plan. A new rail-based Rapid Transit System will be introduced in the Greater Colombo area. Bus, taxi and school transport systems in the region will be restructured and modernized. Bus stations and terminals will be upgraded. A transport information and analysis center is proposed in the project master plan.

Railways

Upgrading stations, rail tracks and signaling, communication and ticketing systems, and the introduction of new rolling stock have been proposed. Electrification of existing lines and several new lines are also proposed in the project. The main lines to be modernized and electrified are:

Panadura – Veyangoda – Polgahawela (RL-M1) -110 km Kelani Valley Line (RL-M3) -60 km Ragama to Negombo line with additional new airport access (RL-M2) -26 km Kottawa to Horana (RL-NR1) –22 km Kelaniya to Kosgama via Biyagama and Dompe (RL-NR2) - 30 km The first three lines already exist while the last two are proposed to be added to the net work in the future. The feasibility study on the Panadura–Veyangoda line has been proposed under the Colombo Suburban Railway Project under ADB assistance and in April 2016 the Ministry of Transport shortlisted the consultants for the feasibility study. The introduction of maglev high-speed rail has been proposed by the High Speed Railway Corporation (HSRC). It would connect Negombo in the north to Kollupitiya in the south.

Rapid Transit

The plan proposes a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system serving the designated Western Region Megapolis area within the Colombo District. The project will consist of seven elevated and surface-level tracks to cover major public institutions in the city and the suburbs. The Japan International Cooperation Agency agreed to fund the project and is assisting with the feasibility study. In 2017, various consulting services expressed interests in feasibility studies. In November 2017, the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development signed with a South Korean company, Seoyoung Engineering, to begin a feasibility study of the project. The planned construction in Colombo and its suburbs began in late 2018. The project is to be carried out in seven phases. The first phase would see the Light Rail system running from Malabe to Fort, with all seven phases covering a total distance of 75 km. The seven phases are listed below:

Green Line (RTS1) - 15 km - Fort – Kollupitiya – Bambalapitiya – Borella – Union Place – Maradana Yellow Line (RTS2) - 11.5 km - Fort – Maradana – Mattakkuliya and Peliyagoda Red Line (RTS3) - 10 km - Dematagoda – Borella – Narahenpita – Kirulapana – Havelock City – Bambalapitiya Purple Line (RTS4) - 10 km - Borella – Rajagiriya – Battaramulla – Malabe Pink Line (RTS5) - 9.6 km - Malabe to Kottawa Olive Line (RTS6) - 6 km - Malabe to Kaduwela Ash Line (RTS7) - 13 km - Peliyagoda to Kadawatha

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Western Region Megapolis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Western Region Megapolis claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Western Region Megapolis before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Western Region Megapolis ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Western Region Megapolis

In research: Western Region Megapolis appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Western Region Megapolis in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Western Region Megapolis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics City plans, Economy of Colombo, Economy of Sri Lanka, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Western Region Megapolis outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Western Region Megapolis” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Western Region Megapolis in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Western Region Megapolis means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Western Region Megapolis out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Western Region Megapolis in simple terms?

Why does Western Region Megapolis matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Western Region Megapolis?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Western Region Megapolis.