Rapid urbanization evident in the state has been the result of unbridled urban sprawl and population explosion rather than enlargement of production base and the related economic development. Anthropogenic threats to the environment due to this trend of widespread urbanization occupying a large percentage of the state's landed resources are not fully comprehended by the civil society. Limiting the ecological and physical footprints of urbanization to an environmentally sustainable level is crucial for the overall development of the state both in terms of environmental quality and economic sustenance.

The 74th Constitutional amendment and subsequent state legislations have put forward a paradigm shift in the development planning process. The focus has shifted from physical planning to spatial planning for economic development. The inclusiveness of the development process is another important consideration in the nation at present. The Planning Commission, Government of India, in the Approach to 12th Five Year Plan, articulated this view by saying Urban planning cannot be limited to spatial allocations and engineering solutions: It must encompass and connect various socio-technical considerations too. The development plan has multiple objectives in this backdrop - to ensure efficiency of built form of the town so as to augment economic development, facilitate inclusive and faster development by the impetus given to various sectors of economy and put in place a regulatory mechanism for limiting the anthropogenic threats to the scarce environmental resources, keeping the demands of development well within the carrying capacity of our precious environment.

The Department of Town and Country Planning has been instrumental in the preparation of Town Planning Schemes in the State as per the provisions contained in the Town Planning Acts in force. Accelerated urbanization in the State, a fact underlined by the 2011 Census of India figures, made it imperative to prepare Master Plans for all urban settlements in the State on a priority basis. The Department has taken up the challenging task of preparation of 32 Master Plans in the first stage and further and further 29 in the next stage to cover all the municipal areas in the State. The preparation of Mattannur Master Plan was included in the latter list of 29 schemes.

Mattannur town was upgraded as a municipality in 1990 and hitherto no development plan was prepared for the town. This is the first venture in its kind and will be a base for the future plans to be followed in the coming decades. The study and analysis reveals that Mattannur is an emerging town with a strong agriculture background and expecting momentum with the functioning of Kannur International Airport. The urban facilities and civic amenities available for the citizens are very meagre and the economic activities are found very poor. Urban character is seen only at the core area of the town and the exterior portions remain as hinterlands. In this context, the advantage available with Mattannur town is that it's underdeveloped nature provides ample room for shaping it to the desired form. The planning intervention for the town is occurring at the right time and can therefore harness the town to a controlled and planned growth without muc disturbance to the qualitative environment present in the town.