Draft:Mahinda Withanaarachchi
{{AFC submission|d|bio|u=Prof-Declercq|ns=118|decliner=Bonadea|declinets=20250402181203|ts=20250402150039}}
{{AFC comment|1=No indication of notability. Most of the sources are neither secondary nor independent, and those that are independent only mention Withanaarachchi's name in passing (no significant coverage). bonadea contributions talk 18:12, 2 April 2025 (UTC)}}
----
{{Short description|Sri Lankan architect and urban planner, government official}}
{{Draft topics|biography|visual-arts|south-asia}}
{{AfC topic|blp}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mahinda Withanaarachchi
| image = Mahinda_Wathanaarachchi_2024_Director_General_UDA_-_Office.jpg
| caption = Mahinda Withanaarachchi in 2024
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1965}}
| birth_place = Sri Lanka
| nationality = Sri Lankan
| education = University of Moratuwa
KU Leuven
| occupation = Architect, Urban Planner, Civil Servant
| known_for = Director General of the Urban Development Authority (UDA)
| employer = Urban Development Authority
| website = [https://www.uda.gov.lk www.uda.gov.lk]
}}
Mahinda Chandralal Withanaarachchi (born 1965) is a Sri Lankan architect, urban planner, and public administrator. He is the current Director General of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) of Sri Lanka. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has played a leading role in shaping Sri Lanka's urban infrastructure through national development plans, heritage preservation, post-conflict reconciliation, and public-private partnerships.
Early life and education
Withanaarachchi received his secondary education at Galahitiyawa Central College in Ganemulla. He earned his B.Sc. in Built Environment and M.Sc. in Architecture from the University of Moratuwa in 1992. In 1998, he obtained a Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) from KU Leuven in Belgium.[http://124.43.163.5/sliapublic/memdicview.php?showdetail=&entry_id=22 Sri Lanka Institute of Architects – Mahinda Chandralal Withanaarachchi]
Career
= Urban Development Authority =
Withanaarachchi joined the Urban Development Authority (UDA) in 1994 and has held several senior roles, including Deputy Director and Additional Director General, before his current position as Director General.[https://lankainformation.lk/directory/professions/architects/2443-mahinda-chandralal-withanaarachchi LankaInformation.lk – Architect Profile]
As head of the UDA, he oversees the implementation of government policy on urban planning, infrastructure, and land use. The UDA is responsible for city redevelopment, heritage site conservation, slum upgrading, and managing investor partnerships for large-scale real estate projects. His leadership was central in the revival of the stalled Megapolis Planning Project in 2023.[https://www.themorning.lk/articles/6ZQT5uvWjCvEAuiZuONK The Morning – Restarting Megapolis project]
He also played a key role in addressing legal and planning complexities around the Krrish Square Project, a US$650 million public-private development that stalled after land allocation.[https://www.themorning.lk/articles/ooaAw4HE38X8s9eOWYMq The Morning – Krrish Project]
He has contributed to Colombo's climate resilience through wetland redevelopment projects, turning flood-prone areas into managed urban parks and biodiversity zones.[https://www.newsfirst.lk/2023/05/15/colombo-wetlands-redevelopment-project-launched/ News First – Wetlands Project]
= National Reconciliation and Public Policy =
In 2024, he was appointed to the President's Expert Committee on Memorialization, which recommended commemorating victims of Sri Lanka's internal conflict through a centrally located memorial archive.[https://v3.news.lk/news/political-current-affairs/item/36488-expert-committee-on-memorialization-hands-over-report-to-president News.lk – Memorialization Committee]
He has supported using urban planning to foster intercommunal harmony, such as promoting peace education through inclusive public spaces.[https://www.dailynews.lk/2024/02/10/local/peace-education-integrated-into-urban-development/ Daily News – Peace Education]
= Educational Infrastructure =
Withanaarachchi also supports the integration of education and regional development. In July 2024, he represented the UDA at the opening of the Dambulla City Campus of Technology, part of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU).[https://www.defence.lk/Article/view_article/28076 Ministry of Defence – KDU Campus]
He contributed to the implementation of the Colombo Light Rail Transit project, addressing traffic congestion and promoting sustainable urban mobility.[https://www.sundaytimes.lk/2024/03/20/news/colombo-lrt-project-progresses-under-uda-supervision/ Sunday Times – LRT Project]
Other roles
He serves as a presidential appointee to the University Grants Commission, representing the Institute of Town Planners, Sri Lanka.[https://www.ugc.ac.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14:engineering-a-architecture&catid=2:standing-committees&lang=en&Itemid= UGC – Town Planning Representative]
He is also a contributing member of the National Council for Sustainable Development, which formulates policy related to Sri Lanka’s Sustainable Development Goals.[https://www.environmentmin.gov.lk/web/index.php/en/ncsd National Council for Sustainable Development]
Professional affiliations
- Associate Member, Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA), since 1995[http://124.43.163.5/sliapublic/memdicview.php?showdetail=&entry_id=22 Sri Lanka Institute of Architects – Mahinda Chandralal Withanaarachchi]
- Member, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- Registered Architect, ARB No. CA99313
Personal life
He resides in Pelawatta, Sri Lanka. He is expected to retire in 2025 after over 30 years of public service.
See also
External links
- [https://www.uda.gov.lk Urban Development Authority official website]