The Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning and Design (CoEUPD), National Institute of Technology Calicut, in association with the Department of Architecture and Planning (DAP), NIT Calicut, and UN-Habitat, successfully organised a series of programmes as part of Urban October 2026. The programmes brought together students, faculty members, experts and practitioners to discuss contemporary urban challenges and explore opportunities for building inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities.

The celebrations featured three major programmes. Habitat Dialogue 2026 – Housing for All, held on 5 October 2026 to mark World Habitat Day, was inaugurated by Dr. P. P. Anil Kumar, Chairman, CoEUPD. The programme included a field visit to the Chathamangalam Pottery Settlement, a housing exhibition and expert discussions focusing on adequate and inclusive housing.

The two-day programme From Ideas to Urban Practice, held on 7 and 8 October 2026, was inaugurated by Dr. Beena Philip, Former Mayor of Kozhikode. It aimed to bridge academic learning and practical urban planning through expert sessions, the Urban Blueprint Prize, Urban Brunch, MapQuest Kozhikode and interactive activities for school students. These activities encouraged participants to engage in field mapping, urban observation and documentation.

The concluding programme, Urban Futures Forum 2026 – Cities, People and Public Spaces, was organised on 30 October 2026 to commemorate World Cities Day. Inaugurated by Prof. Chetan Vaidya, Former Director, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi, the programme featured a city walk and PhotoQuest, a photography exhibition and competition, and expert discussions on inclusive cities, public spaces, housing and contemporary urban challenges.

The programmes were conducted under the guidance of Dr. P. P. Anil Kumar, Chairman, CoEUPD, and Dr. Naseer M. A., Head of the Department of Architecture and Planning, NIT Calicut. Programme coordination was undertaken by Dr. Chithra K., Dr. Mohammed Firoz, Dr. Bimal P. and Dr. Sanil Kumar. The initiatives were supported by Ms. Deepa P., Antony Gosh Zen V., Sakshi Anjali and M.Plan students, whose contributions played an important role in the successful conduct of the programmes.

Through academic discussions, field-based activities and creative engagement, Urban October 2026 provided a valuable platform for promoting dialogue and knowledge-sharing on inclusive, resilient and people-centred urban development. The successful conclusion of the celebrations reaffirms NIT Calicut's commitment to advancing urban research, sustainable development and practice-oriented education.