ABSTRACT
Against a backdrop of knowledge gap and a corollary absence of informed policy intervention in Kohima, a historical context as well as a spatial and socio-economic profile of the city are provided to set a stage for engaging in an empirical enquiry of urbanism in Kohima. SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of Kohima divulges that it exhibits agglomeration economies, and is in terms of socio-economic indicators, relatively better off than almost, if not, all the urban spaces in the state. For myriad potentials, the economic salience of Kohima as an agglomeration centre for the state and the region is immense. The performance of the otherwise potential regional centre of growth is nonetheless sub-optimal. Many urban challenges confront the city, with urban mobility as a starkly major problem that is keeping the city in a standstill. Towards realizing all the potentials, and to achieve a sustained economic growth and development of Kohima, the urban policy should leverage the strengths and opportunities of the city as well as mitigate the weaknesses and threats of the city.
