Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure/Urban Planning
Context
- The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced a new transit-oriented development (TOD) policy for Delhi.
About
- TOD projects typically combine residential, commercial and recreational spaces within walkable distances of transit hubs.
- The push is part of a broader strategy to promote integrated urban development along mass transit networks, including the Delhi Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors.
- Benefits of TOD:
- Higher quality of life with better places to live, work, and play.
- Greater mobility with ease of moving around.
- Reduced traffic congestion, car accidents and injuries.
- Reduced household spending on transportation, resulting in more affordable housing.
- Healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less stress.
- Increased foot traffic and customers for area businesses.
- Reduced dependence on foreign oil, reduced pollution and environmental damage.
Major Features of Delhi’s TOD Policy
- Aim: Creating large-scale, planned affordable housing projects for lower- and middle-income groups in Delhi.
- Areas Included: The policy opens up areas within 500 metres of metro lines, as well as near Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors and railway stations, for development.
- A total of 207 sq km in Delhi has been identified for TOD. Of this, around 80 sq km, including areas identified for land pooling, low-density residential zones, and unauthorised colonies.
- Planning: 65% of the permissible built-up area in TOD zones must be used for housing, with unit sizes largely capped at around 100 sq m to keep them within reach.
- The remaining 35% can be used for commercial activity, offices and other amenities, allowing the development of mixed-use neighbourhoods.
- The policy also encourages walkability, with provisions for pedestrian links connecting housing clusters to nearby transit stations.
- The revised norms reduce minimum plot size significantly and increase permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR), enabling denser construction.
- Shift in Policy Framework: The most important reform is the shift in the policy’s approach, from being node-based to corridor-based.
- Switching to the corridor logic and reducing the minimum plot size from one hectare to 2,000 square metres means more landowners, more plots, and more locations now qualify for inclusion.
- Single Window Clearance: The single-window clearance and unified TOD charge are introduced as the earlier policy’s insistence on Influence Zone Plans for approval was a procedural bottleneck.
- The policy mandates a 60% share for affordable housing.
Gaps in Policy:
- Uniform Application of FAR: The policy fixes the floor area ratio (FAR) mix and applies this formula uniformly across 207 square kilometres.
- There is no clarity on whether this particular mix is what these corridors actually need at the level of individual stations or neighbourhoods.
- A more apt approach would set a minimum residential obligation and allow the remaining mix to be determined through local planning for each station catchment.
- Design: TOD essentially focuses on a walking-friendly commuter district, but the policy says project proponents “may, at their option, provide a pedestrian walkway” connecting the site to the transit station.
- TOD neighbourhoods need to be cooler, greener, and more pleasant, to encourage people to choose walking over driving.
- The policy is meticulous about FAR, charge structures, and approval timelines, but almost silent on the quality of the streets, the comfort of the pedestrians/commuters, and the liveability of the neighbourhoods.
Conclusion
- It marks a progressive step towards creating compact, efficient, and sustainable urban spaces aligned with modern mobility needs.
- By integrating land use with mass transit corridors like the Delhi Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System, the policy has the potential to enhance accessibility, reduce congestion, and improve overall quality of life.
- However, its success will depend on moving beyond regulatory ease and density targets to prioritizing context-specific planning, pedestrian-friendly design, and liveability.
Source: HT
