TOWN PLANNING

TERMINOLOGIES

Group 1
Abhishek Kumar

Anupam Dutta

Rashi Jaiswal

Manvi Jain
Town planning in India

Town planning: The term town planning is used to indicate the arrangement of various
components or units of a town in such a way that the town as such attains the
significance of a living organisms. It also includes the ways and means to be adopted
for the improvement of the existing towns or for the extensions of the town.
Planning: is a process of helping a community, identify its problems and its central
values, formulating goals and alternative approaches to achieving community
objectives, and avoiding undesired consequences of change. This process of planning
results in frameworks for coping with change. Some are physical elements such as
streets, roads, and sewer lines. Some are concepts that serve as guides to action, such
as the goal of becoming a major distribution center or of encouraging investment in the
core of the city. Some are regulatory, reflecting the desires of the community to
encourage good development and discourage bad development.
Forms of planning:
Local planning: it is largely influenced by the economic conditions for the development
of the town. Keeping in view of these, the development plan is prepared. The population
is spread over the town uniformly keeping the density of population as low as possible.
Zones are formed and traffic regulations are maintained.
Country Planning: The country is allowed to develop in an orderly manner and on pre-
determined lines. There should be no haphazard (laissez faire) methods in the planning.
The town should be linked with the surrounding villages by suitable transport facilities.
Scope should be given to village industries in the form of poultry farms, dairies, weaving
industries maintaining a proper balance with the agriculture in the village development
scheme.
Regional Planning: Regional planning means planning of a much larger unit than a
town called "region'. The planning is done more or less on the same principles of town
planning. Region includes the territory lying within easy reach such as 15 to 50 km and
containing number of villages and townships. The regional planning helps to develop
the region in a co-ordinated manner. It deals with planning of regional highways,
regional transport, regional water supply, drainage etc. It also takes into account the
overall development of towns, villages in the region and provides sites for new towns for
rehabilitation for the displaced persons from the main city.
National Planning: The planning process is done on a national level. It considers the
resources, potentialities in different fields of the nation as a whole. It helps to utilise the
national resources in the best possible way for the development of the nation. Works of
national importance such as Railways, Irrigation, Heavy Industries, Hydro-electric
Works come under National Planning. Our various Five-Year Plans can serve as an
example of National Planning.
International Planning: International planning came into existence with the
establishment of United Nations Organization or UNO. Its aims at promoting
cooperation, goodwill among different nations of the world. UNO has appointed various
agencies to conduct the survey in different fields of human life, like health, housing,
food, education etc. and to provide suitable solutions to these problems at international
level.
GROWTH OF TOWNS
1. According to origin
2. According to direction

Methods of External Growth: the growth of the town can be classified in two types:
1. Growth according to origin
A. Natural growth: here the town is the result of evolution, rather than pre-
thought or pre-planned development. The towns have developed as a
matter of chance than design. Here the primary factors are availability of
water, rich soil, immediate comfort and convenience of the people, rather
than other amenities like schools, playgrounds, hospitals, theatres,
transport system, commerce and industries, etc.

a) Concentric spread: Concentric spread: Here the town develops in the

form of concentric rings, with nucleus as town since the natural tendency
of the people is to keep the center, nucleus or heart of the town as near as
possible. Such a town soon suffers from improper houses, concentration
of the people in the heart of the town, congestion of the traffic and
accidents.

b) Satellite growth: The satellite growth implies dependency on the parent

city but still possessing its own identity. See Fig. 2.1. When a town
reaches a certain size, satellite devolution must take place, to break the
suburban sprawl beyond that size. Since its periphery falls away from the
heart of the parent city, it becomes less convenient and uncomfortable for
the distant people.

c) Ribbon development: Here the development is in the form of a ribbon or

line i.e. a single row of house along the bus-stops, bus routes, railway
lines, railway stations.
 In the beginning this growth is very small along the roadside but soon it
occupies whole of the rea. It happens especially in newly developing
towns where rules and zoning regulations have not been strictly enforced.
Ribbon development has become a regular feature where we find
overcrowding of all types of buildings such as schools, factories, petrol
pump etc. This type of development is more dangerous from traffic point of
view.

d) Scattered growth: Here the town shows erratic growth, scattered here
and there, in a very irregular way, without any order. It results into traffic
congestions, stums and lack of open spaces.

B. Planned Growth: In this case, the town develops on pre-determined line

as prepared by the own planner. The development is in orderly fashion.
The following points shall be considered for the planned growth of the
town.

a) Selection of site for the town

2. Growth according to direction:

A. Horizontal growth: The city can grow horizontally in all direction, to

accommodate the growing population. It is clear that such horizontal
growth is economical at places where the land is cheap.

B. Vertical growth: Here city grows vertically which is done by adding more
floors to the existing building or by constructing high rise or multistoried
buildings. This type of growth is suitable where the land is costly.

Stages in the growth of towns:

The primary town is one which produces human necessities such as agricultural
village.
The secondary town is one which functions as Centre of exchange such as marketing
town.
The tertiary town is one which provides residential, educational and recreational
facilities. In reality a town is a mixture of all the above categories
Lewis Mumford has given six categories which are as follows:
• Eopolis: Here town grows as one care unit. It is economy is based on
agriculture.

• Polis: Here town grows into a small urban unit of self-contained community. It
has a commerce and industries etc.

• Metropolis (Mother city): Here the city grows to its full stature, with high
population density and large potentialities with all facilities like water supply,
drainage, electricity, transport, commerce and industries etc. (London, Bombay
and Calcutta etc.)

• Megalopolis: It is an overgrown city into a mess due to growing expansion of

industries high-rise buildings, multi-track roads, mass housing, mass
transportation. In its overgrown nature, lie the germs of its decay which begin to
creep in all portions of the city.

• Tyrannopolis: The city shows further decay in all the fields like trade,
commerce, military power etc.

• Necropolis: The city is in the worst stage and unfit for dwelling. So it is the city of
the dead where one finds disease, famine, economic breakdown etc. (Persepolis,
Babylon etc.)
TOWN PLANNING IN ANCIENT INDIA
In “viswa karmaprakash “it is stated that, ‘first layout the towns and then plan the
houses.”
MANSARA SILPASHASTRA- It deals with many aspects of town planning, such as
study of soil, climatic condition, topography, fixing orientation to get maximum
advantages of the sun and the wind, and layout of various types of town plans.
TYPES OF TOWN PLANS:
DANDAKA: Dandaka, literally means a village that resemble, a staff. Its streets are
straight and cross each other at right angles at the centre, running west to east, and
south to north.

SWASTIKA: Svastika has got a special feature that its streets should be planned in
conformity with the figure Svastika
PADMAKA (LOTUS SHAPED): Padma or Padmaka shape is just a like lotus.

SARVATOBHADRA is oblong or square.

NANDYAVARTA (FLOWER SHAPED): Nandyavarta is just like Sarvatobhadra and is
very auspicious.

PRASTARA: Prastara- etymologically means a village resembling a conch.

CHATURMUKHA: Caturmukha is square or blong lying east-to -west-wise so that its
walls are also of similar shape.

KARMUKHA (BOW SHAPED): Karmuka, is bow-shape.

• The Suburban Sprawl: The unco-ordinated inefficient scattering of residential
areas over the country side- has proved the folly of horizontal development.
Naturally, vertical development in the form of skyscrapers is seen to be popular
though the building requires large investments of funds and high technical
knowledge. Modern town is no more a control of two dimensions i.e. length and
breadth, but it must be considered from third dimension also, i.e. height.

• Urban Area: This term is used to mean a limited area in which a large number of
people are permanently residing and they are separated from other centres by a
much greater area of thinly populated land. It is also understood that the
residents of an urban area are normally, although not wholly, engaged in non-
agricultural activities or occupations. Thus, the urban areas are very much a
human invention and their primary function is to carry out service activities from
centralized locations for the benefit of the surrounding agricultural area.

• Rural areas: In the rural areas the smallest area of habitation, viz., the village
generally follows the limits of a revenue village that is recognised by the normal
district administration. The revenue village need not necessarily be a single
agglomeration of the habitations. But the revenue village has a definite surveyed
boundary and each village is a separate administrative unit with separate village
accounts. It may have one or more hamlets. The entire revenue village is one
unit. There may be unsurveyed villages within forests etc., where the locally
recognised boundaries of each habitation area are followed within the larger unit
of say the forest range officers jurisdiction.

• Urban Agglomerations or conurbation: The word conurbation is derived from

the latin word conurbs, con means together and urbs means city. Hence, the
linking up of urban areas is known as the conurbation or urban agglomeration.
The term conurbation was coined by Patrick Geddes, the Scottish biologist who
was a pioneer in city planning and in the modern times it indicates development
around the metropolis or chief centre of the locality. Thus, the conurbation
indicates metropolitan area.

The growth of towns in the form of suburbs requires to be properly planned. The
uncontrolled growth of urban areas leads to conurbations. It is for this reason that
a garden city is to be surrounded by a green belt. The provision of a green belt
prohibits conurbation
• Housing: Housing is a social unit, planned on neighborhood or community
principle. Housing, in general sense, is the layout and development of residential
units in which people can live in pleasant, peaceful and healthy surroundings with
social, cultural and recreational facilities.

• Town or City: town or a city is a place of urban living. urban means an

environment in which natural surroundings have been dominated by artificial or
man-made surroundings, which man build for himself – for his living, working and
recreation.
A city also means a place, in citizens with rights of citizenship, live a civil life.

• Slums: A slum is an overcrowded poverty-stricken area having a lack of open

spaces and presence of unhealthy residential structures. The formation of slum
converts the land into a place of vices and miseries and more or less it results
into the state of hell on the surface of earth. The slum dwellers live under
conditions impairing their health and happiness and they live there because they
cannot afford better housing.

• Urban Renewal: The blighted areas of the towns are due to civic neglect. The
blight is generally, formed due to those conditions brought about over a long
period of obsolescence, decay, neglect and characterised by sub-standard
housing, incongruous land use, lack of open spaces, parks, playfields,
encroachment of industries on residential areas, congestion, inadequate
communication facilities lack of public utility services and the like.
The only solution to improve the condition of towns is to eliminate the existing
and prevent the future blight in urban areas. An action to be taken to remove the
blight is called urban renewal.

• Urban renewal projects: When a town has reached at an advance stage of

deterioration, it becomes necessary to adopt immediate and forceful actions to
improve undesirable conditions. The drastic measures for this purpose may
include pulling down of the deteriorated structures, carrying out extensive
renovation of the buildings to be retained, redesigning the street system,
changing the pattern of land use, etc. The procedure to be followed for
implementing all such measures is termed as the urban renewal project.
• Urban decentralization and recentralization: It is now realized that evils of
congestion in towns appear as a consequence of ill-planned centralization rather
than centralization itself. However, the decentralization affords many community
advantages such as dispersion of industries, better living condition of workers,
more opportunities for employment, stimulation of country development, etc. at
the same time, the unplanned decentralization of both industry and population
may lead to such evils as ribbon development, lack of skilled and trained
workers, higher costs of production, inadequate supply of raw materials, etc.
thus, at present, the movement for relieving congestion in the towns is better
defined by the term recentralization.

• Street system: The layout of street in a neighborhood unit should ensure safety
from traffic accidents to school going children and the population as a whole. The
neighborhood unit should be bounded on all sides by main streets wide enough
to encourage the passing of vehicles around rather than through the unit.

• Green belts: A strip land provided on the periphery of a town for the special
purpose of limiting the growth of a town is known as the green belt. The land
contained in the green belt are to be used for carrying out the agricultural
activities and the construction of a buildings in green belt is strictly prohibited.

• The rural–urban fringe, also known as the outskirts, rurban, peri-urban or

the urban hinterland, can be described as the "landscape interface between
town and country", or also as the transition zone where urban and rural uses mix
and often clash. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a landscape type in its own
right, one forged from an interaction of urban and rural land uses.
Surveys

Survey: Surveys are carried out by looking for facts already recorded by other
investigators and authorities and by original field works on the spot. The latter may be
necessary because an item has never been studied before or because facts and figures
need to be bought up-to-date. The surveys establish ultimately the present state of town
and indicate the measures for its improvements.

Types of surveys:

1. Town or city survey:

A. Physical survey: These are conducted in two ways i.e. through land
survey and aerial survey. In physical survey four types of information or
data are collected.

a) Natural Features survey i.e. location in respect to existing towns & region,
topography & soil conditions, climatology etc.

b) Land Use survey i.e. use of land for residential, commercial, or social purposes,
public & semi-public spaces, open spaces, transportation networks, agriculture,
water elements, vacant lands & other uses.

c) Building Conditions survey i.e. buildings are in very good, good, poor, or in
bad condition.

d) Communications survey i.e. highways, roads and its network & railway
junctions and its network, availability of parking facilities in the city, origin &
destination (O&D) survey, accidents survey; and future trends of traffic surveys
etc.

B. Social survey: The social aspects of a town life are studied under this
survey. The items which are to be included consist of community
structures, history, architecture, health conditions, housing and public
services.
 C. Economic survey: Occupational conditions, survey of industries, survey
of commerce, financial position of local authorities, utility services.

2. Regional survey: The regional survey is conducted on a slightly bigger scale as

compared to civic survey. The purpose of regional survey and civic survey is the
same, namely, to investigate the economical, physical and social conditions of
the area to be covered up under the town planning schemes.

3. National survey: A study of national resources and potentialities gives a broad

vision for the requirements of town planning schemes. The policies and
procedures adopted by nation as a whole affect considerably the proposals of
town planning schemes. For instance, if it is decided on a national level that
industries should be decentralized, it should be seen while re-planning big cities
that there are no additional industries developing in the town.

4. Civic survey- This is local level small scale survey conducted for redevelopment
scheme, slum improvement scheme and master plan development. The socio-
economic survey is the foundation stone of planning structure. Because it is the
detailed house to house survey which helps a town planner to diagnose the core
problems & issues to develop its remedies through planning. There are eleven
types of aspect covered in socio-economic survey.

Proforma: Before carrying out the survey, it is necessary to divide the town in wards or
blocks and each block is further sub-divided into street units. The houses to be
surveyed are given survey numbers both on the street unit plan and survey proforma.
Planning Concepts

Planning: is a process of helping a community, identify its problems and its central
values, formulating goals and alternative approaches to achieving community
objectives, and avoiding undesired consequences of change. This process of planning
results in frameworks for coping with change. Some are physical elements such as
streets, roads, and sewer lines. Some are concepts that serve as guides to action, such
as the goal of becoming a major distribution center or of encouraging investment in the
core of the city. Some are regulatory, reflecting the desires of the community to
encourage good development and discourage bad development
Neighborhood is the sub-division of urban/rural settlement. By definition, it is the
vicinity in which people live. Neighborhood is an integrated, and planned urban area
related to the larger community of which it is a part; consisting of residential districts,
schools, shopping facilities, religious buildings, open spaces, etc.
Residential Neighbourhood: An area within a local authority's geographic boundary
that is zoned or designated by the local authority for general purpose as an area
primarily used for single-family residences. Residential Neighbourhood does not include
multiple commercial properties and is subjected to prescribed speed limits and traffic
controls.
Neighborhood planning: The concept of neighborhood planning is fundamentally an
American idea and it is based on the simple principle that one is planning for a society
and not for an aggregate of houses. It is the general tendency of all the human beings
to be friendly with neighbors and to share their interests.
Layouts of Neighbourhoods
Various types of neighbourhood layouts:
• Rectangular/ grid-iron pattern
• Cul-de-sac layout
• Shoe-string pattern
Grid-Iron layout:
The layout plan is almost square with roads
meeting at right angles. This pattern is suitable
for flat country, but is not suitable from the point
of view of traffic.
Cul-de-sac layout
A comparatively narrow street or approach road with a dead-end is known as cul-de-sac
street. At one end, it is connected with the main road and at the other end, it is provided
with a bulbous end or some such arrangement so that vehicles may take a turn to return
to the main road.

Shoe-string development
In this case the houses are arranged around a local road encircling a park in the center
it is an improved variety of cul-de-sac.
PLANNING CONCEPTS
• CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT (1893)
• GARDEN CITY CONCEPT (1902)
• CONURBATION THEORY (1915)
• CONSTELLATION THEORY (1915)
• BURGESS MODEL (1925)
• RADBURN CONCEPT (1928)
• CORBUSIER THEORY (1929)
• BROAD ACRE CITY (1932)
• CENTRAL PLACE THEORY (1933)
• MULTIPLE NUCLEI MODEL (1945)

Garden city
As a long-term measure for reducing load on existing town or a city, the concept of
garden city was floated by a shorthand writer in the House of Commons, Ebenezer
Howard (1850-1928), in the year 1889 in his small remarkable book To-morrow, later re-
published under the title Garden cities of To-morrow.
A garden city is a town designed for healthy living and industry; of a size that makes
possible a full measure of social life, but not larger; surrounded by rural belt; the whole
of the land being in public ownership or held in trust for the community.

Three magnets concept

Howard attempted to push his idea of a garden city by an impressive diagram of The
Three Magnets.
He mentioned the advantages and disadvantages of town life and country life on the
respective two magnets, namely town magnet and country magnet.
On the third magnet, he wrote the attractive features of town and country life and then
posed the problem, where will the people go? The attractive features on town-country
magnet were beauty of nature, bright homes and gardens, high wages low rents, no
slums, no smoke, fresh air, healthfulness and social opportunity. Thus, Howard found
the solution in a combination of the advantages of town and country in the town-country
magnet and he proposed a town in the country.
Radburn concept

Clarence Stein and Henry Wright, two American architect and planners, were greatly
influenced by the concept of garden city of Ebenezer Howard. They prepared the town
plan in 1928 for Radburn, New Jersey, about 25 km from New York, USA. The land
required for development was purchased by the New York City Housing Corporation
and the plan aimed to accommodate about 25000 persons. The idea of architects in the
preparation of layout at Radburn was not to construct a new town or a garden city, but
to develop a new form of design for community housing to suit the requirements of the
age of automobiles. The Radburn layout is a sort of garden suburb laid out on
neighborhood principle.
Housing
Housing is the layout and development of residential units in which people can live in
pleasant, peaceful and healthy surroundings with social, cultural and recreational
facilities. House is defined by the national building organization as a pucca or semi-
pucca unit of dwelling that can accommodate an average household.
Formal settlements are those that are recognized by the government which in turn
provides administration and management. Such settlements are expected to provide
shelter over a longer period, and access to basic services.
Informal settlements are spontaneous sites not recognized, managed or significantly
assisted by the authorities. These should be considered as short-term emergency
transit sites, and assistance should reflect the temporary nature of the sites.
Neighbourhood Unit Planning. All the residential units are now planned on
neighbourhood principle. It is a small unit which serves the local community and
encourages them to foster a neighbourhood spirit or relationship which seems to have
been lost in the modern city life.

Type of layout
1. Rectangular or grid-iron pattern
2. Cul-de-sac
3. Shoe-string development
The general layout of the houses should have variety, economy and convenience of the
community. The layout differ for different shapes of sites such as square, semicircular,
triangular, trapezoidal etc.
A few of the well recognised layouts are as below:
Rectangular or grid-iron pattern: The layout plan is almost square with roads meeting
at right angles. This pattern is suitable for flat country, but is not suitable from the point
of view of traffic.

Cul-de-sac: This type consisting of approach road with a dead end is suitable for a
small estate. In this case the houses are arranged to face a dead road branching from
the main road at right angles. At the dead end of the road, a roundabout is provided so
that the vehicles can go round and return to the main road. A fountain or such other
feature can be provided at the dead end to make it pleasing and attractive.
Shoe-string Development: In this case the houses are arranged around a local road
encircling a park in the centre. It is an improved variety of cul-de-sac.
Classification of Housing
The different types of housing are classified as below:
(1) Detached house,
(2) Semi-detached house
(3) Group housing
(4) Apartments or flats
(5) Sky-scrapers
(6) Prefabricated house.

1. Detached house: This is entirely an

independent house. Its design depends
upon the number of family members to be
accommodated in the house, leaving
sufficient front, rear margin with a small
garden in front.
It provides privacy and lot amount of
sunshine, air and breeze. It is probably
the best form of residence for a small
village or town where land and building
materials are cheap. However, as
compared to other types, it is not
economical.
2. Semi-detached house: It consists of
two houses with a common wall as such
there is considerable amount of saving in
side margins and also in plot area. The
elevation of this type of houses can be
made more attractive with the longer
frontage by keeping the similar elements
on either side of the common wall. By
providing common amenities like water,
drainage lines, etc. semi-detached houses
can be built economically.
3. Group housing: A number of houses can be grouped together. It is preferred for
low-income such as labourers or workers. The houses may be single or double
storeyed, in later case, the Front facade can be improved much.
4. Apartments & Flats: A flat consists of number of storeys in which accommodation is
provided in an independent suite of three to four rooms, such as a living room, kitchen,
bath, etc. It is suitable for better income group people and is most popular in big cities.
5. Sky-scrapers: To accommodate the growing population in metropolitan cities, the
skyscrapers or high-rise buildings are being built with multistoreys soaring high in the
sky. The first skyscraper was built during 1884-88 by William Le Barron Jenney in
Chicago. The skyscraper is the skeleton of steel and R.C.C clothed in thin pristine glass
to cook much light as possible.
The vertical development in the form of skyscraper is seen to be popular as people
found it more useful by going up and down with the help of lifts than walking on side-
ways, even though they are facing some problems.
6. Prefabricated house: In prefabrication, the process by which the different parts of
the house are made in the factory and merely assembled later. This is also referred by
many as instant housing, factory-built housing and it is known as Systems building.

HUDCO - Housing and Urban Development Corporation

HDFC - Housing Development Finance Corporation
CIDCO - City and Industrial Development Corporation
NHP - National Housing Policy
DDA - Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
HIG - High Income Group
MIG - Middle Income Group
LIG - Low Income Group
EWS - Economically Weaker Section
HRHD - High Rise High Demand
HRLD - High Rise Low Demand
LRHD - Low Rise High Demand
LRLD - Low Rise Low Demand
Slum
A slum is predominantly an overcrowded area which is in an advanced state of decay
where dwellings are unfit for human habitation. It is an area where basic amenities like
water supply, drainage for standard living are lacking, insanitary conditions prevail and
diseases flourish.
It is poverty-stricken area, where there is a high rate of birth, infant mortality,
illegitimacy, juvenile crime, delinquency and death, thus representing a state of hell on
the surface of earth.
A Slum, for the purpose of Census has been defined as residential areas where
dwellings are unfit for human habitation by reasons of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty
arrangements and design of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of street,
lack of ventilation, light, or sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors which
are detrimental to the safety and health.

• Unauthorized colonies: They are demographically heterogeneous and more

than two or three decades old with semi pucca (semi-permanent) two or three
storey brick structures, with low levels of basic service delivery, especially water
and sewerage.

• J.J. bastis/ clusters: The inception of slums or jhuggi jhopri basties/clusters

started with the development of cities. The main reasons behind the formation of
slum bastis/ clusters were due to various factors such as the flow of migrants
from neighbouring states for livelihood and employment. After 1970, the high
pace of development of Delhi and slow development in other states in northern
India speeded up the flow of migration to Delhi resulting in a massive increase in
the slum and J.J. bastis/ clusters.

• Chawl: Chawls were constructed in abundance during the early 1900s, in the
textile mill areas of Mumbai, and indeed this is how they originated, to provide
cost-effective housing to mill-workers in Mumbai. They were later built by
working-class emigrants working in other manufacturing industries also. This type
of housing is no longer built, but remaining structures are still in demand because
of their relatively affordable rents.

• Squatter settlements: A squatter settlements is defined as the occupied land by

a group of settlers having no formal or legal title to the land occupied by them,
especially one thus occupying land in a district not yet surveyed by the
government.
For the purpose of Census, slums have been categorized and defined as of the
following three types:

1. Notified Slums: All notified areas in a town or city notified as ‘Slum’ by State, UT
Administration or Local Government under any Act including a ‘Slum Act’

2. Recognized Slums: All areas recognised as ‘Slum’ by State, UT Administration

or Local Government, Housing and Slum Boards, which may have not been
formally notified as slum under any act

3. Identified Slums: A compact area of at least 300 population or about 60-70

households of poorly built congested tenements, in unhygienic environment
usually with inadequate infrastructure and lacking in proper sanitary and drinking
water facilities (Identified).

INTEGRATED HOUSING AND SLUM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (IHSDP)

BASIC SERVICES FOR THE URBAN POOR (BSUP)
VALMIKI AMBEDKAR AWAS YOJANA (VAMBAY)
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL URBAN RENEWAL MISSION (JNNURM)
INTEREST SUBSIDY HOUSING FOR URBAN POOR (ISHUP)
RAJIV AWAS YOJANA (RAY)
PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA (PMAY)
Development plan and master plan
Development plan: A development plan is prepared either for improvement of an old
city or for a new town to be developed on virgin soil. Thus, a development plan aims at
a controlling the future growth of a town along preconceived and predetermined paths.
A development plan is an ideal plan showing the full development of the town at some
future date. At the same time, it should be sufficiently elastic. It is therefore, not a fixed
plan. But is possible to amend it from time to time to keep it in pace with and to
accommodate the new development of any revised estimate of the future growth and
requirements of the city.
Master plan: For a successful town planning there must be a plan which envisages the
entire town as a single unit. This is necessary to achieve overall development of the
town in a co-ordinated manner. The development or expansion of a town takes a long
time, and therefore, the development is required to be controlled at any time on the
basis of a plan. Such a plan is called as 'Master Plan’.
Zonal planning: The zoning is defined as process of making sections or division of city
areas in different zones, to control the incompatible land uses and prevent the misuse of
land and buildings heights and densities of population at the initial stages.
Sector planning: The town is planned on the principle of super block or sector
planning. This is altogether a new concept as applied to the art of town planning, to get
maximum comfort and convenience of the residents.
Neighborhood planning: The neighbourhood planning is an attempt to form various
physical units of residential areas in which people belonging to a particular rank of life
settle or stay. It is the intention of a town planner to rejuvenate the valuable idea of
neighbourhood which has been lost in busy uncontrolled city life.
Land use planning: Land use planning is planning of a region or a town according to
the use of land. It is a very important tool for making development plan or master plan.
Land use plan shows residential zones, industrial zone, public zone, open and green
spaces, water bodies, roads, railways, etc. Every town has existing land use plan also
helps to understand present situation. Overall economical, transport activity can be
analysed from the existing land use plan and overall life pattern of the people residing in
that region can be understood.
Land use: Land use refers to the manner of utilization of land, including its allocation
development and management. Municipal governments divide the land into various land
uses in order for an urban area to function effectively and to meet all the needs of
citizens. It involves the management and modification of natural environment or
wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements.
Urban roads
The roads are named according to the type of constructions, jurisdiction and important
function etc. Names like earth, murum roads, metalled roads, asphalt roads, and
concrete roads indicate the type of constructions.
Classification of urban roads: The urban roads are classified as per their importance
such as
1. Arterial roads
2. Secondary or sub-arterial roads
3. Distributor or Collector road
4. Local roads
5. Streets
6. Pathways
7. Other roads
Arterial Roads: These are that roads which connect the town to a state highway or a
national highway. They pass through the city limits and carry a large amount of traffic
from one part to the other part of the town. These are meant solely for fast moving traffic
and therefore should be planned as straight as possible, avoiding sharp curves. Change
in direction should be accompanied by smooth curves. These should not enter into the
heart of the city at any cost, should have very few road junctions, which should be
controlled by roundabouts or fly-overs. They should have no obstructions such as
frontage of buildings, loading or unloading areas, parking places, and pedestrians on
the carriage way. The width of these roads should not be less than 25 m to 30 m.
Secondary or Sub-arterial Roads: Also known as major roads they run within the
limits of the town connecting its important centres. They are designed for slow moving
traffic over a short distance. The sub-arterial roads act as a link between the arterial
roads and local roads. The sub-arterial roads should be improved and provided with
safety measures at intersections.
Distributor/ Collector Road: As the name suggests, these are connector roads, which
distribute the traffic from access streets to arterial and sub arterial roads. They are
characterized by mobility and access equally. It carries moderate traffic volumes
compared to the arterial roads.
Local Roads: These roads, also known as minor roads, are meant to provide approach
to the buildings, offices, shops, schools, colleges etc. There should be no through traffic
here and so the local roads are not linked with the arterial roads. These roads need not
be straight but can follow the contours of the land.
These roads are used for residential units, shopping and business centres. They
therefore form the pocket or precinct roads mainly to serve the non-vehicular traffic. The
width of these roads should not be less than 7 m to 10m.
Streets: A road which serves the needs of an internal portion of a local area is known
as a street. The portion to be served may either by residential, commercial or industrial.
The design of a street is made after considering the purpose and use of the portion to
be served by the street and special attention is paid to the social, commercial and other
requirements of the local community.
Pathways: These are also known as the pedestrian ways and they are in the form of
accesses leading to individual shops or premises. The vehicular traffic is not allowed to
move on the pathways.
Other Roads:
(a) By-pass Roads: When the main or through roads pass through the congested
areas of the towns, there will be considerable reduction in the speed of the
vehicles and the smooth flow of the traffic is largely affected resulting loss of time
and fuel. In order to maintain the smooth and speedy low of traffic, bypass roads
are constructed. These are also called as loop-roads through which the main
traffic can pass from one side and again join on the main road on the other side
thus avoiding the congested area or ribbon development of the town.

(b) Outer and Inner Ring Roads: These

roads are in the form of circles or rings and
hence the name, the outer ring road is
meant to divert the through traffic from the
town. It therefore acts as a by-pass road for
the through traffic approaching the town.
The inner ring road is meant to divert the
local from the through traffic.
These ring roads help to reduce the traffic
congestion of the large towns.

(c) Express-ways: The express-way is meant to function as arterial road for the
movement of fast-moving traffic in the big metropolitan cities like, Bombay,
Calcutta, Delhi etc. Two to three such express-ways are necessarily to be
provided around big cities of modern days to face the tremendous growth of the
traffic. They however should not form a part of the regular street system,
although they should be suitably joined and linked with them. Express-ways are
 designed with easy gradients and smooth curves so as to carry the traffic
speedily and safely.

(d) Free-ways: These are the special routes meant to carry fast moving traffic and
therefore designed with high standard of alignment, clear visibility, wide carriage
way, easy gradient and smooth curves etc.

UNIFIED TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE (PLANNING &

ENGINEERING) CENTRE (UTTIPEC)

Types of Street or Road Systems.

Following are the different systems of streets or roads commonly adopted in the city:
1. Rectangular or Grid-Iron street system.
2. Rectangular combined with Diagonal street system
3. Concentric street system
4. Radial street system.
5. Rectangular combined with Radial street system,
6. Organic or Topographical street system
7. Irregular Medieval street system.
8. Combination of Rectangular and Irregular street system.

Rectangular or Grid-Iron street system: This

system is suitable for a fairly plain country,
without any predominant natural features. Here
the streets have equal widths and they cross
each other at right angles. e.g. Jaipur (India). It
is also known as chequer-board pattern.

Rectangular Combined with Diagonal Street

System: This arrangement is an improvement on grid-iron pattern. The diagonal street
provides direct communication between distant parts of that town. The points where
diagonals meet is utilized for park, garden, memorial, etc.
Concentric Street System: In this pattern, the ring roads or circumferential roads are
connected by radial roads and it results into concentric development. This pattern is
also known as the Spider's Web system. The concentric system is developed mainly
due to the removal of encircling walls and fortifications.

Radial street system: In this pattern, the ring roads spring from a central civic centre
like the spokes of a wheel. Such an arrangement increases the significance and
importance of civic centre which may be in the form of palace, market, public office
building, historical monument, beauty spots, etc.
The radial pattern forms large blocks of trapezoidal shape and as there are chances of
more wastage of land in the design of buildings, this pattern may prove to be
uneconomical from the construction point of view.

Rectangular combined with radial street system: In this arrangement, the radial
streets are blended or mixed with rectangular streets. Such a combination can be used
with great success especially where topographical features are favorable and it is
possible to derive advantages of both the street systems.

Organic or Topographical street system: In this arrangement, the advantage is taken

of the natural topographical features of the town such as river, lake, sea view, hillock,
etc. This system is also known as the organic street pattern as it resembles the plan of
a microscope slide showing the cell structure of vegetable or animal tissues. It is also
sometimes referred to as the studied irregularities.
The street system is absolutely unplanned and all sorts of irregularities are seen in this
type of street pattern. The streets may not be continuous and they may be of variable
widths. The size and shape of open spaces are irregular and there are number of
curvatures.

Irregular mediaeval street system: Some of the old cities of middle ages, developed
in an irregular way without any definite plan of the street system, possess type of
pattern. The growth of town or city is unmethodical and illogical. The mediaeval street
pattern naturally does not efficiently serve the modern traffic and such towns are
referred to as irregular mediaeval towns.

Combination of rectangular and irregular street systems: In this arrangement, a

combination of rectangular pattern and irregular streets is made. The rectangular layout
indicates the recent development and the irregular pattern indicates earlier growth of
town. When it is difficult or too costly to improve the existing irregular street system, a
combination is formed.
Traffic management

The term traffic management is being used to express means and methods adopted to
utilize the road systems of a town to the maximum possible extent so as to grant
convenience, comfort and safety.
Traffic surveys
It is necessary to collect the required data in connection with the traffic to be carried by
the road system of the town.
Traffic Surveys. It includes the following:
1. TRAFFIC VOLUME STUDY: It represents the number of each type of vehicles
passing traffic station.
2. SPEED STUDY: It is an instant speed of a vehicle at a particular section. It is used to
design signals, accident analysis and location of sign board

3. ORIGIN-DESTINATION STUDY (o & d study): This study is more essential in

planning new highways & road facilities and improving existing road systems Traffic flow
and capacity analysis

4. ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: Accident analysis is carried out in order to determine the

cause or causes of an accident (that can result in single or multiple outcomes) so as to
prevent further accidents of a similar kind. It is part of accident investigation or incident
investigation.
Traffic congestion:
In urban areas, there is heavy rush of vehicles and pedestrians during peak hours of the
day and it results into overcrowding of road. Such a condition is referred to as the traffic
congestion.
Road junctions or intersections
The general term junction or intersection describes all roadway situations where two or
more roads meet or cross one another at the same or different elevations.
Parking
The parking facilities for the vehicles should be properly and adequately provided by the
town planner.
There are two methods of parking devices such as:
1. On-street Parking and
2. Off-street Parking
(1) On Street Parking: Under this we have,
a) Parallel Kerb Parking: In this method the vehicles are parked along the road
side kerbing, parallel to the centre line of the road.

b) Angle Parking: In this case, vehicles are parked at 30°, 45° and 60° to the kerb.
It is easy to park and to take off the cars but it occupies more space.

c) Right Angle Parking: In this case, as the name indicates, the vehicles are
parked at right angle to the kerb. lt allows maximum number of vehicles to be
parked.

(2) Off street Parking: Here a separate space away from the kerb is provided for
parking the vehicles, and is known as off-street parking. It does not produce congestion
and delay as in kerb parking
The off-street parking is provided in the following ways.
a) Parking areas: It is done by providing a seperate by-pass entrance and exit by
the side of the road

b) Parking Lots: Here parking of vehicles is done by the owners of big commercial
establishments, cinema theatres for their customers in their own premises or in
basement floors of the buildings.

c) Multi-storied Parking Garags: It is adopted when the parking space is less and
also very costly. It is possible to park a number of vehicles by providing
multistoried garages. Here the inter-floor travel facility is provided by means of
elevators or ramps.

d) Parking Lanes: Separate lanes are provided by the side of the main road for
parking vehicles.

Traffic control devices

Following are the traffic control devices to guide the traffic:
(a) Traffic Signs
(b) Traffic Signal
(c) Traffic Markings
In addition, the street lights are provided to guide traffic during night.
Traffic Signs.
These include:
a) Regulatory or Mandatory Signs.
b) Warning and Cautionary Sins.
c) Informatory and Guide Signs.

a) Regulatory or mandatory signs: The regulatory signs provide notice of

statutory traffic laws and regulations which usually are unenforceable in the
absence of such signs. They are thus meant to inform the public about the traffic
laws, regulations and legal requirements that would not otherwise be apparent.

b) Warning or cautionary signs: The warning signs are provided to call attention
to conditions which are potentially hazardous to traffic operations and which
otherwise may not be immediately apparent. These signs require caution and
may warrant a reduction in speed or some such action in the interest of safety.
The cautionary signs which have significance during the hours of darkness must
be reflectorized or illuminated.

c) Guide or informatory signs: The guide signs show route designations,

destinations, directions, distances, services, points of interest and other
geographical or cultural information. In general, it may be stated that these signs
are meant to give useful information to the motorist to help him along his way in
the most simple and direct manner.

Traffic Signals. These are necessary to control the traffic at junctions. Usually three
colours namely red, yellow, and green are used. Red indicates stop", yellow indicates
'impending changes and green indicates 'movement'. There are various patterns and
designs used in traffic signals. The most common type of traffic signal is the actuated or
automatic time signal. The time interval in which the changes occur in signals are
predetermined carefully considering the thorough study of traffic volume, and based on
these the changes in lights are made automatic It may be noted here that they do not
suit to unusual conditions of long procession or large crowds, since it involves loss of
time therein. Hence these could be used only where the constructive measures are not
suitable and workable
Traffic Markings: These are the special signs used to control or regulate the traffic.
These signs are made of lines, words, symbols, or reflectors on the roads, kerbs, or
nearby roads. The different types of markings are classified as:
a) Pavement markings: The usual forms of pavement markings are:
i. Arrow markings
ii. Centre line markings
iii. Turn markings
iv. Stop lines
v. Cross-walk lines
vi. No passing zone markings
vii. Pedestrian crossing markings
viii. Parking Space limits markings

b) Kerb Markings: These indicate the parking regulations and painted with
alternate black and white lines for clear visibility from long distance.

c) Object Markings: The physical obstructions which may prove hazardous to

traffic are marked here. These are level crossings, narrow bridges, etc.

d) Reflector Unit Markings: These help for the safe driving at night. These
markers reflect yellow light giving warning to the drivers from a long distance.

References
Town Planning by G.K.Hirasker
Town Planning by S.C.Rangwala
censusindia.gov.in