INTRODUCTION TO

TOWN PLANNING
 Planning
2

 At various levels for efficient execution.

 Means ‘pre-thinking and pre-arranging things before
an event takes place so as to achieve good results in
the overall well being of human beings’.
 Helps to eradicate the past mistakes.
 Be wiser in the future endeavours.
 Town Planning
3

 Indicates the arrangement of

various components or units of a
town to attain the significance of a
living organism.
 Also includes the ways and means
to be adopted for the
improvement/extension of
existing towns.
 Town Planning
4

 Demands active imagination, common

sense.
 Science (collecting, correlating and
analysing facts) and art (arranging the
components efficiently, beautifully,
conveniently, economically).
‘Town Planning expresses the life of people whereas
architecture reveals their spirit’.
 Town Planning
5

 It is an art of shaping and guiding the physical growth

of the town, creating buildings and environment to

meet the various needs such as social, cultural,
ecenomic, recreational etc. and to provide healthy
conditions for both rich and poor to live, to work and
to play or relax, thus bringing about the social and
economic well-being for the majority of mankind.

[Hirasker]
 Evolution of Planning
6

 Nomadic -> agricultural -> urban society

 Instances of ancient towns :
1) Kahun in Egypt (pyramid town for housing
priests, administrative personnel and workers at
Lahun)
2) Indus Valley Civilisation (political state with 4
provinces; effective agricultural production;
bronze age; material culture –bangles, seals with
inscriptions, pottery, weights, bath tubs; kiln-
burnt bricks; well planned towns)
 Town Planning in Ancient India
7

 Principles of planning resembled the principles of

modern garden cities.
 Intensive training given to ‘Sthapati’ (architect or town
planner) chosen from upper strata of society.
 Towns usually oblong shape, generally near river banks,
sea shore or large lakes.
 Typical town consisted of market, streets, public
buildings, residences for people, palaces, temples,
recreation centres, gardens, tanks, underground
passages, city forts etc.
Eg : Ayodhya, Patliputra (present Patna), Takshasila,
Nalanda (early University towns).
 Objects of town planning
8

 4 essential objects or ideals of a town planning scheme:

1) Beauty : preserve the individuality of town; aesthetics in
design; using natural advantages and architectural
finishes.
2) Convenience : various economical, social, recreational
amenities given to the public.
3) Environment : moulding it to allow people to perform
activities with least strain.
4) Health : right use of land for right purpose – zoning.

A proper balance between these objects ensures good

planning of towns.
 Principles of town planning
9
1) Green Belt : limits the town size.
2) Housing : housing accomodation to all categories of
people; devoid of slums/slum clearance.
3) Public buildings : well balanced grouping/ distribution.
4) Recreation centres/open spaces : sufficient to people; also
for future expansion.
5) Road systems : properly designed
6) Transport facilities : minimise loss of time.
7) Zoning : divided into zones; control by rules and
regulations.
8) Civic amenities: like shopping centres, dispensaries,
schools etc.
 Contributing forces for the origin of towns
10

1. Topographical Features :
 Favourable conditions for industries
 Defensive hilly areas
 Plain areas for business activities.
 Water fronts (ocean, river banks etc.)
2. Functional aspects :
 Education
 Health resorts
 Political
 religious
 Forces accelerating town growth
11

 Transport facilities
 Industrial units
 Expansion of existing factories
 Provisions for defence/security
 Proximity of agricultural lands with
increased produce
 Political importance
 Availability of electric power …..etc.
 Reasons for urban migration
12

 Basic mental understanding to live in groups to

facilitate defense against attack from outsiders.
 Social animal; Company living
 Heterogenous group; can retain privacy along with
establishing contacts and friendships with like
minded people.
 Reliable facilities of living
 Reliable conditions for exchange of goods
 Reliable provisions of facilities for religious,
political or administrative purposes
 Better facilities for employment, education. …..etc.
 Ill-effects of unplanned growth
13

 Irregular growth suffocates town.

 Long, uncom fortable journey from and to the place of
work causing wastage of time, money, energy.
 Irregular road networks causing traffic congestion,
accidents.
 Noise pollution.
 Improper distribution of industries; air pollution, water
pollution.
 Increased industrial population; squatter settlements,
slums.
 Insufficient open spaces, parks; unhealty living.
 Lack of public amenities.
 Few great town planners of modern age
14

1. Sir Patrick Geddes

2. Sir Ebenezer Howard
3. Lewis Mumford
4. Le Corbusier
5. Sir Patrick Abercrombie
6. Charles Correa
 Sir Patrick Geddes
15

 Sociologist, town planner from Scotland

 Laid emphasis on ‘survey before plan’ ie. Diagnosis
before treatment. They are the physical and
socioeconomic surveys.
 First man to introduce the sociological concept in
town planning.
 Came to India in 1915 at the invitation of Lord
Pentland, then Governor of Madras, and gave expert
advice for the improvement of about 18 major towns
in India.
 Sir Patrick Geddes (contd…)
16

His principles are :

1. Establishing organic relationship between ‘Folk,
Place and Work’ which corresponds to
Geddesian triad of Organism, Function and
Environment. Folk- social aspect, place – physical
aspect, work – economical aspect.
2. City is elevated from the physical aspect. It means
the people, their family, the community, their
places to live, work and play. Human needs more
important.
 Sir Ebenezer Howard
17

 Sociologist who gave the concept of ‘Garden City’

which is a landmark in history of TP.
 ‘Tomorrow’ in 1898; republished as ‘Garden Cities of
Tomorrow’
 Concept explained by the diagram of 3 magnets viz.
the town magnet and the country magnet with their
advantages and disadvantages and a third magnet
with attractive features of both town and country life.
 Letchworth, Wellwyn egs. for garden cities.
Sir Ebenezer Howard (contd…)
18

Where will the people go??

 Sir Ebenezer Howard (contd…)
Its main features are: 19

1. Dwellings for all classes distributed about a large central court of

public buildings, with open spaces & gardens around houses.
2. Shopping centre at the edge of the town.
3. Employment facilities for all people from a variety of industries.
4. Industries at the outskirts of town.
5. Max. population of 30,000-35,000 people in an area of 1000
acres.
6. Green belt around town.
7. Zoning effectively applied, no alterations in land use allowed.
8. Advantage of rural life – fresh air, gardens, play fields, cottages
etc. and urban life – schools, hospitals, theatres, shopping centres
etc..
9. Whole land to be brought under co-operative basis with surplus
fund used for community upliftment.
 Sir Ebenezer Howard (contd…)
20

 The Garden City Association formed in 1899.

In 1903, a site known as ‘Letchworth’ about 48km from
Central London purchased.
New town planned on Garden City concept by Barry
Parker and Raymond Unwin for 35,000 people.
It is an independent city with a complete municipal life
of its own, meant for people of all classes.
 Success of Letchworth led to the development of
another garden city Welwyn in 1920, midway between
London & Cambridge.
21
More Welwyn photos
 Lewis Mumford
24

 NY born architectural theorist, historian and art critic.

 Patrick Geddes was the single-most influential person in his
life.
 1924- his first book on architecture, Sticks and Stones, was one
of the first histories of American architecture.
 Major intellectual force in founding the Regional Planning
Association of America (RPAA), setting forth the ideas of other
RPAA members such as the town planners Clarence Stein and
Henry Wright, all centered around the garden city idea of the
British theorist Ebenezer Howard.
 He always supported a functionalistic approach to building,
derived from the writings of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd
Wright.
 Le Corbusier
25

 According to him a city is a living organism.

“Towns are biological phenomena, such as head, heart, limbs, lungs

and arteries.
Govt. buildings like High Court, Legislative Assembly, Secretariat ->
head;
City centre with commercial buildings and shops -> heart;
Industries and educational institutions -> limbs;
Park, playfields, green belt -> lungs;
Roads, Footpaths -> arteries”
 Le Corbusier (contd…)
26
His town planning principles were :
1. Core of city to be decongested; inhabited in satellite towns.
2. Provision of speedy transportation.
3. Open spaces as gardens, parks etc. around tall buildings.
4. Population control.
According to him, a residential bldg may be 9 to 10 storied.
His ‘United Habitation’ stresses the importance of community
living.
“Family should not be enclosed in a compound wall. Instead,
it is to be lifted up on pilotis in high buildings so that
landscape goes below and the occupants can enjoy the
beauty of the surrounding country.”
 Sir Patrick Abercrombie
27
 Planner of many cities like Greater London, Bristol etc.
 He synthesised the theories of Sir Patrick Geddes and Sir
Ebenezer Howard.
 Pioneer planner to advocate regional planning.
His TP principles:
1. ‘Civic survey’ before planning.(similar to ‘diagnostic
approach’ by Sir Patrick Geddes)
2. Planning to be done considering the town as a whole
unit.
3. Uncontrolled city growth to be stopped.
4. Industries at outer areas.
 Charles Correa
 Born in Hyderabad, India.
28
 Architect, planner, activist and theoretician.
 One of the few contemporary architects who addresses not only architectural
issues but of low-income housing and urban planning.
 Correa's work in India shows a careful
development, understanding and adaptation of
Modernism to a non-western culture
 Notable works and positions:
1. Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Sabarmathi Ashram, Ahmedabad.
2. Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur.
3. State Assembly at Madhyapradesh.
4. Chief architect for Navi Mumbai.
5. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Parumala.
6. Malabar Cements, Kerala.
 First chairman of National commission on urbanisation.
Received Padmavibhushan (2006) and Padmasree(1972).