Maarg Manthan · Topic 10.14

Principles of Urban Planning

Geography › Urbanization, Settlements and Migration · Topic 10.14

Urban planning is guided by a set of principles. Land use is zoned so that housing, work, shops and green space are placed sensibly, often in mixed-use neighbourhoods that cut travel. Density is planned with floor space index rules and compact growth near public transport (transit-oriented development). The street network is graded from arterial to local roads, with space for pedestrians and cyclists. Open space, water bodies and green belts are protected, and housing is provided for all income groups. Planning must be inclusive, resilient to hazards, and based on public participation and the 74th Amendment.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Urbanization, Settlements and Migration

At a Glance

Garden city Ebenezer Howard, 1898
Neighbourhood unit Clarence Perry, 1929
Key tools Master plan, zoning, FSI
Modern idea Transit-oriented, compact city
Test Inclusive, resilient, sustainable
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Urbanization, Settlements and Migration

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the policy framework and gives the ideas that plans are based on. It uses the forms and models described earlier in this macro, and it leads to the topics on land use change and the classification of cities. Previous topic: National Urbanisation Policy and Government Urban Development Policy. Next topic: Changes in Land Use and Land Cover.

What Are the Main Principles of Urban Planning?

Land-use zoning: dividing the city into zones for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and recreational use, to keep incompatible uses apart. Modern planning allows mixed use, with homes, shops and offices together, to reduce travel.
Density control: the floor space index (FSI), the ratio of total floor area to plot area, controls how tall and dense buildings can be. High FSI along transit lines allows more people to live near public transport.
Hierarchy of roads and public transport first: a network of arterial, sub-arterial, collector and local roads, plus footpaths, cycle tracks and mass transit, so that travel is by walking, cycling and transit.
Open space and environment: parks, green belts, urban forests, lakes and floodplains are protected, since they cool the city and absorb floods.
Housing for all: reserving land and floor area for affordable housing and for the economically weaker sections.
Services and utilities: water, sewerage, drainage, power and waste planned along with land use.
Safety and resilience: building codes, hazard maps and safe sites.
Participation: plans should be made with citizens, wards and local bodies.

Which Ideas Shaped Modern Planning?

Idea	Proposer	Core thought
Garden city	Ebenezer Howard, 1898	Self-contained towns of limited size ringed by a green belt, combining town and country; Letchworth in England
Neighbourhood unit	Clarence Perry, 1929	A residential area built around a school, with shops at the edge and traffic kept at the border; the idea behind Chandigarh’s sectors
Radiant city	Le Corbusier, 1920s and 1930s	Tall towers in open green space, separating cars and pedestrians; used in Chandigarh
Human-scale city	Jane Jacobs, 1961	Lively mixed-use streets, short blocks and ‘eyes on the street’
Compact city and TOD	Late 20th century	Dense, mixed-use development around transit stops, as in Curitiba and Singapore
15-minute city	Carlos Moreno, 2016	All daily needs reachable within a short walk or bicycle ride

How Is Planning Done in India?

Master plan: a long-term land-use plan for 20 years, prepared by the development authority or the town planning department. Plans are also reviewed every five years in principle, but revisions are often late. The Delhi Master Plan 2041 has been drafted, with the final notification awaited at the time of writing.
Weaknesses: master plans are slow, ignore informal housing and have poor enforcement. Many cities lack trained town planners; India has far fewer planners than needed.
Newer tools: transit-oriented development policy (2017), land pooling, transfer of development rights, satellite mapping and the use of geographic information systems for planning.
Regional planning: metropolitan planning committees are required by the 74th Amendment, as in National Urbanisation Policy and Government Urban Development Policy.
Climate and hazards: plans need to include flood maps, heat-island control and low-carbon transport.

The forms and layout of cities are in Morphology of Urban Settlements and Town Planning. Cities that have used these principles show gains: Curitiba in Brazil built bus rapid transit corridors and zoned dense development along them, Singapore uses land-use planning with strong public housing, and Ahmedabad has used town planning schemes in which landowners give up some land for roads and facilities in exchange for developed plots. Surat and Pune have drawn on similar tools. As an analytical point, good plans need to reach the large informal part of the city, because plans that only cover formal areas leave the majority of urban residents outside, as discussed in Urbanization Challenges: Rural-Urban Migration, Emergence of Slums, Informal Settlements.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Concepts Garden city and neighbourhood unit
Tools FSI, TOD, zoning
India Master plan gaps

What Came Next?

The next topic covers changes in land use and land cover. Next topic: Changes in Land Use and Land Cover.

Key People and Terms

Zoning Division of land by permitted use
FSI Floor space index
TOD Transit-oriented development
Garden city Planned town with a green belt
Master plan Long-term land-use plan
TDR Transfer of development rights

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Garden city: Ebenezer Howard (1898).
Neighbourhood unit: Clarence Perry (1929).
FSI is floor area divided by plot area.
TOD puts dense housing near transit.
Master plans cover about 20 years.

Do Not Confuse With

Zoning and mixed use Separating uses versus combining them
Garden city and neighbourhood unit Whole town versus residential area
Master plan and zonal plan Whole city plan versus a plan for a part

Memory Hook

Zone it, thread it, green it, house it; transit near, FSI sets the bar.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about principles and their application to Indian cities. These points add depth.

Principles Zoning, density, transit, green space
Ideas Garden city to 15-minute city
Gap Master plans and informality

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the principles of urban planning and examine why master plans have had limited success in Indian cities.”

How to Answer

Principles Eight core ideas.
Ideas Howard, Perry, Jacobs.
India Master plans.
Gaps Enforcement and informality.

GS Relevance

Prelims: garden city, neighbourhood unit, TOD, master plan concepts. GS Paper 1 and 2: urban planning and governance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main principles of urban planning?

The main principles are land-use zoning with mixed use where suitable, control of density through floor space index, a hierarchy of roads with public transport and space for walking and cycling, protection of open space and water bodies, housing for all income groups, planned services, hazard resilience and public participation.

What is a garden city?

The garden city is a planning idea put forward by Ebenezer Howard in 1898. It proposed self-contained towns of limited size, surrounded by a permanent green belt, which combined the advantages of town and country. Letchworth and Welwyn in England were built on this model.

What is the neighbourhood unit concept?

The neighbourhood unit, proposed by Clarence Perry in 1929, is a residential area planned around an elementary school, with shops at the edge, internal streets that limit through traffic, and open space. It influenced the sector plan of Chandigarh and many residential colonies in India.

What is floor space index?

Floor space index, also called floor area ratio, is the ratio of the total built-up floor area of a building to the area of its plot. It controls how dense and tall buildings can be in an area. Higher FSI is allowed along transit routes to support dense development.

What is transit-oriented development?

Transit-oriented development is the planning of dense, mixed-use, walkable neighbourhoods around metro, rail and bus stops, so that more people live and work within walking distance of public transport. It reduces use of private vehicles. India adopted a transit-oriented development policy in 2017.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Ebenezer Howard proposed the garden city concept.

True

In 1898.

2 Floor space index is the ratio of plot area to floor area.

False

It is floor area to plot area.

3 Transit-oriented development places dense housing near public transport.