KOCHI: Prominent urban planners in the country showcased their implementation of large urban schemes through land pooling and by securing land development rights at Bodhi 2022, the two-day National Urban Conclave organised by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) which began at Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, on Sunday.
N K Patel, former national president of the Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), said that town planning in the country was developed over one-and-half centuries ago, ever since the onset of urbanisation in 1870 through the emergence of textile and other ancillary industries in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. However, as things stand now, certain parameters call for the delineation of the town planning (TP) schemes, he said.
“If you spot an increase in non-agricultural land conversions and substantial land transactions in a short time, there is a need for a town planning scheme,” he said. Patel said that a highly successful TP scheme will be where the developed land remains with the original owner and raises additional funds by selling infrastructure plots.
Citing the Prahladnagar TP Scheme in Ahmedabad as a model, he said that its infrastructure cost was Rs 166 crore, whereas the total revenue it generated stood at Rs 1,307 crore. “The collection is 8 times higher compared to the expenditure. The per square yard value rose from Rs 3,300 in 2002 to Rs 1,50,000 in 2020,” Patel, who was also the former town planner at the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, said.
Addressing the session, additional commissioner, Planning, Delhi Development Authority, N R Aravind, delineated the best practices the DDA followed while implementing TP schemes. He said that communication with the end user is key for land pooling and securing land development rights. “For TP schemes, it is better to ensure that at least 70% of the land is contiguous,” he said.