VIJAYAWADA: In a major policy shift to modernise urban development, the Andhra Pradesh government has introduced the Common Zoning Regulations – 2025, a unified planning framework aimed at ensuring consistency, transparency, and technology-driven governance across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Urban Development Authorities (UDAs) in the State.
The new regulations, issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, replace a patchwork of outdated and inconsistent Master Plans with a single, standardised set of zoning rules.
This move is expected to simplify land-use decisions, reduce ambiguity, and accelerate approvals for developers, citizens, and planning officials.
Calling it a “paradigm shift in urban governance,” Principal Secretary S Suresh Kumar, IAS, said the consolidation aligns with national benchmarks like the Urban and
Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines and adheres to Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) standards.
“This reform boosts investor confidence, supports digital processing through the Online Building Permission System (OBPS), and promotes sustainable, inclusive urban growth,” he stated.
The initiative is part of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu’s vision to make Andhra Pradesh a “Future-Ready State”, with smart, livable cities driven by digital governance and eco-conscious planning.
Previously, the absence of a unified framework hindered automation under Online Building Permission System and delayed development clearances.
The 2025 regulations resolve this, reducing land-use categories from 16 to nine simplified zones: Residential (R), Commercial (C), Public & Semi-Public (PS), Industrial (I), Recreational (RE), Transportation (T), Mixed Use (M), Agriculture (A), and Development Restricted/Protected Zones (SA/PR).
Each zone outlines permitted, restricted, and prohibited activities, supported by a “negative list” of polluting uses based on Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms.
The categorisation enables faster, rule-based clearances while removing overlaps and confusion.
Environmental protection remains a key component.
The rules prohibit construction in eco-sensitive zones, near water bodies, heritage sites, and defense areas, while allowing regulated activities like eco-tourism where feasible.
Importantly, all existing legal layouts and land-use changes will remain valid, ensuring ongoing projects are unaffected.
In a push for accessibility, all zoning maps, regulations, and guidelines are now available online, empowering citizens, developers, and planners with real-time, transparent information—ushering in a new era of urban reform in Andhra Pradesh.
