Urban Planning
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
URBAN PLANNING URBAN PLANNING An important aspect often forgotten in planning of types is our environment -Anonymous 201 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 URBAN PLANNING Current Status Problems Impacts Trends Projections Action Plan 202 URBAN PLANNING CURRENT STATUS Legislations on urban planning The Town Planning Department is responsible for urban Karnataka has a good tradition in urban planning but planning and the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act important aspects of the environment have not been 1961 forms the comprehensive legal framework for urban incorporated as key elements in the legislations pertaining planning of the state. The Act’s statement of objectives specifies that “Physical planning with co-ordinated effort on a to urban planning. Ideally, urban planning should follow large scale is necessary if the people are to live in a better, the regional planning (i.e. economic and physical planning) healthier and happier environment”. The statement also includes the responsibility: exercise. In particular, the ‘Statement of Object and Reasons’ of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning To preserve and improve existing recreational facilities and Act, 1961, clearly indicates that “Physical planning has to other amenities contributing towards balanced use of land. To direct the future growth of populated areas in the state precede economic planning as otherwise cities, towns and with a view to ensuring desirable standards of villages in our country will grow to unmanageable sizes environmental health and hygiene and creating facilities without proper planning resulting in unhealthy for the orderly growth of industries and commerce, there by promoting general standards of living in the state. surroundings”. vbIn recent years, however, regional planning has not been conducted for the state. Other legislations on urban planning Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 Karnataka Slum Clearance Area Act, 1974 The Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961 Bangalore Development Authority Act, 1976 makes provision for the preparation of two types of plans. Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 An interim plan called Outline Development Plan (section Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority 12 of the Act) in the first instance, followed by a detailed Act, 1985 Comprehensive Development Plan (section 21 of the Act). Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Act, 1987 The Karnataka Planning Authority Rules, 1965 (subsequently amended in 1976, 1977, 1980, 1986 and Initiatives of the Government 1988) lists out the details of reports to be prepared and surveys to be carried out for a Comprehensive Some of the initiatives taken in urban planning in the state Development Plan in Rules 41 and 42. are noteworthy, since these incorporate environmental dimensions to urban growth and the quality of life. Four such noteworthy initiatives are listed here: It is noteworthy that at no stage of planning is environmental assessment or estimation of likely Plans to use Remote Sensing Maps in urban planning. Currently such maps are being developed for a few major environmental damages and mitigation methods a part of cities, including Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore. the long term urban planning. Such a system requires a The new Building Bye-laws (2003) of the Bangalore detailed understanding and study of hydrological Mahanagara Palike, have provided guidelines for exterior open space, solar water heating and parking based on characteristics of the region, air circulation patterns, study different characteristics (e.g. width and depth of site) of of ecological characteristics, etc. Similarly at the time of buildings whether residential, commercial or public. the preparation of town planning schemes, sometimes The Bangalore Development Authority, in particular, has been developing urban infrastructure and providing sites. involving huge residential development, Environmental Substantial increase in area under the guidelines for impact assessment is not prepared even on an informal parks and open spaces. Fifteen percent of total plan area basis if not according to the rigour of Ministry of is now to be incorporated as parks / green areas. Environment and Forests recommendations. The main For the first time, heritage buildings have been defined in the amendment made in February 2004 to the reasons probably are the absence of legal requirements / Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1964. guidelines and absence of trained manpower/ and The state government has constituted a Park Authority facilities. The Urban Development Department/ Planning to oversee the maintenance and development of Lalbagh, Cubbon Park and Freedom Park. Authorities prepare the schemes based on planning standards including accommodation, accessibility, affordability, safety, density standards, etc. Thus there is 203 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003 some effort to create a good urban environment and Urban planning in Karnataka optimum use of valuable agricultural land, in lieu of the legal environmental guidelines. The Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961 provides for a three-tier system of urban planning. This includes the Outline Development Plan for the local planning area which is PROBLEMS prepared first. Outline Development Plan broadly indicates the proposed zoning of land use for residential, commercial, industrial, recreational, educational and other public purposes, Environmental problems associated with urban planning proposed circulation pattern and a set of zoning regulations. can be broadly classified under two categories, namely, Then the Comprehensive Development Plan is prepared strategic planning and urban management. The indicating therein the comprehensive zoning of land use together with zoning regulations, complete street pattern, environmental problems associated with urban growth and improvements to existing road patterns, reservation of areas management include urban sprawl, damage due to for public purpose such as parks, playgrounds and other construction activities (in planned versus unplanned recreational uses, public buildings, institutions, areas for housing, etc. Finally, the town planning schemes are prepared settlements), threat to the cultural heritage, and for the planning area for implementation of the proposals of inadequacies in the provision of basic environmental Comprehensive Development Plan. This is a time consuming amenities in the urban areas (underground drainage, process which takes nearly 20 years. waste water treatment facilities and solid waste disposal The Karnataka State Legislature has passed an amendment sites). to the above mentioned Act in February 2004 to do away with Comprehensive Development Plan and Outline Development Plan. The amended provision prescribes preparation Master The two major plans prepared for urban planning, namely Plan by all the Planning Authorities in one stage. Added to this Outline Development Plan and Comprehensive there is provision for Interim Master Plan pending preparation Development Plan, do not have explicit environmental of the Master Plan for regulating land use pattern and road pattern. Further there is a time limit of one year for preparation components nor an environmental master plan. Although of Master Plan. Another very important feature is that it is there are guidelines on the proportion of land to be used mandatory to revise the Master Plan once in every ten years. for various purposes like residential, parks and open competitive advantages of regions to attract investment, spaces, etc., environmental planning per se is missing. A and regional migration trends based on hierarchy of problem map, though prepared, as a part of the development plan, explicit environmental components are settlements. As investment potential of an area is not not addressed. But it considers items such as the comprehensively assessed, and only a land allocation and availability and use of land (factors like slums, marshy use prescription is made, the actual growth rarely follows lands and low-lying areas are included) rather than all the the original assumptions and infringements of regulations environmental components. A study map covering the are common. climatological aspects like predominant wind direction, rainfall and temperature variation Development plans and coverage of urban population is prepared, and for proposed industrial % of state No. of Total 2001 Type of Plan urban areas consideration of treatment of industrial towns population wastes/ effluent and nearby natural lakes population Revised Comprehensive and reservoirs, etc. are included; but the 1 5,686,844 32 Development Plan Bangalore study maps does not cover all ecological Revised Comprehensive 7 2,754,010 15 characteristics. Development Plan Comprehensive Development 21 3,621,106 20 The physical Comprehensive Development Plan Outline Development Plan 48 3,046,559 17 Plan is based on conventional time series Outline Development Plan 28 1,438,510 8 population projection, and is not a part of ongoing the regional plan exercise. Thus the Total 105 16,547,029 92 Comprehensive Development Plan does not Source: Town Planning Department, December 2002. ‘Total’ includes two areas that are not towns, viz., Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure consider the resource base, impact of Corridor and Bangalore International Airport area. 204 URBAN PLANNING The whole planning process is affected due to lack of base for residential purposes, and as a characteristic almost maps, since up-to-date