Delhi’s growing population and expanding housing requirements have made planned urban development an important part of the capital’s future, with residential areas, unauthorised colonies, villages and other parts of the city facing different development needs.Considering these development objectives, the ministry of housing and urban affairs recently unveiled the Delhi Master Plan 2047, aiming to provide a broader framework for how the capital’s land and housing can develop in the coming years.The plan focuses on redevelopment of existing areas as well as planned expansion into new areas, while also providing for affordable housing and changes in development norms.The Master Plan includes a vision of around 40 lakh new affordable housing units. It adopts area-based redevelopment for existing brownfield areas and Right-of-Way-based planning for greenfield areas. Brownfield development will focus on transit-oriented development, mixed-use development and infrastructure augmentation, while greenfield areas will use connected road networks through land pooling and low-density areas.
Housing and redevelopment
The minimum area requirement for redevelopment of existing group housing, DDA housing and government housing has been reduced from 40,000 square metres to 3,000 square metres. This is expected to facilitate around seven lakh additional dwelling units. Around 18 lakh affordable houses are also planned in Transit Oriented Development zones along metro corridors.The plan provides an additional 15 per cent FAR for workers’ housing on industrial plots measuring 5,000 square metres and above. It also offers a 50 per cent FAR incentive to encourage affordable rental housing for students, working professionals, migrant workers and low-income groups.
Land pooling and expansion
Nearly 200 square kilometres of planned urban expansion is envisaged through the land pooling policy, with around 12 lakh new homes and a 600-km road network. The DDA will develop roads measuring 30 metres and wider upfront under a government-led, infrastructure-first approach. Planning schemes covering a minimum of 20 hectares will also be used where land is developed through assembly.A high-density corridor is proposed in the land pooling area, with FAR of up to 400 along a 250-metre-wide corridor along UER-II. Sector 8B, Zone P-II in Village Gadi Khasro and Ibrahimpur is the first notified sector and is ready for implementation.
Commercial redevelopment and colonies
Commercial centres can be redeveloped on plots of at least 1,000 square metres through incentivised FAR. Plot-based redevelopment will also be encouraged by waiving the four-hectare area-level requirement.Residential buildings in 1,511 unauthorised colonies will be regularised on an “as is where is” basis, with no requirement for layout plans. The plan states this will provide greater property ownership security for around 45 lakh residents.
