Types of urban design: Chandigarh

1. HANOI ARCHITECTURAL UNIVERSITY
2014
TYPES OF URBAN DESIGN
PRESENTATED BY NGUYEN DANG PHUONG LINH

2. INTRODUCTION
The main analyses focused on Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru,
was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is
known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in
India.
CONTENT
A- MAIN POINT
1- Overall urban design
2- All- of- a- piece urban design
3- Urban infrastructure design
4- Urban guidelines design
thefunambulist.net/2014/01/12/proletarian-fortresses-the-
corbusean-grids-anomaly-burail-in-chandigarh/

3. 1- OVERALL URBAN DESIGN
Le Corbusier´s master plan kept some key aspects proposed by Mayer and
Novicki, especially spatial relationships between key elements (government, city
centre, university and industries) and the superblock principle. But the shape of
the city plan was modified from one with a curving road network to rectangular
shape with a grid iron pattern for the fast traffic roads. It is an idea of the
“Spanish Square” as used in Barcelona.
http://www.nclurbandesign.org/architecture/chandigarh-le-corbusiers-master-piece/
Image by Gerald Steyn
Each residential sector was envisaged as a relatively self-contained urban
village, consisting of four neighbourhood-sized quarters (24 ha) each
bordering on a green strip with pedestrian paths running north-south, and a
market street east-west. He allocated nearly 30 per cent of the city to parks
and recreational areas. The city plan was conceived as post war ‘Garden
City’ wherein vertical and high rise buildings were ruled out, keeping in view
the socio economic-conditions and living habits of the people.

4. The city was designed as a grid system, with government buildings at one end, symbolizing the
head of the organism. City blocks are arranged in sectors and assigned numbers. In the core of
this residential area, is the commercial center, the heart of the city.
http://benjaminredmond.co.uk/2011/07/order-chaos-and-dreams/
http://chandigarh.gov.in/Interactive City Map

5. 2- ALL- OF- A- PIECE URBAN DESIGN
To many observers, organizing urban design projects to be carried out building- by- building, and landscape- by-
landscape by a number of developers according to an overall conceptual design is the core of urban design work. Many
architects see all- of- a- piece urban design as inferior to total urban design because it Is less a work of individual art.
They believe projects would be better if dream of and designed by one hand as in Le Corbusier’s design for the capital
complex in Chandigarh or Oscar Niemeyer’s work in Basilica. Others, however, believe that it is only through all- of- a-
piece urban design that both a unity and variety can be captured in large project design today.
Urban Design- By Jon Lang
The central plaza in Sector-17 was designated by Le
Corbusier as “ Pedestrians Paradise”. No vehicular
traffic will be permitted in the plaza.
The Leisure Valley, the Rajindra Park and
other parks shall be developed as parks only
and no building other than already planned
shall be permitted.
The absence of cars and the availability of wide pavements is an
amazing sensation for the pedestrian used to dodging a
combination of potholes and honking vehicles.
http://benbansal.me/

6. http://www.nclurbandesign.org/architecture/chandigarh-le-corbusiers-master-piece/
Buildings in Chandigarh
‘Taureau’. (Bull). Cover of the Assembly
Building in Chandigarh (India) Plan of parliament building
The “Monument of the Open Hand,”
Chandigarh. (About 1951-'52)

7. 3- URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN
The lake is a gift of the creators of Chandigarh to
the citizens to be at one with nature, away from
the hubbub of city life. There shall be no
commercial exploitation of the lake and its
environment and its tranquility shall be
guaranteed by banning noises.
The nature of the infrastructure is what visually distinguishes one city from another as much as the nature of its architecture. There are
various ways of considering the infrastructure of city but the most inclusive manner covers everything that is part of the public domain
whether privately or publicly owned. In this view the streets and another transport facilities, the schools and public institutions, such as
libraries and museums, can all be part of the infrastructure of cities.
Urban Design. By Jon Lang
http://chandigarh.gov.in/
Proposal for a coherent system of bicycle and pedestrian
pathways by Henrik Valeur and Chandigarh College of
Architecture for the 2030 Master Plan of Chandigarh.
“The intention was to create a human friendly environment.” M
N Sharma, member of Le Corbusier's original design team and
the first Indian Chief Architect of Chandigarh
http://www.henrikvaleur.dk/hv/projects.php

8.  Divided the city into different sectors.
 Each sector having the residential and commercial zones.
 Planning was done in such a way that a tourist can also find his own way.
 Maps displayed along the walkways and footpaths.
Roads in Chandigarh city
Roads
- Designed and oriented in such a way that most of the time during the day, they are under shadow.
- Huge parking areas for the commercial zones.
- Parking lanes – broad as main roads.
- Pedestrian walkways segregated from the main road with the help of wide lawn strip.
- Huge gardens along the main roads. http://chandigarh.gov.in/

9. CORBUSIER’S CONCEPTUAL SKETCH SHOWING THE V-ROAD SYSTEM
•V-1 Fast roads connecting Chandigarh to
other towns.
•V-2 Arterial roads.
•V-3 Fast vehicular sector dividing roads.
•V-4 Meandering shopping streets.
•V-5 Sector circulation roads.
•V-6 Access roads to houses.
•V-7 Foot paths and cycle tracks.
Source: Documenting Chandigarh

10. 4- URBAN GUIDELINES DESIGN
THE GROWTH OF CHANDIGARH 1966-96, STARTING
WITH SECTORS 1 & 2 IN PHASE 1, & CURRENTLY
CONSISTING OF 86 SECTORS
Source: Documenting Chandigarh

11. ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL GROUPS IN
CHANDIGARH IN 1998.
Source: Documenting Chandigarh

12. LE CORBUSIER’S UNSHAKEABLE BELIEF
IN THE ANTHROPOMETRIC
PROPORTIONAL CONNECTIONS &
LINKS CREATED BY GOLDEN SECTION
An example of Human Scale
design in the city.
The city of Chandigarh is
planned to human scale. It
puts in touch with the
infinite cosmos and nature.
It provides us with places
and buildings for all human
activities in which the
citizens can live a full and
harmonious life. Here the
radiance of nature and
heart are within our reach.
http://chandigarh.gov.in/
Source: Documenting Chandigarh