Presentation tries to showcase in brief , what went into making and unmaking of Chandigarh in its historical perspective in terms of planning, architecture, principles adopted to make city a great experiment in urban planning and architecture. It also briefly goes over the challenge faced by the city and the options which can be exercised. It also briefly defines the wonderful public spaces, city has developed over a period of time.

1. MAKING AND UNMAKING OF
CHANDIGARH- A CITY OF TWO
PLANS
J.K.GUPTA, former Advisor( Town Planning) , PUDA

3. locating the capital in an existing town overruled
Considering;
security,
centrality,
development and
the ambiance of a capital.
For Selecting site-- State Government
appointed a committee.
Team zeroed on site in 1948,
-- located in sub-montanus region, 260 kms
North of Delhi due to:
 Centrality-- in State .
 Proximity- to National Capital.
 Sufficient water.
 Gentle gradient- for natural drainage.
 Absence of physical encumbrances
 mango groves/ temples marked site.

5. City -- planned for 0.5 million.
Chandigarh-- to set an example in
providing:
- generous infrastructure and
-- services,
- first Indian city where
- water,
- drainage and
- electricity
- would be available
- even to “poorest of the poor”.
- Vision -- a capital;
- -- that would serve
- as a model for the nation
- --in city planning /architecture

6. First Master Plan- Albert Mayer

7. LE CORBUSIER WITH THE BLUE PRINT OF THE MASTER
PLAN OF CHANDIGARH

8. LE CORBUSIER PIERRE JEANNERET
JANE B(everly) DREW
E(dwin) Maxwell Fry
English Rendering
Construction of a capital in
Punjab-Chandigarh.
Portrait of the Family which
is responsible for the
success of this undertaking
DRAWING AND INSCRIPTION BY LE CORBUSIER
French Original
Construction d’ une capitale
au Punjab Chandigarh
Portrait de famille des
responsables de la reussite
de l’ entreprise.
LE CORBUSIER’S TEAM

9. CO
BS
WO
RKING
LIVING
CIRCULATIO
N
• The Radiant City
•An organism capable of housing the
works of man of machine-age society.
• placed under the masterful
government of natural conditions:
•Sun
•Space
•Greenery
•And its mission is the service of
mankind:
•To live
•To work
•To cultivate body and spirit
•To travel about
(in this order and obeying this
hierarchy)

10. • Stage-II (S2) from Sector 31 to 47 covering 2428
hectares for 350000 population, high density
development of 144.15 persons per hectare (3.5
times of stage 1) with lesser order of
infrastructure and amenities.
• Land tallotted on lease hold basis
• Stage-III (S3)
• Re-densification of Stage-I (S1)-to accommodate
population exceeding 0.5 million without
compromising with quality of life.
LE CORBUSIER’S MASTER PLAN
•Le Corbusier considered Mayer-Nowicki’s Plan,
• made major changes in --shape and size of city
• maintained position of capitol with slight change, city centre, university and
industrial area
•planned a Horizontal city on pattern of a garden city
•considering economy, socio-economic conditions and living habits of people
vertical planning ruled out .
•City planned for a population of 0.5 million to be realized in 3 stages.
•Stage-I (S1)
• from Sector 1 to 30 covering 3642 hectares for 150000 population,
• low density development of 41.12 persons per hectare with
•high order of infrastructure / amenities. Land allotted on free hold basis.
S2
S1&S3

11. LE CORBUSIER’S MASTER PLAN
Density of the sectors rising from north to south
 as social class of inhabitant becomes lower,
 city becomes a social map .
 Arrangement explained by Verma ;
Le Corbusier wanted transition to more openness
towards capitol and
drainage system being more rational due to
natural fall south-wards.
 Dry bed of subsidiary monsoon water-course made
leisure valley meandering through town.
Jane Drew called Master Plan-- a poetic
significance, biological in context ,with
 Commanding head - Capitol
 Its heart -- commercial City Centre
 Its hand of productivity - Industrial area.
 Its hand of learning - University.
 Its brain and intellectual centers in Parkways
where are located the museums, library etc.
 Roads as Arteries - carriers of Blood in shape
of Traffic with
 Glass and Bricks as --Skin.

15. Sector Defined
Sector-Container of basic human needs of:
Living
Working
Care of Body and Spirits (COBS).
Population varying between 5000-25000
Size 800mx1200m- fixed keeping human
scale in mind with 10 minutes walk to reach
any activity/corner
Sector planning based on principles of:
 Self-contained / Self-sufficient Neighborhood unit.
 Safety from traffic
 planning based on Introvert character with
 no house opening on fast carrier of traffic
 bounded by fast traffic roads running on all four
sides.
 With four entries, one from each side.

17. CIRCULATION SYSTEM - RULE OF 7Vs

18. JAN MARG DURING THE DAY

19. Housing
The focus of housing was:
 The Oxonian program comprised 13 categories
of government housing
 Type 1 for Chief Minister to Type 13 for peons.
 Type 14 with minimum accommodation designed
for poor- 2 rooms, a space for kitchen, bathroom
and rear open space
 Three lowest categories of government housing
subsidized to maintain minimum standards of
amenities.
 Economy, Technology and Climate governed
design /construction of houses.
 Architects bound to follow state directives
regarding cost /type of accommodation.
 Type 7 designed as semi-detached
--higher types fully detached with
-- lower categories designed as terraced housing.

21. WORKING

22. PLAN OF CAPITOL COMPLEX

23. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
SECRETARIAT

24. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
ASSEMBLY HALL
PARABOLIC AND TRIANGULAR ROOF

25. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
INTERIOR- STATE ASSEMBLY

26. High court

27. TOWER OF SHADOWS

29. 1
2
3
3
3
4
4
5
6
7
8
9

30. Care of Body & Spirit (cobs)
Caring for physical /meta- physical health of
city/residents.
Education--College of Arch. PEC, Punjab
University; Colleges of men & women, Home
Science, Polytechnic.
Culture--College of Arts, museum, art gallery,
Centre of performing arts, Tagore theatre,
Leisure --Valley of leisure- transforming 6
meter deep seasonal rivulet-- width ranging
from 100 to 300 meters depression-- into
drainage channel for rainwater -- a linear park
running full length of city vertically with
undulating landscape, water features, host of
trees, sports studio unifying sectors of
different densities/characters.
- seasonal river on eastern side dammed to
create an artificial lake-Sukhna, lake club,
golf club, Chandigarh club Rajindra park,
Rose garden, Japanese Garden Golf course
and golf club
COBS
WORKING
LIVING
CIRCULATION

32. • Manmade water feature
• Conceived by Le Corbusier,
• As a gift to city for;
• modulating micro- climate
• Recharging Ground Water
• providing dramatic vistas of Capitol and Mountains.
• 3-km long 14m high earthen dam created.
• No vehicular movement permitted
• Planned as Pedestrian Paradise
• WHERE PEACE and TRANQUALITY ALWAYS PREVAILS

33. SUKHNA LAKE

34. • Designed by Le Corbusier.
• around a central Courtyard.
• Simple structure.
• Single-storyed bldg. sunk 3-M below road level --so that structure does not
dominate

35. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
• CHANIGARH MUSEUM---SQUARE SPIRAL PLAN
• BUILT ON COLUMNS HAVING ENTRANCE AT GROUND LEVEL

36. Student Centre- PU

37. Gandhi Bhawan -PU

38. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
FRONT FAÇADE ADORNED WITH DEEP SCREEN OF PRE-
CAST CONCRETE, A SORT OF MINIATURE brise-soleil

39. Chandigarh Landscaping
Chandigarh carefully planned, designed and planted
city of India
With sun, space & verdure as basic forces of town
planning and Architecture
-Chandigarh landscaping guided by:
 Marrying buildings with trees for harmony and
 linking man with nature.
 Linking mass of buildings and enhancing their
architectural quality through textures, colours and
contrast.
 Providing individuality to each element of city design.
Bio-aesthetic planning based on selecting trees
having regards to colours, foliage, shape of crown,
utilities aesthetic , architectural appeal and contrast
Plan evolved as a corollary of planning principles
adopted for city i.e.
-- living,
-- working ,
--cobs and
circulation.

42. Development Controls
Developmental Controls
Two sets of controls applicable
 Within city
 Outside city
 Entire City subjected to Developmental Controls
 City Zoned -- used/developed for specific purpose.
Built Environment under strict control comprising of :
 defining edges of buildings
 setbacks
 maximum height
 use of materials and
 Openings
Different set of controls applicable to different area
depending upon importance.
All commercial areas under architectural control.

43. Development Controls
Within City
 Zoning control
 Full architectural control
 System of construction &
architectural treatment.
 Design control.
 Architectural controls
 Frame control.
 Gates and Boundary walls.
 Advertisement control.
 Tree preservation order.
Outside city
 Periphery control

46. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
The object of this edict is to
 Enlighten the present and future citizens of
Chandigarh
 about the basic concepts of planning of the city
 so that they become its guardians and
 save it from whims of individuals.
This edict sets out the following basic ideas
underlying the planning of the city.
Human scale
 The city of Chandigarh is planned to human scale.
 It puts us in touch with the infinite cosmos and nature.
 It provides us with places and buildings for all human
activities by which the citizens can live a full and
harmonious life.
 Here the radiance of nature and heart are within our
reach.

47. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
Sectors
 This city is composed of sectors.
 Each sector is 800 meters by 1,200 meters,
 enclosed by roads allocated to fast mechanised
transport and
 sealed to direct access from the houses.
 Each sector caters to the daily needs of its inhabitants,
 which vary from 5,000 to 25,000 and
 has a green strip oriented longitudinally stretching
centrally along the sector in the direction of the
mountains.
 The green strip should stay uninterrupted and
 accommodate schools, sports fields, walkways and
recreational facilities for the sector
Vehicular traffic is completely forbidden in the green strips,
 where tranquility shall reign and
 the curse of noise shall not penetrate.

48. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
ROADS:
 The roads of the city are classified
 into seven categories,
 known as the system of 7 Vs,
 V-1 -- Fast roads connecting Chandigarh to other towns;
 V-2 -- arterial roads;
 V-3 -- Fast vehicular roads;
 V-4 -- Meandering shopping streets;
 V-5 -- Sector circulation roads;
 V-6 -- Access roads to houses;
 V-7 -- footpaths and cycle tracks
Buses will ply only on V-1, V-2, V-3 and V-4 roads.
A wall shall seal the V-3 roads from the sectors.
Areas of Special Architectural Interest
 Certain areas of Chandigarh are of special architectural
interest.
 Where harmonized and unified construction of buildings is
aimed at,
 absolute architectural and zoning control should remain
operative.

49. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
Along V-2 central, dual carriageways, Madhya
Marg and Uttar Marg, where
 skyline,
 heights,
 character and
 architecture of buildings as planned
 shall not be altered.
Along V-2 beyond dual carriageway areas are
 reserved for cultural institutions only and
 shall never have any residential buildings
No building shall be constructed north of the
Capitol Complex
CITY CENTRE
The central plaza in Sector 17 was designed
 as "Pedestrian's Paradise".
 No vehicular traffic will be permitted in the plaza.

50. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
Industrial area
 Only such industry as
 is powered by electricity
 would be permitted in the Industrial Area,
 so that atmosphere is saved from pollution.
The Lake
 The Lake is a gift
 of the creators of Chandigarh
 to the citizens
 to be at one with the lake and its
environments and
 its tranquility shall be guaranteed by banning
noises.

51. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
LANDSCAPING
 The landscaping of this city is based on
 careful observation of the vegetation of India.
 Selected ornamental trees, shrubs and
climbers have been planted
 according to colour schemes to beautify it.
 In future planting and replacements, these
principles must be kept in view.
 There should be no haphazard replacements,
 so that the avenues retain their harmony and
beauty.
 The Leisure Valley, the Rajendra Park and
other parks shall be developed as parks only
and
 no building other than already planned shall
be permitted.

52. EDICT OF CHANDIGARH
No Personal Statues Shall Be Erected
 The age of personal statues is gone.
 No personal statues shall be erected in the city or
 parks of Chandigarh.
 The city is planned to breathe
 the new sublimated spirit of art.
 Commemoration of persons shall be confined to
suitably placed bronze plaques.
Truthfulness of Building Materials To Be
Maintained:
 The truthfulness of
 materials of constructions,
 concrete, bricks and stone,
 shall be maintained in all buildings constructed or
 to be constructed.
The seed of Chandigarh is well sown.
It is for the citizens to see that the tree
flourishes.

53. ISSUES

54. Population
initial fear of ever reaching its population
target- city achieved its planned
population of 0.5m in 1991 within four
decades.
Chandigarh UT recorded a population of
10,54,686 in 2011--9,00,635 in 2001.
Chandigarh UT now a conglomerate of 2
urban centres and 22 urban villages.
High population density of 9252 in2011 as
against 7900 persons per sq. km in 2001.
Rural areas - witnessing faster growth
rate indicating pressure on rural
settlements.
By 202i, Chandigarh projected population
--1.35-1.45 million &1.5-1.6 m in 2031
Urgent need to address dimension of
demography in future planning related to:
Housing, Services, Traffic and
Employment to ensure retention of its
basic character.

55. Slums

60. CHANGING CONTEXT OF PERIPHERY

61. CHANDIGARH- contributions
Chandigarh remains a designed city ; not planned city
--City framework prepared in 96 hours--
Chandigarh established-Planned City could be developed
without a master plan
- Zoning Plan alone could leverage Planned development
Chandigarh - first Indian city where
- water, --drainage and electricity was made available to
even “poorest of the poor” of citizens
- Chandigarh Served-- as a role model of city planning and
architecture in country
- Chandigarh --set a minimum standard of two rooms for
EWS Housing
- - Established Effectiveness and efficacy of--Grid- Iron Plan
– Simple, cost-effective for urban planning
- Established -Sector as a unit of Neignbourhood Planning
- Established importance of manmade water body--Sukhna
Lake –-using low lying area of the Sukhna Choe

62. LESSONS FROM CHANDIGARH
Appropriate site, quality of initial planning team , for designing-
constructing and managing city, Political support- most vital for
success of project
Bulk Acquisition of land- way to rational planning, designing and
making provision of basic infrastructure/services in city
Planning with nature- best option to design a sustainable city –
Sun , Space , Greenery
Preserving existing flora/fauna, bio- diversity vital for creating a
sustainable city
Designing buildings with sun, climate ,culture , orientation- vital to
make sustainable buildings
Bureaucratic model of city management proved its efficacy by
Chandigarh
Roads named after destination/direction- not after individual
No Statue permitted on public place

63. LESSONS FROM CHANDIGARH
Using local material in natural form- offer best option for
creating sustainable buildings
Concept of Development Control- best option for defining
architectural vocabulary of city
Concept of City &Periphery - Regional Planning- best option
for regulating peri-urban development
Chandigarh provides simplest address- using house
number/sector number– 344/40-A, Chandigarh-160036
Chandigarh – only city to have an Edict- defining basic
framework- future options to preserve city
Chandigarh – first city to give recognition to profession of
Architecture/Planning
Landscaping made integral part of city planning process
Place making opted in large projects- Capitol, City Centre,
Leisure valley

64. Place Making
in Chandigarh

66. Place Making
What defines the character of city is its public
spaces and not private spaces-Dr Joan Clause
Public spaces in Chandigarh distributed all over
the city in a well defined hierarchy
-city remains connected with nature-
Capitol
Lake
Valley of leisure- gardens, museums, sports sta
City Centre
Traffic Rotaries
Sector

68. Capitol

69. PLAN OF CAPITOL COMPLEX

76. Lake

77. 1
2
3
3
3
4
4
5
6
7
8
9

78. • Manmade water feature
• Conceived by Le Corbusier,
• As a gift to city for;
• modulating micro- climate
• Recharging Ground Water
• providing dramatic vistas of Capitol and Mountains.
• 3-km long 14m high earthen dam created.
• No vehicular movement permitted
• Planned as Pedestrian Paradise
• WHERE PEACE and TRANQUALITY ALWAYS PREVAILS

83. Rock Garden

87. Valley of
Leisure

100. Tagore Theatre - 18

101. Corbu Museum-19

102. Garden of Palms- Leisure Valley

103. City Centre

109. VIEW OF PLAZA, SECTOR 17 AT NIGHT

117. Traffic
Rotaries

118. Chandigarh Traffic Rotaries

119. Residential
Sector -22

122. Sector 22- first planned sector

123. Sector 22- first planned sector

124. Sector 22- first planned sector

126. Shopping Centre-22