1. TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT: A SMART TOOL FORDEVELOPMENT
- By Jasmine SinghandRenjinCherian
Transitorienteddevelopment(TOD)associatedwithmasstransitsystems is beingplannedinmanycitiesacross theworld
including India.TheconceptwasintroducedbyPeter Calthropeinhis book The Next AmericanMetropolis; Ecology,
Communityand the AmericanDream(1993). Theaim ofTODisto deliver developmentat higherdensitiesthancurrently
seenin India. Landand resourcesscarcitycoupled withagrowingpopulationdemandssuchnewinitiatives.
APPLICABILITYININDIANCONTEXT
Post economicliberalization (1991)Indiahasundergonerapidurbanization.Indiaalreadyhas the secondlargestreservoir of
skilledlabourinthe world and humancapitalisundoubtedlyatremendousasset.As per 2011census,about31.16%of
Indianpopulationresideinurbanareas as the talentpoolincreasinglyconcentratesincities.Accordingtothe UnitedNations,
by 2030about 40.76%of the country's populationisexpectedto thrive inurbanareas whereasworldwidethefigurepassed
50%
As the citiesbecomebiggerandpopulated,themovementof peopleandthe urbansprawlbecomesachallenge. Thelackof
a robust public transportsystem coupledwith urbansprawlhasled to increaseddependencyonprivate automobilesthereby
increasingcongestionandaffecting negativelythe qualityof life. Private carownershiphasshot up exponentiallyand if the
growthcontinuesat the samerate then by 2025 the numberofcarsis likelyto be inthe rangeof 45–60million,whichworks
out to 35 carsper 1,000 populationby2025.i Thishasbecomeagrowingconcernand some cityauthoritieshave started
implementingtransitprojectslike BusRapidTransitSystem (BRTS),MassRapidTransitSystem (MRTS)andMonorail.
Thepublic agencygenerallybuildsthetransit system, the surroundingstreetsand public spaces,while privatedevelopments
deliver housing,officebuildings,andretail.Onesolutionto assist infunding transit systems is for public bodiestoearn
revenue from monetisationofassets alongthe corridorsandby sellinghigherFloorSpaceIndex(FSI)and earningmorein
propertytaxes. Whilethe public agencies,maynot requirea directmonetaryreturn on their investment, they dorequirefunds
for augmentingthefuture phasesof the system.
TheSmartCity Initiative by the Governmentof India hasidentifiedefficienturbanmobilityandpublic transportas oneof its
coreinfrastructureelements.ii ThepurposeoftheSmart City Missionisto drive economic growthandimprovethequalityof
life of people.Someof the Smart City Initiative features are – mixedusein areabaseddevelopment,housingand
inclusiveness,creatingwalkablelocalities,promotingvarietyof transport options, etc. As TODalsofocusesonsimilar
features, TODrendersitselfas a uniquetoolto achievethe goalsof a Smart City.
CRITERIONANDCHALLENGES

2. Images appropriated and composed by Renjin Cherian
BernickandCervero (1996)iiiemphasizetherole of the “three Ds” (density, diversity, anddesign)in the successofTOD.We
proposethe addition of Delivery as anequallyimportantcriterion asfollows:
 Density: Thegoalisto maximize developmentaroundtransitnodesby providing new developmentandhousing
withina 10-15minutewalkfrom transit stationsor stops. In Delhithe strategy is to have varying densitiesas you
move from the intenseto transitionTODzone.
 Diversity: ForthesuccessofTOD Schemesitis imperativeto have a balancedmixofuses in the influencezone
suchas residential,commercial,retail,leisure,schoolsandhealth.A successfulTODprojectsimplycannotbe
achievedwiththe currentapproachofsegregatedlandusealone. Thescopeofverticalmixof uses also needsto
be permitted.Developmentmustalsobeprovided for diverse socio – economic groupsparticularlythosemost likely
to use the masstransit. Therightmixof uses willcreatedynamic anddesirableneighbourhood.
 Design:Issueslikeseamlessconnectivityacrossdifferent modesof transport (likemetro, bus, ferry, localtrains,
paratransit etc.)is a key challenge.Creatingdesirableandinspiringplacesusing simpledesignconceptslikeactive
streets suchas retail for frontage, “eyes” onstreet, no blankwalls/ spacesandsoon, willhelpto create safe
accessibleplaces. Highqualitydesignof TODnodeswouldensurethegeniuslocitherebyupliftingthe facevalue
of the property aroundit.
 Delivery: Theapproachfora public privatepartnershipto deliver a coupledmasstransitandTODdevelopment
using funding opportunitiesalreadymentioned.

3. Theagenciesinvolvedand the public shouldtakepridewhichwill inturnleadto the successofthe project.Forthis
a clearvision, goalsandthe roleof various stakeholdersmustbe clearlyimplied.It is very importantto understand
as to why TODisa better and superiorsolutionover the traditionaldevelopment.
Image showing the artistic impression of Amravati:Capital City of Andhra Pradesh
Thequestionfacedbycitiesis howto safely transport peopleratherthan encouragingtheuseof private cars. Eachurban
areahas different complexitiesandtheseneedto be evaluated holisticallywithdesignand implementation Asa smarttool,
TODcanbeeffectivein developmentof sustainableand livableinclusiveurbanareas.
AT IREO
In Gurgaon,the SouthernPeripheralRoad(SPR) is seenas a majortransportcorridorlinkingSohnaandFaridabad.The
entranceto Ireo City is alongthis road.ThemasterplanofIreo City will embracetheprinciplesofTOD.Inthe future, as the
SPR becomesmorecritical,thepossibilityof masstransit system seemsprobable.In anticipationofthis, the Ireo City
masterplan mustbe designedwithflexibilityto accommodatehighdensitydevelopmentwitha richmixof retail, residential
andcommercialprojectssupportedbyappropriateamenities. Indue courseof time,we envisionIreo City to be a majornode
andbecomesageniuslocinotonlyto the nearbyareasbut to Gurgaonandbeyond.
i Ghate, A. T. and S. Sundar (2013), Can We Reduce the Rate of Growth of Car Ownership?,Economic & Political Weekly,
Vol. 48
ii Smart City: Mission Statement and Guidelines (2015) By Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India
iii Bernick, Michael and Robert Cervero (1996). TransitVillages in the21st Century. McGraw-Hill.