Chandigarh Experiment with Urban Planning

Chandigarh- A City of Innovations & Experiments
Chandigarh- Experiment with Urban Planning - 2
*Jit Kumar Gupta
**jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

Chandigarh- A City of Innovations & Experiments- Experiment with
Urban Planning
1.0 Introduction;
1.1 Urban planning remains critical and valuable for making cities safe,
inclusive, resilient, sustainable and livable for the reasons; urban planning
empowers city by; optimizing land; rationally organizing/positioning land
uses; ensuring availability & making provision of hard and soft
infrastructures; ensuring universal accessibility to basic necessities of life;
achieving agenda of housing for all , optimizing available resources,
creating balance between growth, nature and environment; making
environment more qualitative; ensuring equity, marginalizing poverty and
providing best of the environment to make human more living qualitative
and productive besides eliminating dualities and contradictions, prevailing
in the majority of urban centers.
1.2 Planned development, besides checking haphazard/unplanned/sub-
standard development, invariably helps in promoting balanced growth of
human settlements by ensuring; equitable distribution of resources.
Planned development is also known for its distinct advantages of
overcoming the; prevailing urban challenges of unplanned development,
mushroom growth of slums, increasing homelessness, growing urban
overcrowding and congestion,increasing urban sprawl, widening inequality
between communities, increasing gridlocks, creating issues related to
parking, mismanaging waste, rising pollution, increasing deforestation,
growing urban flooding, increasing poverty, limiting access to basic
necessities of life, rising cost of living, marginalizing open/public spaces,
marginalizing communities, growing poverty of urban governance,
ignoring heritage,marginalizing safety and limiting social vibrancy. (Image
1)

Image 1; Planned Development ;Source; sellingmorerealestate.com
2.3 It needs to be understood and appreciated that planned development
hold distinct advantages over unplanned development. Globally, studies
made and analysis carried out, of planned/unplanned urban centers, have
revealed, that cost of unplanned development has been reckoned to be
much higher than unplanned development. Looking holistically, planned
development has been valued for its distinct advantages in terms of;
 Quality Living; Planned urban development involves and includes,
defining options for making cities great place to live and work by;
defining holistic vision for the growth and development of human
settlement; making human living more qualitative, operationally more
effective/efficient/productive while ensuring highest quality of life &
ensuring rational distribution of population. Planned development is also
valued for; eliminating unplanned, haphazard, sub-standard
development; creating options for ensuring universal and equitable
access to affordable housing , providing public amenities; earmarking
public spaces for all inhabitants; improving universal access to
healthcare, education, and recreational facilities; defining agenda for
future growth and development; creating appropriate spaces for

location of various land uses; making city operationally more efficient,
economically more productive and environmentally more sustainable.
 Valuing Land; Planned urban development helps in optimizing the use
of the available land resource by; treating land as gift of nature
promoting universal good rather than a commodity to be traded for
merely generating wealth ; rationalizing/ optimizing use of available
land by carrying out land suitability analysis; determining suitability of
land for development/different land uses ; using land on 24X7X365
basis; eliminating misuse/abuse of land; conducting land audit;
ensuring availability of land for different uses on prescribed/defined
norms and standards; making land market more effective and efficient;
making available land at right cost in right quantity, at right place and at
right time, for urban development; rationally locating spaces where
housing, industry, commerce, and green spaces can be optimally
located.
 Housing; Planned development is valued for; creating self-contained/
self-sustaining vibrant and sustainable communities ; ensuring
universal access to affordable housing , for meeting the goal of Housing
for All; defining provision for all basic amenities/services in the
residential area, essential for human living, on the pre-defined norms
and standards; promoting multiple options for housing including rental
housing/ transit housing/affordable housing/plotted/flatted development.
 Rationalizing Mobility; Making traffic/ transportation integral part of
settlement planning, planned urban development helps in; promoting
safety and security of road users; rationalizing travel/traffic /travel
demand/trip length;leveraging mechanism of planning for people not
vehicles& promoting accessibility rather than mobility ; Rationalizing
traffic/ transportation by opting for mixed land use planning and
appropriately shaping /sizing of city; using transit oriented development;
Creating integrated/multiple options for traffic and transportation ; Re-
ordering priority of traffic planning; prioritizing pedestrianization and
marginalizing individual cars; Creating options for mass transportation/
walking/cycling and ensuring last mile connectivity; ensuring seamless

mobility by minimizing congestion, using public transport and creating
smart road networks.
 Providing Amenities& Facilities; Urban planning helps in mapping
existing healthcare/ education /entertainment facilities; ensuring rational
spatial distribution and universal access to basic amenities / facilities-
both quantitative /qualitative- roads, water supply, sewage, and
electricity.;Avoiding concentration /absence of amenities and facilities at
different places of city besides providing adequate public spaces/open
spaces ,based on prescribed planning norms and standards;
 Managing Environment; Planned development of human settlements
defines agenda for; identifying/conserving/preserving, protecting and
making value addition to all environmentally sensitive areas;
Identifying /preserving/promoting existing water resources;
conserving, preserving, protecting and making value addition to all
available sources of natural heritage; Adding green cover on specified
norms/standards; Creating city forests for greening / cleaning/cooling
cities; Specifying options for minimizing pollution; preserves wetlands,
forests, and open spaces while mitigating environmental pollution;
dovetailing development with long-term ecological balance; reducing
risks of disasters having genesis in- floods, earthquakes, and climate
change
 Promoting Economy; Planned urban development is known for
making city economically vibrant;generating employment, creating
gainful skill- based opportunities, for employment of both skill/unskilled
manpower; promoting economy/economic development; creating
enabling environment to attract and support investment; leveraging local
skill, art and craft; creating centers /options for skilling local manpower
to make them more productive.
 Valuing Heritage; Planned urban development is credited with
focusing on; Identifying /mapping existing built/natural heritage;
classifying heritage based upon local context/ value/importance;
Suggesting strategies/ road map, for preservation/ conservation/
promotion of heritage; framing schemes/framework for the heritage

development ; making heritage development integral part of planning
process; making heritage conservation community-led
movement;making heritage integral part of urban planning &
development process; leveraging heritage for promoting
tourism,economy and employment of the settlement.
 Planning based on Circular Economy; Considering waste as wealth
and as a valuable resource, planned urban development defines
agenda for; making city zero-waste; net zero-energy, net zero waste
water; opting for reducing, refusing, recycling and reusing all available
resources; planning for creating skill to recycle waste; planning for
industries, involved in recycling/reuse at the local level
 Technology-led; Making technology integral part of urban planning,
development and management process; leveraging technology for
efficient / economic delivery of services, rationalizing traffic and
transportation; connecting urban local bodies with local communities;
recording / addressing citizen grievances; making cities operationally
efficient; creating options for improving local governance, increasing
ULBs-community's interface; promoting transparency in decision
making and increasing public accountability.
 Valuing Communities; Urban planning having relevance for
communities invariably provide for involvement of local communities in
terms of; understanding its vision about the current/future
development, prioritizing development, resolving issues related to
infrastructures/services, improving quality of life, using available
resources, preparing and implementation of development
plans/schemes on the ground.(Image 2)

Image 2 ; Involving Community; Source; bettermode.com
2.0 Roadblocks in Planned Development ;
2.1 Despite having distinct advantages, role and relevance in making cities
more productive, effective, efficient, qualitative, safe, sustainable and
livable, yet urban planning in India remains marginalized, muted and
diluted, operating under the limitation of rational policies, resources, skill.
expertise, land, infrastructures, poverty, pollution and climate change.
Unless focused attention is made to address the issue of
multiplicity/absence of agencies operating at local level; enhancing the
capacity and capability of urban local bodies, leveraging financing,
rationalizing land-use policies, promoting resilience and ensuring
sustainability, cities will continue to struggle for becoming livable and
competitive.
2.2 Urban planning in India faces major roadblocks in terms of; weak
municipal finances, fragmented governance, restrictive land-use
regulations and lack of skilled manpower, These challenges are known to
slow down infrastructure delivery, raise cost of living, make urban land cost
beyond affordability, reduce the effectiveness of city planning and
development. Urban planning and development in India perpetually suffers
due to;( Image 3)

 Planned development remains marginalized, due to lack of focus and
limited understanding on the part of state/ agencies. regarding the
role and importance of the such a development in making cities more
productive and livable,
 According low priority to the planned development of human
settlements in the growth agenda of the state governments.
 Low allocation of the resources for the urban development in the state
budget.
 Absence of comprehensive legal framework at state/local level, for
promoting planned development of the cities/regions in the states.
 Absence of Master Plans for majority of the urban areas (with nearly
half of India’s towns and cities, still lacking notified master plans- 3,000
out of 7,933 urban settlements), making urban growth marked by
unregulated growth, urban sprawl, growing congestion, and poor
infrastructure delivery.
 Treating urban planning merely a technical subject, to be dealt by
professionals only; like planners, architects and engineers, without
understanding the numerous political, physical. economic, social and
environmental implications
 Decision making in urban planning largely led by, not just pure merits
and serving the larger public interest, but primarily on considerations
other than merits, which focus on power dynamics rather than public
welfare.
 Limited capacity, capability, resources, autonomy, power and authority
of ULBs, due to non-availability of adequate manpower and resources,
 Perpetual shortage of skilled planners, engineers, and administrators
supplemented by large number of vacancies or inadequately trained
staff positions invariably lead to promoting lack of enforcement and
unplanned development. .

 Irrational planning practices devoid of local context and culture,
creating roadblocks in the rational planning/ implementation of the
long-term & short-term plans at the local level.
 Multiplicity of agencies, both central/ state/local ,operating at local level,
with overlapping areas of operations and conflict of interests,between
municipal bodies and parastatal agencies, wastage of resources,
causing delays and operational inefficiencies.
 Lack of co-ordination among agencies operating at local level in the
domain of urban planning, development and management.
 Limited allocation by the state to local level agencies, of power,
authority, resources in urban planning, development and management
despite enactment of 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 ,
making ULBs function as extension of state governments, rather than
governments in its own right.
 Limited involvement/divorcing of local level communities, in the planning
and development of the local plans.
 Unrealistic planning, based on extraneous consideration, without
understanding the local context.
 Copying/pasting of urban planning solutions, of one city on the other,
without understanding and appreciating that all cities remain different
and distinct, and no two cities are similar.
 Irrational planning and development norms made applicable to cities
without understanding the local context.
 Focusing on physical aspects in planing, while ignoring larger issues of
environment, social, economic and cultural, prevailing at the local level;
 Ambiguity in land titles supplemented with speculative land markets,
creating major road blocks in recycling and efficient use of land/ space,
 Freezing urban land and preventing it from being used productively
and promoting unplanned development.

 Limitation of Floor Space Index (FSI) and Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
development regulations, limiting the scope of vertical growth and
promoting outward /urban sprawl and unplanned development.

Image 3; Unplanned Developemnt; climate.co.ke
3.0 Chandigarh Experiment with Urban Planning;
3.1 Chandigarh is globally known and valued for its state of art urban
planning, sustainable architecture, innovative engineering and excellent
urban governance.Chandigarh state of art planning has genesis; in its
unique site, distinct climate, available natural features, prevailing culture,
flat land, lot of mango groves, limitation of resources and
quality/commitment/ skill/knowledge/experience /expertise of team of
architects and planners engaged for the planning an designing of city.
These aspects have been detailed and defined by various researchers,
scholars, academicians and professionals from time to time. It is time that
after 75 years of its journey, various experiments made by the city in
urban planning, architecture, development and governance are clearly
brought out and debated, in terms of its positivity and negativities, for

understanding the journey of the capital city. This write up is an attempt in
search of the innovations , which city has made in its journey of planning
and development, as the most valued city. Following lessens emerge from
the unique and state of art planning of Chandigarh.
 Bulk Acquisition of Land; Chandigarh was the first new capital city,
in the post-independence India, which took the decision of acquiring
entire land in bulk, required for the planning and development of the
first stage of the city in 1951. Bulk acquisition of land, as a concept,
helped in logical planning, rational development and effective
management of the city. With plenty of land available with the Capital
project, city was able to attract large number of educational, medical
and other state/central institutions. It also helped in development of the
infrastructures and services on a scale, unknown in the planning of
cities. Overcoming limitation of land, city was able to provide plotted
housing, even to the lowest category of the government
employees.With land sourced at the affordable cost, Chandigarh was
able to plan and provide for major recreational activities at both
city/local level. Setting up of Punjab University, Punjab Engineering
College, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science, creation of
majestic Leisure valley, providing large open/public spaces,educational
institutions, healthcare, community centers at the city/local level,
became a reality , only due to availability of land, free from any
encumbrances, with the government. Availability of land also helped
city in raising resources besides ensuring economy in development.
Majority of excellence in planning/ development of the Chandigarh, can
be attributed to the bulk acquisition of land. This concept was later,
followed in the development of national capital city of Delhi in sixtees.
 Acquisition of Village Abadis; Approximately 9,000 acres of land
was acquired for the development of first stage of the capital city of
Chandigarh. This included land of 24 villages (1951–1953). In acquiring
land , besides resorting to bulk acquisition, Chandigarh is also credited
for its uniqueness of acquiring entire land of the village, falling both
under agriculture and human habitation , unlike the present system of
acquiring land only under agriculture , while leaving the land used for

human habitation.This concept of acquiring the land under human
habitation,helped in making first stage of Chandigarh development,
free from the issues/problems related to development of villages falling
within the urban areas. The problem can be visualized in the second
stage of development of Chandigarh, where land of four villages,
under human habitation was not acquired. Rational development of
urban villages has emerged as the major challenge in the vocabulary
of urban development due to large scale misuse/abuse/speculation
and lack of control on the development of area under abadi-deh of
villages, left from acquisition.
 Planning for People; Chandigarh planning remains different, distinct
and unique for the reason,it remains people/community centric besides
creating supportive conditions for empowering local community , In
order to empower local communities, Corbu critically and objectively
mapped the basic/essential human activities, in four distinct activities
namely ; Living, Working, Care of Body & Spirits and Circulation
(Image4). For making Chandigarh vibrant/successful/relevant,
Chandigarh planning was appropriately focused to adequately meets
these basic needs. Accordingly, Chandigarh planning provided for;
giving highest priority to living by ensuring highest quality of life in
terms of planning of the sector based on human scale and walkability ;
followed by providing appropriate quality of working in the shape of
capitol complex, city/sub-city centres/commercial/institutuinal/industrial
spaces ; followed by making people happy, healthy and more
productive, both physically and mentally, by creating Valley of Leisure/
Sukhna lake/ Museums/Art galleries/Large open spaces/ Numerous
gardens/Parks / Stadiums/ Healthcare,Educational institutions etc; with
least priority going to travel/circulation by following the rule of Les Sept
Voies.



 Image 4; Life Cycle of Human Activities; Source; Author
 Planning With Nature; by leveraging Sun, Space, Greenery and cities
planned with nature as co-parceners,are known for their distinct
advantages in terms of being; more healthier, more resilient, and more
sustainable. Minimizing conflicts and contradictions between natural
and man-made environment ,reducing pollution, mitigating climate risks,
integrating green spaces, marginalizing heat islands. Cities planned
with nature, are valued for making value addition to the environment,
bio-diversity and quality of life of the local residents. Studies made
globally, have revealed that cities planned, based on nature and using
natural resources, have proved to be more safer, more healthier, and
more sustainable. Considering the fact that, creating balance between
growth and nature/ ecological preservation, make cities more resilient
against climate change/global warming, while improving daily life for
citizens Corbu, in the planning and designing of the capital city of
Chandigarh, adopted the agenda/principle of planning the city under the
triad of/based on Sun, Space and Greenery. Growing under the
shadow of Shivalik hills, has led to making Chandigarh the greenest city
in the country,with largest green cover. Two seasonal rivers ; Patiali ki
Rao and Sukhna Choe and leisure valley, numerous gardens,

uninterrupted green belts, tree-lined avenues, and man made Sukhna
Lake, has given Chandigarh a distinct , different and unique character
and made it a role model of city planned with nature. Edict of
Chandigarh prepared by Le-Corbusier , defines the structure and
context of nature in the planning of the city in terms of,
“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.”(Image 5)
Figure 5; Chandigarh Planned with Nature; Source; Archdaily
 Opting for Grid Iron Planning; Limitation and paucity of the financial
resources with the government of Punjab,was the major challenge
faced, during the development of the capital city of Chandigarh. Despite
the challenge of limited availability of resources, mandate given to the
team entrusted with the task of planning and development, was to plan,
design and develop a city, which should provide basic facilities of life to

the poorest of the poor citizen, to lead a dignified life beside creating a
role model of planning and architecture for the nation. Considering
various options, it was felt prudent that opting for grid-iron pattern will
be most valuable for achieving the economy and efficiency in the
development of the city. Studies have revealed that Grid iron
(rectangular) road pattern is valued for its simplicity, cost-efficiency,
space-efficiency and adaptability in urban planning—especially on the
terrain which is flat. Grid-iron pattern is also known to ensure,
systematic/simple land division, optimum utilization of available urban
land, lowering labour cost, ease of laying services,simplifying land
demarcation; ensuring cost-effective development. Grid iron planning
also known to help in creating an effective and efficient traffic &
transportation system ; reducing travel distance, spreading traffic
evenly and avoiding over-dependence on a single arterial route.
Following analogy of straight line , Grid iron pattern is also valued for
Infrastructure efficiency ,lowering construction and maintenance costs,
besides promoting easier urban expansion.(Image 6)
Image 6; Grid Iron Planning; Source ; planningtank.c

 Finite/Compact City’; Chandigarh presents an exception, among the
global cities, , which have been planned as a finite/compact
city.Planned for a population of 0.5 million, Corbusier fixed the size and
shape of the city. With population was divided into 47 sectors and size
of the city defined by the Shivalik hills and two choes, it was mandated
that, despite city recording increase in population beyond 0.5 million,
city limits shall not be extended. It was stated that additional population
will be accommodated in the city, through the process of
intensification /densification of existing area, whichis planned as low
density. Finite/compact cities are known to hold distinct advantages in
terms of optimizing the land resource , eliminating increase in trip
length, rationalizing travel/traffic, while creating a well defined system of
infrastructure development. It also helps in making process of planning
more dynamic, by meeting the emerging challenges of increased
population. Finite/compact cities also help in checking urban sprawl and
mushroom development/growth on the urban periphery besides
ensuring better management of available land resource .(Image 7)
 .Re-densification; Chandigarh is also credited with giving the concept
of re-densification of cities , as an option to meet the growing
challenges of susequent increase in population, currently being
followed in city like Singapore. Planned for an population of 0.5 million,
development of Chandigarh was divided into two distinct stages. Stage
One (S-1), comprised of sectors 1-30 and was mandated to be low
density (16 persons/acre), with urban area placed at 9000 Acs for
housing a population of 0.15 million. Stage Two (S-2), comprising of
sectors 31-47, which was envisioned to be high density (59
persons/acre), for housing remaining population of 0.35 million in an
area of merely 6000 Acs. However, looking at the growth of the
population beyond 05 million, it was envisioned that , city limits will
remain finite and additional population shall be accommodated in S1, by
adopting a mechanism of re-densification/intensification of Stage one(S-
1) of the city , where population density was merely one-fourth of the S-
2. Thus Chandigarh remains different, distinct and unique, where city
limits were not proposed to be extended and additional population,

beyond its total planned population, was to be accommodated within the
existing boundaries of the city. Chandigarh also remains the first city,
where concept of regeneration and brown field redevelopment, by re-
densification of the low density area, was inbuilt in the at the very
planning of the city,even when there was apprehension ,that city will not
achieve population even defined for stage (Image 7)
Image 7; Chandigarh- Finite City & Re-densification; Source ;Author
 Sector- Neighbourhood Unit; Chandigarh is credited to be the
pioneer in the Indian context, for ushering the concept of Sector, based
on pedestrianization, as a neighbourhood unit in urban planning. In
order to make Chandigarh function and operate effectively and
efficiently, as a self-contained and vibrant social unit, city was planned
to be composed of sectors. Each sector measured 800 meters by
1,200 meters, enclosed by roads allocated to fast mechanized transport
and sealed to direct access from the houses.Each sector was meant to
caters to the daily needs of its inhabitants, which were to vary from
5,000 to 25,000. A green strip oriented longitudinally stretched centrally
along the sector in the direction of the mountains. The green strip was

mandated to stay uninterrupted and was meant to accommodate
schools, sports fields, walkways and recreational facilities for the sector.
Vehicular traffic was completely forbidden in the green strips, where
tranquility was to reign and the curse of noise was not to
penetrate.Looking at the distinct advantages ,in terms of promoting
pedestrianization,self-sufficiency in basic needs, safe from fast moving
traffic, availability of basic necessities in walking distance,creating local
options for shopping recreation,leisure,shopping , education and
healthcare in close vicinity to living, have made sector as the best
option in urban planning at local/neighbourhood level.(Image 8 )

Image 8; Lay-out Plan of Sector 35, Chandigarh;
Source ;biggspot.com
 10 Minutes City; Globally, Chandigarh is also credited to be first city,
ushering the concept of 10 minutes city in the urban planning in the year
1951.Concept ensured that all the the basic amenities of life will be
made available to the inhabitants of the sector, housing a population
between 500-25000, within 10 minute’s walk . The concept was

embedded in the planning and designing of the sector as a
neighbourhood concept. As defined by the Jane B Drew, Sector was
planned to be;
“Safe from traffic and in close proximity to the nature, sector
constituted an attempt, to create city within a city ,which
provides for all the basic day to day material and social needs
of the citizens in easy reach of the home, but at the same time
linked to the larger scale of the city in terms of transport and
services as well as architectural meaning”. (Image 9)

Image 9; Conceptual Plan of Chandigarh Sector-10 minutes City;
Source; Author
 Transportation; Based on the studies made by Congrès
Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (International Congresses of
Modern Architecture- CIAM), for formalizing, spreading, and executing
the principles of modern design globally, Chandigarh can be credited to
be first city in the country to follow well- defined hierarchy of roads to
rationalist travel and traffic in the city.The hierarchy defined provided for
catering to both inter and intra-city traffic besides segregating the fast
and slow traffic within the city. In addition, it provided for catering to two
wheeler traffic by adding V8 to the Rule of 7Vs. For rationalizing the
travel and traffic, hierarchy of roads provided for the nature of traffic to
be carried by each road was defined , in terms of;
“The roads of the city are classified into seven categories,
known as the system of 7 Vs, later amended as V8 (Image 10)
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
V-8bc- Two Wheelers- 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.

Image 10; Traffic & Transport
Planning; Rule of TVs , Chandigarh; Source; slideshare.net
 Zoning; Chandigarh is credited to be first city in the country , which
despite the absence of a legal Master Plan, has been able to achieve
the distinction of being one of the best planned city in the country. Even
after 75 years of city being created , India has not been able to create
another planned and developed city like Chandigarh. Chandigarh
planned growth can be credited to the mechanism of Zoning, under
which each and every part of urban land was labelled, in terms of the
use of the land and what could be built on the said land, for ensuring
there is no misuse/abuse/violation of the principle of zoning.Under the
mandate of Zoning, City also followed the system of Development
Controls , which helped in providing a distinct, different and unique
character to the city.
 Concept of Periphery; Chandigarh can be also credited to be first
city. for involving concept of periphery in the parlance of urban
planning. The concept emphasized that in order to make city

sustainable, it is not only relevant to ensure planned development of
urban land but also it will be essential to regulate the land falling on the
periphery of the city. Concept also provided that city and periphery
have different and distinct roles, which must not interchange. Role of
city is to provide all services essential for human growth and
development whereas periphery should provide basic essentials for
human living, like food,fruit, poultry products , milk, vegetables etc. in
close vicinity of the city. Considering the fact that initially only first
stage-S1, of the city was being developed and second stage-S2, was to
be added later on, Chandigarh enacted the The Punjab New Capital
(Periphery) Control Act, 1952, · The Act aimed at controlling and
regulating haphazard growth, urbanising the land , stop ramshackle,
unauthorized, and substandard constructions coming up around the
planned city, in the area declared as "periphery, besides making land
available for future development, without any physical
encumbrances.".Periphery was initially defined up to 5 miles but later
on extended to roughly 10 miles in 1962, on all sides, outside the
planned boundaries of Chandigarh, due to coming up of Western
Command and HMT factory in the vicinity of Chandigarh. By enacting
the periphery Act, Chandigarh also gave the idea that cities must be
viewed and planned in the regional context for sustainability. (Image 11)
Image 11 ; Chandigarh Periphery -16kms ; Source; slideshare.net

 Making Landscaping part of Urban Planning; In addition to
innovations in physical planning and urban development, Chandigarh is
also credited with introducing the concept of making landscaping
integral part of city planning and development, right from the beginning.
Using native flora, Chandigarh’s landscaping is celebrated as
unique ,different and distinct for the reason it merges with the city’s
unique rigid geometry. One of Chandigarh’s most defining landscape
features is that every major road has a specific, designated tree species
chosen for its height, canopy shape, seasonal flowering, and foliage
density. Roadside tree plantations has been planned and designed
keeping in view the prevailing orientation and the solar angles in mind.
Accordingly, horizontal and vertical arterial roads often feature distinct
species, helping commuters avoiding harsh sun while
driving.Deciduous trees have been planted where winter sunlight is
desired, while dense evergreens were used to block intense summer
glare against concrete structures.Different trees have been used
having different colours, along the shopping streets - V4 of different
sectors, for giving different vocabulary to the row of sectors.In addition,
Chandigarh is credited with enacting, The Chandigarh Trees
Preservation Order ,on December 19, 1952, under the Capital of Punjab
(Development and Regulation Act, 1952), which mandates that, all
existing trees shall be deemed to be protected trees and any hopping,
lopping, chopping and topping of existing trees, without approval of the
competent authority was made as a punishable offence. As per
Chandigarh Edict;(Image 12)
“The landscaping of the city has been 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 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.”

Image 12 ; Chandigarh Periphery -16kms ; Source; reviews.comx
Author:
Jit Kumar Gupta
Director; College of Architecture, IET Bhaddal, Punjab
Email; jit.kumar1944@gmail.
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Chandigarh Experiment with Urban Planning

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