The document outlines the characteristics and planning considerations of Central Business Districts (CBDs), emphasizing their role as commercial and cultural hubs of cities with a high density of activities and transportation. It discusses historical evolution, essential features, accessibility, safety measures, and guidelines for pedestrian-friendly designs and retail establishments. Additionally, the document touches upon infrastructure services and planning regulations related to electrical supply, fire safety, and sewage disposal systems.

1. INTRODUCTION
THE CBD OR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS THE FOCAL
POINT OF A CITY. IT IS THE COMMERCIAL, OFFICE, RETAIL,
AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE CITY AND USUALLY IS THE
CENTER POINT FOR TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.
IT MAINTAINS A SPECIAL CULTURAL STATUS AS HISTORIC
CENTRE OF THE CITY AS WELL AS SERVING AS A
COMMUNITY CENTRE FOR THE SURROUNDING REGION. IT
ALSO MAINTAINS A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED CHARACTER.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
THE CBD DEVELOPED AS THE MARKET SQUARE IN ANCIENT
CITIES. ON MARKET DAYS, FARMERS, MERCHANTS AND
CONSUMERS WOULD GATHER IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY
TO EXCHANGE, BUY, AND SELL GOODS. THIS ANCIENT
MARKET IS THE FORERUNNER TO THE CBD. AS CITIES
GREW AND DEVELOPED, CBDS BECAME FIXED LOCATION
WHERE RETAIL AND COMMERCE TOOK PLACE. THE CBD IS
OFTEN NEAR A MAJOR TRANSPORTATION ROUTE THAT
PROVIDED THE SITE FOR THE CITY'S LOCATION, SUCH AS A
RIVER, RAILROAD, OR HIGHWAY.
•GENERAL OBJECTIVES
•ACCESSIBILITY -DISTRICT CENTRE SHOULD BE PLANNED
IN A WAY SO THAT EVERY ACTIVITY FALLS WITHIN THE
ACCESSIBLE DISTANCE.
POSSIBLE LAYOUTS
THIS LAYOUT COMPRISES OF A
SEPARATE AREA FOR
PEDESTRIAN IN THE FORM OF
PEDESTRIAN MALL
THIS LAYOUT DIFFERS FROM THE
FIRST OPTION BY THE
INTRODUCTION OF ACTIVITY
AREAS LIKE MUSEUM OR
LIBRARY.
ALL BLOCKS ENCLOSE A
COMMON OPEN SPACE. IT
LEADS TO THE CREATION OF
VARIETY OF SPACES
IT IS THE SIMPLEST OF ALL
LAYOUTS. THE CENTRE IS
APPROACHED THROUGH
LINEAR CONNECTIVITY.
CENTRAL PARKING WITH
PERIPHERAL BUILDINGS AND
SERVICE ROADS.
APPROACH WITH ONE
COURT & TWO MAGNETS
PLACED IN DIAGONAL
MANNER.
POSSIBLE SECTIONS
•SAFETY -BY PROVIDING ROAD SIDE INFRASTRUCTURE
ENCOURAGING PEDESTRIAN’S MOVEMENT AND LESS
VEHICULAR TRAFFIC WHICH HELP ENHANCE SAFETY.
•COMFORT-PROVIDING MORE SITTING SPACES IN THE
PARKS, FACILITIES LIKE PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.
•COMPATIBILITY-ANY TWO ACTIVITIES PROVIDED IN
CONSECUTIVELY WOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH EACH
OTHER OR BUFFER ZONE WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE
SAME.
CBD – CENTRAL BUISNESS DISTRICT
IDENTIFYING FEATURES OF THE C.B.D
• TALL/MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS.
• EXPENSIVE LAND VALUES.
• HIGH DENSITY OF ROADS AND BUILDINGS.
• FOCUS FOR ROAD AND RAIL TRANSPORT
• SHOPS, E.G DEPARTMENT STORES.
• MODERN SHOPPING MALLS AND PEDESTRIAN
PRECINCTS.
• CULTURAL/HISTORICAL BUILDINGS , E.G
MUSEUMS
AND CASTLES.
• OFFICES, E.G BUSINESS SECTOR.
THE CORE - FRAME MODEL OF A C.B.D.

2. CBD – CENTRAL BUISNESS DISTRICT
ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
• IF AN AREA MEETS MANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, IT WOULD
PROBABLY BE CONSIDERED A CBD:
I. HOUSES LARGE PUBLIC BUILDINGS SUCH AS LIBRARIES, CHURCHES,
STATIONS AND TOWN HALLS.
II. CONTAINS SPECIALIST SHOPS AND BRANCHES OF MAJOR DEPARTMENT
STORES.
III. CONTAINS SOCIAL AMENITIES SUCH AS CINEMA HALLS, CLUBS AND
THEATRES.
IV. CONTAINS LITTLE HOUSING, BUT OFTEN HOTELS.
V. CONTAINS LITTLE OR NO INDUSTRY.
VI. CONTAINS OFFICES AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL BUILDINGS.
• CONTAINS BUILDINGS THAT TEND TO BE TALLER THAN OTHER BUILDINGS IN
THE CITY (BECAUSE LAND PRICES TEND TO BE AT A PREMIUM, MAKING HIGH-
RISE BUILDINGS ECONOMICALLY FAVORABLE)
• HAS HIGH PEDESTRIAN LEVELS AND THE GREATEST PARKING RESTRICTIONS.
OFTEN IS THE GEOGRAPHICAL CENTRE OF THE SETTLEMENT.
• OFTEN IS THE AREA WITH THE HIGHEST LAND VALUE. IS WELL CONNECTED BY
PUBLIC TRANSPORT, WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF PASSENGERS.
• HAS A HIGH TRAFFIC LEVEL.
PARKING
1)0° - PARALLEL TO ROAD. ENTRY AND EXIT TO PARKING BAY DIFFICULT. SUITABLE FOR
NARROW ROADS.
2) 30°- ANGLE TO ACCESS ROAD. EASY ENTRY TO PARKING BAY AND EXIT. USES A LARGE AREA.
3) 45°- ANGLE TO ACCESS ROAD. GOOD ENTRY TO PARKING BAY AND EXIT. RELATIVELY SMALL PARKING
SPACE.
4) 60°- ANGLE TO ACCESS ROAD. RELATIVELY GOOD ENTRY AND EXIT TO PARKING BAY; SMALL PARKING
SPACE. ARRANGEMENT OFTEN USED.
5) RIGHT ANGLES TO ROAD (PARKING SPACES 2.50 M WIDE). SHARP TURN NEEDED FOR ENTRY AND EXIT.
6) RIGHT ANGLES TO ROAD (PARKING SPACES 2.30 M WIDE). SMALL AREA NEEDED FOR PARKING SPACE.
IDEAL FOR COMPACT PARKING LAYOUTS, USED FREQUENTLY.
• 2 WHEELER PARKING: 1.2 X 2.1 M
• CAR - PARKING: 2.5 X 5 M -
TURNING RADIUS 5M
• BUS - PARKING: 3.5 X 12 M -
TURNING RADIUS 12.2M
PEDESTRIAN
GENERAL SITE DESIGN FOR PEDESTRIANS
• NO SHORTAGE OF SOURCES FOR SITE FURNISHINGS TODAY.
• RANGE OF WELL-DESIGNED & DURABLE MATERIALS IN MANY STYLES FROM WHICH THE
DESIGNER MAY CHOOSE.
• ALL OF THESE FURNISHINGS COMPLY WITH THE ACCEPTED STANDARDS OF HUMAN
DIMENSIONS & BEHAVIOR IS NECESSARY.
WALKWAYS
• A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF DESIGN FOR THE PEDESTRIAN IS THE PATHWAY OR SIDE-WALK.
• THE SIDEWALK WIDTH MUST BE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE SUITED TO
THE USER.
• THE PARAMETERS OF SIDEWALK WIDTH ARE
• DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE :
-ANTICIPATED VOLUME OF FOOT TRAFFIC,
-THE SPEED AT WHICH THE PEDESTRIANS WILL BE WALKING ,AND THE DESIRED DENSITY OF
TRAFFIC.
BARRIER FREE ENVIRONMENT.

3. CBD – CENTRAL BUISNESS DISTRICT
RETAIL SHOPES AND STORES
RETAIL OUTLETS CAN BE BROADLY DIVIDED INTO
• SMALL SHOPS – 20 SQ M
• MEDIUM SHOPS – 50 SQ M
• LARGE SHOPS – 150 SQ M
• DEPARTMENTAL STORES OR
• SUPERMARKETS – 350 SQ M
PLANNING GUIDELINES
• OCCUPATION IN STORES - 1 PERSON PER 5 TO 6 SQ M; 1
PERSON PER 1.8 SQ M IN PEAK HOURS
• SHELF UNITS - SHELF UNITS SHOULD NOT BE HIGHER THAN
1.8M AND NOT LESSER THAN 0.3M.
SHOP WIDTH
• THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DIMENSION AS IT INVOLVES
COLUMN SPACING AND FRONTAGE OF STORES.
• THE MOST COMMON USED SHOP WIDTHS ARE 6 , 7.6, 9.14 M
THE LAST BEING THE MOST FLEXIBLE ONE.
SHOP DEPTH – IT CAN VARY ACCORDING TO THE FRONTAGE
COVERED VERANDAHS
• COVERED VERANDAHS MUST BE PROVIDED FOR SHADE AND
PROTECTION AGAINST SUN AND RAIN.
• WIDTH CAN VARY FROM 1.85M TO 3.04 M DEPENDING UPON
THE TYPE OF SHOP.
STRUCTURAL GRID
LARGE UNITS BETWEEN 7.3M TO 10.9M FRONTAGE & 9.14M DEPTH. SMALL UNITS BETWEEN 5.18M TO
5.8M FRONTAGE AND TOTAL DEPTH.
BOOTHS
BOOTHS ARE SMALLER IN SIZE THAN SHOPS HAVING MIN AREA 6SQ.M. BOOTHS FRONTAGE VARY
FROM 2,2.5 & 3M .
SHOWROOMS
SHOWROOMS ARE LARGER IN SIZE THAN SHOPS HAVING MIN AREA 95 SQ M
DEPARMENTAL STORES
DEPARTMENT STORES ARE LARGE COMPLEX SHOPS, INVARIABLY EXTENDING OVER SEVERAL FLOOR
LEVELS, SELLING A WIDE VARIETY OF GOODS, PARTICULARLY CLOTHES.
PLANNING
MINIMUM HEIGHTS FOR SHOP SPACES OF THE FOLLOWING ARE AS FOLLOWS:
UP TO 400 SQ M RETAIL FLOOR SPACE 3.00 M
OVER 400 SQ M RETAIL FLOOR SPACE 3.30 M
OVER 1500 SQ M RETAIL FLOOR SPACE 3.50 M
LOCATIONS
THE MAIN AISLES ARE 2.2
TO 2.5M WIDE INCREASING
TO 2.8 TO 3.2M.
OFFICES
MODERN OFFICE BUILDINGS ARE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES:
CLOSE PLAN OFFICES – THEY HAVE FULL HEIGHT WALLS OR PARTITIONS DIVIDING THE SPACE INTO
OFFICES WITH DOORS.
PRIVATE OFFICES – THEY ARE TYPICALLY LOCATED ALONG A WINDOW WALL.
OPEN PLAN OFFICES – IN OPEN PLAN OFFICES, ALL WORKSTATIONS ARE LOCATED IN AN OPEN SPACE
WITH NO CEILING HEIGHT DIVISION OR DOORS.
MODIFIED OPEN PLAN OFFICES – THEY COMBINE THE FEATURE PRIVATE AND OPEN PLAN OFFICES.
PARTITION, WINDOW, CEILINGS, WINDOW MODULES, EFFECT OFFICE LAYOUTS 1.5 SQ M OF AREA IS
REQUIRED FOR CIRCULATION PER PERSON

4. CENTRAL BUISNESS DISTRICT- NSP , DELHI
SERVICE- ELECTRIC
•The electric supply to the complex from an electrical unit
Installed in the complex itself.
•For street lighting electricity poles are provided at a
distance Of 60’-100.
• Main electric supply
from electric unit
• Street light along the main approach
road
• Power distribution through multi-
transformers
• Location of generators in complex
Negative point observed
• Naked electrical wires
SERVICE- FIRE FIGHTING
•Combined system for the disposal of human
excreta and rain water has been used.
•No separate system for rainwater harvesting has
been employed.
•Gutters are provided along the pedestrian walk as
well as roads..
• Rain water pipes
water dispose on
road
Negative point
observed
• Open gutter and drain
SERVICE- SEWAGE DISPOSAL • All the buildings are planned as per the fire safety norms.
• Fire escapes are provided as per the rules and
regulations laid by DDA, NBC and other governing
authorities.
• Nearest fire station which supply
service to complex is on Keshav
puram fire station
• Each building have Pipe outlet at ground level
• Hose reel are provide on all building
• No Provision of onsite under ground water tank for fire
fighting services capacity
• No provision of fire hydrants on site
Negative point observed