O.P. Agarwal presented on implementing transit oriented development (TOD) in India. Several Indian cities have developed or plan to develop mass transit projects like Delhi's 325km metro system. However, TOD is often not embedded in initial transit plans. Indian cities are inherently dense but metro stations still experience overcrowding. What is needed for effective TOD in India includes a city vision, comprehensive land use and mobility plan, TOD plans integrated with new transit, studies on ideal densities, and a national TOD policy addressing issues like institutional roles, financing, land value capture, and development regulations. Special features of Indian cities must be recognized to develop an implementation strategy relevant to the local context.

1. www.TransformingTransportation.org
Implementing Transit Oriented Development
in India
O.P. Agarwal, Executive Director, Indian School of Business
Presented at Transforming Transportation 2017

2. 2
Implementing
Transit Oriented
Development in
India
By
O.P. Agarwal
Executive Director
Indian School of Business

3. Several Mass Transit Projects
City Length of
Metro line (km)
City Length of Metro
line (km)
Delhi 325 Lucknow 29
Mumbai 44 Jaipur 12
Bangalore 115 Chennai 80
Hyderabad 71 Gurgaon 12
Kochi 27 Ahmedabad 35
Pune 31 Nagpur 38
3
Approx 810 kms already approved – more under consideration
Nearly 800 station areas to be developed and more to come

4. Key aspects of TOD
4
Density
Easy
access
Mixed
use
Existence of Transit

5. Features of the Indian situation
• Proposals for metro rail often made to secure political mileage
or an enhanced image for the city
• Supporting activities not thought through – TOD not
embedded in the initial plans
• Covering already well built up areas – chasing development,
not leading development
• Densities already high - TOD not considered necessary
• Inadequate attention to mixed used planning
• Problem of poor walking environment
• Institutional fragmentation
• Predominantly city-wide FAR regulations – need for greater
granularity
• Inadequate utility capacity – who will pay for enhancement
• Metro already very crowded – no space for more
5

6. Indian cities are inherently dense
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Persons per Sq. km
6
So, do we really need higher density?

7. Hub of the Delhi Metro
7
Yet the Delhi metro is very crowded at this station

8. MG Road station on the Bangalore metro
8

9. 9
Poor interchange

10. Poor access
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11. What is needed
• A vision for the city
• Comprehensive land use and mobility plan
• Mass transit proposals must include a TOD plan - along
with a monitoring mechanism
• Studies to determine ideal density levels for different
types of mass transit systems and income levels
• Need for a nationally relevant TOD policy encompassing:
– Institutional arrangement for TOD – who will implement TOD –
clear responsibility to be assigned
– Financing arrangement, especially for utility capacity
enhancement
– Leveraging opportunity for land value capture
– Role of the private sector
– Enabling provisions in the development regulations for (1)
granular FARs, and (2) mixed use planning
• Area based components of Smart Cities plans offer a
great opportunity

12. 12
Important to recognize the special features in India and
develop an implementation strategy that is relevant in
the Indian context – cant just do what others have
done