New Delhi: The overarching vision of Master Plan of Delhi 2047 (MPD 2047), passed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in its meeting earlier this week, is a push towards vertical growth.Considering there is limited scope for horizontal expansion in the landlocked city, the plan focuses on ways to incorporate vertical expansion across residential, commercial and industrial categories. MPD 2047 has been sent to the Centre for final clearance and notification.The master plan provides relaxations in various development control norms, including an increase in permissible building height, floor area ratio (FAR) and ground coverage, as well as removal of height restrictions in certain categories. It also focuses on transit-oriented development (TOD), amalgamation of plots to accommodate more families and removal of maximum density limits in certain categories, such as 200 dwelling units per hectare in group housing and 900 dwelling units per hectare in in-situ slum rehabilitation, sources told TOI.From schools and local shopping centres to wholesale markets and in-situ slum rehabilitation projects, the permissible FAR, and thereby the number of floors that can be constructed, has gone up. FAR is the ratio of the total constructed floor area across all floors of a building to the total area of the plot.The master plan has also rationalised development control norms to facilitate more efficient utilisation of land. For instance, height restrictions have been removed in various categories, while parking norms have been rationalised and are calculated with reference to FAR rather than built-up area. Setback requirements have also been rationalised; for industrial plots above 300 sqm and up to 500 sqm, the one-side setback requirement has been removed to accommodate additional facilities.To accelerate affordable housing along with planned infrastructure development in existing city colonies, DDA has introduced the concept of a regeneration strategy for both planned and unplanned/unauthorised neighbourhoods in the city.“The plan talks about the scope for large-scale urban development being restricted due to limitations in horizontal expansion and the need to accommodate a larger population in a planned manner by building more efficiently. It also talks about making provisions for water supply, sewage, road network, open spaces and essential social infrastructure,” a DDA official said.In these areas, a road network plan will be prepared by the respective local bodies in consultation with landowners and residents. To encourage regeneration, permission will be provided for the reorganisation and pooling of properties for planning purposes. “This will enhance public spaces and promote strategic development to unlock their latent potential,” said a source.In the case of unplanned areas, regeneration schemes may be prepared by developers, RWAs or authorised representatives of unauthorised colony clusters, subject to a minimum area of 2,000 sqm. Applicants will be required to prepare a layout and services plan for approval, followed by individual building plan sanctions.
