BUILDING & TOWN PLANNINGGTU SUB CODE: 130603

TOWN PLANNING: Introduction

Town Planning: “the arrangement of various components or units of a town in such a way that the town attains the significance of a living organism”

It also includes ways and means to be adopted for improvement/extension of the existing towns

It helps in achieving the best possible advantages of situation of town w.r.t its land and surrounding environment

Introduction: (cont.)

Town Planning demands Active imagination Understanding of

various needs of society

Town planner has to Carry out researches Prepare layout plans

Final results shall be in such a way that, it should be appreciated by all the sectors of public

A well planned town carries out its activities in a normal way like a living organism

Introduction: (cont.)

• Collection• Correlation• Analysis of facts about

town

Science

• Arrangement of components

Art

Town planning is a science as well as an art too

Both shall be used in such a way that final result is in form of Beautiful Convenient Economical Efficient unit

Town planning in Ancient India:

Planning of towns was done on scientific bases even in Vedic times

Ancient literature such as vedas, puranas, shastrascontains some of principles and theories of town planning

Nature and growth: governed by site conditions

Location: river banks, sea shore or by the side of big lake

Flowing stream: for sanitary requirements

Towns on river were oblong shape, to take max advantage of river

Rivers: Indians always loved, glorified and worshiped

Town planning in Ancient India: (cont.)

‘Vishwakarmaprakash’ says ‘First layout the towns and then plan out the houses’

‘Mansara Shilpa-shastra’ mentions some of aspects of town planning like Study of soil Climatic condition Wind direction Orientation of building Topography etc.

Various types of town plans described in book such as ‘dandka’ ‘swastika’ ‘padmaka’ (lotus shaped) ‘nandyavarta’ (flower

shaped) ‘prastara’ ‘chatumukha’ ‘karmukha’ (bow shaped)

Town planning in Ancient India: (cont.)

Typical Indian town consisted Markets Streets Public buildings Residences for cityzens Temples Royal palace Recreation centers Ditches / trenches Sheds for drinking water Pleasure gardens

Tanks Reservoirs Underground passages City forts etc.

Some of towns worth mentioning are Ayodhya Mohanjo-daro Patliputra Takshsila Nalanda etc.

Objects of town planning:

• Use of natural surroundings

• Architectural finishes to various components

• Preservation of trees/greenery

• Architectural control on public/semi-public buildings, historic, ancient buildings etc.

Beauty

• Various economic, social and recreational amenities to be given to public, such as

• Cheap power• Proper industrial sites• Transport facilities• Adequate water supply• Easy sewage disposal• Open spaces/ parks/ town

halls/ play grounds/ theatres etc.

Convenience

Objects of town planning: (cont.)

• Complex problems in urban living such as• Travel to work• Long working hrs• Less/ no time for

society• Better relation between

man and environment shall be developed

Environment• Right use of land for right

purpose• Provide parks/

playgrounds for public• Maintain pollution of

various forms to lowest possible deg

• Achieved by dividing land into various zones resi/comm/ind etc

• Avoid encroachment of one zone upon the other

Health

Principles of town planning:

• Provision of it on periphery limits the size of town

Green belt

• Provide housing accommodation to various categories of people

• Slum clearance by alt arrangement

Housing

• Should be well distributed• Central concentration of them

shall be avoided

Public buildings

• As per town size, enough space shall be reserved

Recreation centers

• Efficient road lay-out• Simple and economical

Road system

• Min loss of time from residence place to work place

Transport facilities

• Town shall be divided in suitable zones• Suitable rules & regulations for each

zone

Zoning

Necessity of town planning:

In absence of town planning, town faces following kind of problems Defective road system,

narrow streets/ roads Development of slums Haphazard location of

industries Heavy traffic during

working hrs of day

Inadequate open spaces for parks and playgrounds, i.e. unhealthy living conditions

Lack of essential amenities like power, water supply, drainage

Noisy atmosphere Uncontrolled

development of town

Origin of towns:

Topographical

• Conditions favorable for industrial units

• Hilly areas - object of defense

• Plain area - business activities

• River banks• Sea / ocean fronts

Functional

• Education•Health resorts• political• religious

Growth of town:

Why people like to stay close together in urban areas? To facilitate defense

against attack from outsiders

Man is social animal, gets satisfaction of living life in company of his fellows

Can develop many contacts, also can retain privacy

Urban area provide facilities like water supply, market etc

Growth of town

Origin

Natural

Concentric spread

Ribbon development

Satellite

Scattered

Planned

Direction

Horizontal

Vertical

Growth of town: (cont.)

Concentric spread: Natural tendency of

people to be as near as possible to town, hence town develops in concentric rings

Many complicated problems such as Traffic congestion Narrow streets Concentration of

population

CBDLIGMIGHIG

CBD : Central business districtLIG: Low income groupMIG: Middle income groupHIG: High income group

-Town grows radially-Similar or functionally related activities will be at same distance from center of town

Growth of town: (cont.)

Ribbon development: Everyone like to build

as near as possible to main road

Buildings develop along side of main road

Long fingers or ribbons of houses/shops develop

Development

Main Road

Interior portion

Interior portion

Development

Growth of town: (cont.)

Disadvantages: Increase in cost of various

utility services like water supply, power, telephone etc

Loose and scatter community –lack of social life

Costly and difficult future improvement

Houses face heavy traffic, noise, dust

Interior portion left undeveloped, wastage of land

Traffic capacity and efficiency of main road reduces

More pedestrians on main road causes traffic accidents/ traffic delays

Harms naturalness of country, spoils countryside, aesthetically faulty

Measures to be taken: Land use zoning Regulation and control of

traffic Removal of encroachments

from road side Planning road side amenities Expressway with complete

controlled access

Growth of town: (cont.)

Satellite growth: Term Satellite is used to

indicate a body under the influence of a more powerful body but possessing its own identity

Satellite town

Satellite town

Satellite town

Growth of town: (cont.)

Features of satellite town: Own local government It is town itself, but it

depends to a certain extent upon parent city

Well connected by local trains, buses etc

Free to decide its economic, social and cultural activities

Situated beyond green belt of parent city

Its neither a village nor a suburb

Mainly residential area with only local shops, schools for children etc

It need not have zoning regulations

It can be even considered as part of market for goods and services being produced in parent city

Disadvantage: necessity of the journey to

work

Growth of town: (cont.)

Scattered growth: Very irregular Traffic congestion Encroachment of industries

on resi area Slums Lack of parks and

playgrounds Complex problems become

too difficult to be solved in future

PLANNED GROWTH: Growth is controlled by

suitable rules & regulations Rational distribution of

various blocks such as resi/ comm/ industrial

Provision of various amenities like water supply, drainage, parks etc is made to meet future requirements

Orderly growth avoids clashing of many activities of normal town

Growth of town: (cont.)

HORIZONTAL GROWTH: Town develops horizontally

in all directions It is possible where land is

available in plenty at nominal cost

Advantages: Cost saving: buildings are

generally 2/3 storey High tech personnel not

required Max possible use of

natural light

Restricted density of population

Surrounding marginal space can be used to develop garden

Disadvantage: Requires more land, so can

be uneconomical where land values are high

Foundation cost per unit area will be more

Absence of group living

Growth of town: (cont.)

VERTICAL GROWTH: Multi-storied buildings Where land is less and costly

Advantages: Use of common amenities, sense

of group living develops Foundation cost per unit area is

reasonable Higher level floor enjoys natural

sceneries such as river view, sea view etc.

Considerable saving in land Economy in construction cost,

repetition of typical floors Max use of modern construction

techniques such as,

Fire proofing, Sound proofing, Heat insulation. Air-conditioning, High speed lifts

Disadvantages: Natural calamities, difficult to

escape More population density Design of flats stereo-typed Have to tolerate evils of group

living Failure of lift or water raising

pump will cause great inconvenience

Wastage of floor space, as lifts, supporting column etc have to be provided

Site for an ideal town:

Availability of natural advantages

Availability of electric power

Available means of communication

Climatic conditions Contours of area Development of

surrounding area Drainage of area

Available facility of sewage disposal

Soil fertility Frequency of floods Growths of trees Nature of soil Position of streams and

lakes Water resources, etc.