Urban Green Guidelines 2014

Ur
banGr
eeni
ngGui
del
ines,2014
Febr
uar
y,2014
TownandCountr
yPlanni
ngOr gani
sati
on
GovernmentofIndi
a
Mini
str
yofUrbanDevelopment

Ur
banGr
eeni
ngGui
del
ines,2014
Febr
uar
y,2014
TownandCountr
yPlanni
ngOr gani
sati
on
GovernmentofIndi
a
Mini
str
yofUrbanDevelopment

Urban Green Guidelines, 2014

PREFACE
Urban Greening Guidelines, 2014 is the outcome of blatant and random

concretization of pavements in Indian cities. Of late, a number of Urban
Development Authorities and Urban Local Bodies have undertaken large scale
concretization of pavements which has resulted in destruction of a large number
of trees by first rendering those weak and reducing their lives and consequently
most of them falling down on account of moderate winds and storms. In 2000,
Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment had published Guidelines for Greening
of Urban Areas and Landscaping. Prior to this, in 1980, TCPO had published
Guide on Plant Materials for Landscaping in India. While preparing the Urban
Greening Guidelines, both the documents have been extensively referred in the
context of integrating urban greens in the overall planning and development
scenario. The Guidelines suggests steps for protection of trees and enhancing
their lives while undertaking concretization of pavements.
The Metropolitan and UT Division of Town and Country Planning Organization

has done commendable work in bringing out the Guidelines, which will prove
useful for State Town and Country Planning Departments, Urban Development
Authorities, Urban Local Bodies, Academicians, Researchers and students as
reference material.
(J.B. KSHIRSAGAR)
CHIEF PLANNER
February, 2014
TCPO, GoI, MoUD i


TCPO, GoI, MoUD ii


Contents
No. Title Page No.

1. Introduction 01
2. Objectives 03
3. Importance of Urban Greens 03
4. Types of Urban Greens 06
5. International norms for Urban Green Spaces 08
6. Urban Green Spaces: The Indian Scenario 10
7. Impact of concretization of pavements 13
8. Policy Guidelines for strengthening Urban Greens 14
9. Maintenance of Plant Material 22
10. Integration of Urban Green Spaces 27
References 30
List of Tables
No. Table Title Page No.
6.1 Area under “Recreation” in Indian cities 11
List of Illustrations
No. Illustration Titles Page No.
1.0 General Illustrations of Urban Greens 02
5.1 Panoramic View of Urban Sprawl 09
5.2 Panoramic View of planned Urban Green 09
6.1 Urban Green Spaces of Delhi 12
7.1 Impermeable Tiling around trees 13
7.2 Desirable root pits around trees 13
8.2 Avenue Plantation 15
8.3 Group Plantation 16
8.4 Mixed Plantation 17
8.5 Informal Plantation 18
9.1 Perforated tiling for pavements 23
9.2 Desirable Space around tree roots 24
TCPO, GoI, MoUD iii


TCPO, GoI, MoUD iv

U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Introdu
uction
Censuss of India,, 2011 revvealed that 31.16% of the cou

untry’s pop
pulation
resided in urban area
as. In abssolute term
ms, it wass accountted for 37
7 crore
pop
pulation. Th
he urban component
c t is expected to rise to around 40% by 20
026. As
India’s cities continue
c to
o grow dem
mographic
cally and spatially, th
he challeng
ges and
opp
portunities of managing them
m in terms of infra
astructure provisioning are
eno
ormous. While
W the nu
umber of urban
u centers has in
ncreased m
manifold between
b
190
01 and 201
11, the urb
ban popula
ation increa
ased six fo
old, resultin
ng in a top
p-heavy
urban settlem
ment hiera
archy with a large number
n off primate settlementts. It is
exp
pected thatt the numb wns and citties which was 7933
ber of tow 3 as per Census,
C
201
11 is likely to cross th
he 10,000 mark
m in ne
ext decade.
Unpreccedented urbanizatio
u on has bee
en fuelled by rapid economic growth
and
d even more rapid in
ndustrializa
ation espec
cially in the
e past thre
ee decades
s or so.
With globaliza
ation, this trend of ra
apid econo
omic growtth and urb
banization is likely
to accentuate
a e further. In 1901, Kolkata
K wa
as the onlly metropo
olitan city (million
pluss) in the country.
c Th
he numberr of metrop
politan citie
es has inccreased fro
om 5 in
195
51, to 12 in
n 1981, 23 in 1991, 35
3 in 2001 and 53 in
n 2011. The
e 53 metro
opolitan
citie
es togethe
er accounted for a population
p of about 15.8 crore
e (158 milllion) in
201
11, i.e. 42%
% of the urban
u population of the country. It is exxpected th
hat their
num
mber would
d be aboutt 100 plus in
i the nextt two decad
des.
By 205
51, India would be most pop
pulous cou
untry with 170 crore
e (1.70
billion) people
e and per capita lan
nd availab
bility would
d be 0.19 Ha. By 20
051, 82
crorre (820 million) peop
ple will live in urban settlements
s s constitutiing about 48
4 % of
the total popu
ulation. Citties in the country wo
ould emerrge as centers of botth hope
and
d despair: while
w being engines of econom
mic and so opment they may
ocial develo
also
o be conge
ested cente
ers of pove
erty and en
nvironmenttal degrada
ation.
The urrbanization
n process will natura
ally lead to
o a large amount of
o prime
agrricultural la
and being
g converted
d to urba
an use, mostly
m at the periph
hery of
setttlements. However,
H a the same time, it is
at s observed
d that a larrge majority of the
new
w urban po
opulation does
d not have
h easy access to land and that much
h of the
new
w develop
pment is not
n adequ
uately serv
viced resu
ulting in u
unauthorize
ed and
hap
phazard de
evelopment particularrly in the peri-urban areas.
a
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 1
Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Population
n growth and high de
ensities in cities
c can adversely
a impact nattural
nvironmenttal resourcces. Preservation of vegetated areas or green spa
and en aces
improvves the qua
ality of life by providiing residen
nts with na
atural settin
ngs for leis
sure
and reccreation an
nd by safeg
guarding th
he quality of basic re
esources such as air and
water. In fact, ade
equate tree cover is an essentiial link in th
he bio-dive
ersity chain
n.
The bigge
est challenge for urban
u development is not on
nly to ens
sure
greenin
ng of cities and tow
wns but alsso to maintain and strengthen the exis
sting
green cover.
c Urb
ban greenin
ng is an in
ntegrated approach
a t the plan
to nting, care and
manag
gement of all
a vegetatiion in citiess, towns, to
ownships and
a inform
mal settleme
ents
in urba
an and pe
eri-urban areas.
a The planning for urban biodiversity presents a
numbe
er of challe
enges; high
her popula
ation densitties, strong
g developm
ment press
sure
and co
ompeting demands
d o space need to be addresssed. However, cities are
on
dynamic landsca
apes that offer
o opportunities fo
or regenerration and enhancem
ment
through
h incorporrating inno
ovative de
esigns and
d adapting
g best pra
actices. In the
presen
nt scenario
o, in view of limited space in cities and towns, the objective of
plannin
ng policies is based on
o optimizing the sus
stainabilityy of urban a cked
areas, bac
by prromoting higher d
densities commens
surate wiith augm
mented urrban
infrastrructure. Th
hese trend
ds are like
ely to continue in th
he immediate future
e as
integra
ating land use and transport
t has becom
me necesssary in ord
der to ens
sure
compa
actness of cities and
d towns, encouragin
e ng vertical growth an
nd mixed use
along transit co o reduce dependence on pe
orridors to d modes and
ersonalized
encourrage use of public tra
ansport.
Realizing the importtance of maintaining and prese

erving urba
an greens, it is
impera
ative to pre
epare Urba
an Greenin
ng Guidellines which will act a
as a mode
el for
States and Citie
es particullarly the State
S Tow
wn Plannin
ng Departments, Urrban
Develo
opment Au
uthorities and Urba
an Local Bodies
B wh
ho are re
esponsible for
manag
ging them.
Fig. 1.0: G
General Illu
ustrations o
of Urban Grreens
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Page
P |2
U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Objecttives
The
e objectives of the Urrban Green
n Guideline
es are –
¾ To high
hlight the im
mpact of urbanizatio
u n on urban
n greeneryy.
¾ To sug
ggest pracctices and methods for proteccting and enhancing
g urban
greene
ery in a susstainable manner.
m
¾ To ide
entify the key stage es in plannning and development where
e urban
greene
ery may bee integrated
d with the built
b enviro
onment.
¾ To reco
ommend suitable
s guidelines for enhancin
ng urban grreens.
Importa
ance of Urb
ban Greens
s
Urb
ban Green Spaces are
a critical for makin
ng our citie
es sustaina
able, healtthy and
ene
ergy efficie
ent. Howevver, for Urb
ban Green Spaces to
o contribute
e to the op
ptimum,
theyy have to be pla
anned, designed, developed
d and man
naged/maintained
app
propriately so that th
hey are acccessible both
b in terrms of are
ea and pop
pulation
covverage. It iss a fact tha
at urbaniza
ation in Ind
dia will con
ntinue unab
bated. The
e Urban
Gre
een spacess generate
e a diverse
e set of ec
cosystemss of substa
antial signiificance
for human we
ell-being and their dyynamics are shaped by human
n activities
s. Many
green spacess in cities that have got disco
onnected frrom the w
wider enviro
onment
d to lose biodiversity
tend b y characteristics due
e to continu
uous construction ac
ctivities.
Hen
nce, proteccting green
n spaces in
i isolation
n will often fail to susstain the capacity
c
of urban
u ecossystems to generate value and they have
e to be well integrated
d in the
ove
erall city lan
ndscape.
Eco
ological Benefits
B -
¾ Trees absorb po
ollutants; moderate
m the impact of human
n activities by, for
examp
ple, absorbing polluta
ants and releasing oxxygen.
¾ They contribute
c to the ma
aintenance
e of a hea
althy urban
n environm
ment by
providing clean air,
a water and
a soil.
¾ Green vegetation
n has been
n shown to
o lower wa
all surface
e temperatu
ures by
17°C, which
w led to
t a reduce
ed air cond
ditioning load by an a
average of 50%.
¾ They improve th
he urban micro
m clima
ate and maintain
m th
he balance
e of the
city’s natural
n urba
an environment.
¾ They preserve
p th
he local na
atural and cultural
c he
eritage by p
providing habitats
h
for a diiversity of wildlife
w and
d conserve
e a diversitty of urban resources
s.
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 3
Despite the enormous benefits that urban green spaces provide there is a serious
lack of information about the quantity and quality of urban green spaces. Data on
per capita availability of open spaces is scanty and scarce. However, with new
integrated approaches to combine strategic planning for green spaces with
innovative design and delivery and the active involvement of the community at all
levels, urban green spaces may be part of the ecological development of city.
Ideally there has to be struck a right balance between the built and natural
environment. Amidst concretization in the cities and towns in terms of building
multi storied apartments, commercial complexes and institutional buildings, there
has to be conscious efforts from Urban Local bodies and Urban Development
Authorities to provide for adequate green cover.
Physical Benefits -
¾ Urban forests act as temperature buffers providing shade in the summer,

and wind breaks in the winter in addition to reducing noise pollution and
CO2 levels, and providing a habitat for wildlife.
¾ Urban greening offers improvements in air, water, and land resources by
absorbing air pollutants, increasing water catchment in floodplain surfaces,
and stabilizing soils.
Social Benefits -
¾ Green spaces provide a refreshing contrast to the harsh shape, colour,

and texture of buildings, and stimulate the senses with their simple colour,
sound and smell.
¾ Particular types of green space may offer a bigger diversity of land uses
and opportunities for a wide range of activities, help to foster active
lifestyles, and can be of real benefit to health.
¾ Well-managed and maintained green spaces contribute to social
interaction by creating opportunities for people of all ages to interact.
¾ Urban green spaces emphasize the diversity of urban areas by reflecting
the different communities they serve and meeting their varying needs.
¾ They enhance cultural life by providing venues for local festivals, civic
celebrations and theatrical performances.
TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 4

¾ Urban green spaces provide safe play space for children, contribute to
childrens’ physical, mental and social development and play an important
role in the basic education of schoolchildren with regard to the
environment and nature.
Planning Perspective
¾ From the planning perspective, a hierarchy and network of quality green
spaces integrating residential areas with commercial and other uses
improve the accessibility and attractiveness of local facilities and
employment centers.
¾ Well-designed networks of green spaces help encourage people to travel
safely by foot or by bicycle for recreation.
¾ Furthermore, well-designed urban green spaces provide a barrier to noise
and can effectively function as visual barriers.
Economic Benefits -
¾ Property owners value urban greenery by the premium they pay to live in
the neighbourhood of urban green spaces and public parks. Plots and flats
abutting park add to value. In densely populated areas this effect is even
more pronounced. For example, view of green spaces and proximity to
water bodies increases the real estate prices.
¾ Impact of neighbourhood parks on the transaction price of multi-storied
residential units in cities illustrate the fact that neighbourhood parks could
increase price.
¾ Urban shady trees offer significant benefits in reducing building air-
conditioning load and improving urban air quality by reducing smog. The
savings associated with these benefits vary widely by climatic region.

Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Types of Urban Gre

eens
While prep
paring a Master
M Plan
n or a Deve
elopment Plan,
P detailled analysis of
existing
g land usse pattern is done. Typically
y a land use
u plan is formula
ated
indicating broad land uses and netwo
orks based
d on the prrojected po
opulation. The
land usse distribu
ution normss are depe
endent on paramete
ers of Denssity and Work
W
force. Green are
eas are no
ormally cla
assified as
s Recreational use in the Ma
aster
Plan. As
A per the UDPFI Gu
uidelines, 1996
1 of Ministry of Urban Deve
elopment , the
proporttion of reccreational areas
a to th
he total de
eveloped area
a should be betw
ween
12-14%
% in small towns, 18--20% in me
edium towns and larg
ge cities and 20-25 % in
metrop
politan (miillion plus)) cities. Generally,
G area und
der parks, playgroun
nds,
botaniccal gardens, parks, open
o spacces, water bodies an
nd other na
atural featu
ures
are cla
assified as Recreation
nal use.
The typ an greens in settleme

pes of urba ents are as
s follows:-
Reserv
ved forestt: Reserve
ed Forest is an area
a duly notiffied under the provisions
of the Indian Forrest Act, 1927 or the
e State Forest Acts having
h full protection
n. In
Reservved Foressts, all acctivities are
e prohibite
ed unlesss specifica
ally permittted.
Reservved Forestt is notified
d under Se
ection 20 of
o the India
an Forest A
Act, 1927 [Act
16 of 1927]
1 or under
u the reservation
r n provision
ns of the Forest
F Actts of the State
S
Govern
nments.
Protec
cted Fores
st: They are found
d in urban
n and perii-urban arreas generally
secure
ed by appro
opriate fen
ncing or co
onstructing
g a compound wall o
or combina
ation
of half wall and wire
w mesh.. Areas under notified / protectted forests are protec
cted
under the
t Forest Act, where
e no construction acttivity is allo
owed.
Nation
nal Park: National
N P
Park is an area
a which
h is set asid
de for the p
protection and
conserrvation of outstanding natura
al fauna, flora, geo
ological fo
ormations and
naturall scenic arreas. The park prohibits huntin
ng, killing or
o capturin
ng of fauna
a, or
depriva
ation of an
ny wild anim
mal of its habitat,
h or destruction and colle
ection of fllora,
and usse of wea
apons exce
ept for the
e improvement and better ma
anagemen
nt of
wildlife therein, and
a on con
ndition thatt these iss
sues are handled by, or are un
nder
the con
ntrol of, the
e park auth
horities.
Distric
ct Park: District
D erm as per the hiera
Parrk is a dessignated te archy of grreen
spacess in a city. District Pa
ark is a prominent re
ecreation use
u with a sizeable area
a
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Page
P |6
and is developed to provide vital lung spaces. As per Master Plan of Delhi-2021,
a District Park has to be provided for a population of 2, 50,000 and normally
developed at the city level with an area of 40,000 sqm.
Neighborhood Park: Neighborhood Park is developed at the neighborhood

level for a population of 10,000. The Park is conveniently located within the
developed residential areas at walking distance and is planned on an area of
2,000-4,000 sqm.
Totlots: Totlots are the lowest level in the hierarchy of green areas, planned for
a population of 2,500 as play-areas for children with an area of 125 sqm.
Playgrounds: Playgrounds are provided normally in the educational institutions

for the use of the school and college students. They are also provided at the
neighborhood level for a population of 5,000.
Green Belt (Buffer): Green Belts Include green girdle, park belt, rural belt, rural
zone, agriculture belt, country belt, agriculture green belt. Agriculture belt, rural
and country belt are synonymous terms and they refer to a stretch of the country
side around and between towns separating one from the other. These areas are
predominantly farm lands and they support agriculture and related functions.
They may or may not be in ownership of the town/city/local body.
Green girdle, rural zone and park belt represent a similar idea, concept and
function as the green belt. A green belt is defined as an area of land
predominantly agricultural in character and located around the proposed
urbanisable limits of the urban centre (town/city/) and legally established in order
to:
• Check the further growth of built up areas;
• Preserve neighbouring towns from merging into one another; or
• Preserve a special character of a town.
Green Strip: A green strip is developed on a vacant land for example land
under high tension power supply lines. It is also developed along the arterial
roads separating residential areas from other uses.
Tree Cover- Trees planted along the roads within the right-of-way and on the
central verge (median).

Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Internatio
onal norms
s for Urba
an Green Spaces
S
The qu
uantum of green
g spacce required
d per capita varies in different ccontexts off the
world. In the 20
0th centurry, expertss in Germ
many, Japa
an and otther counttries
propossed a stand
dard of 40
0 sqm gree
en space of
o high qua
ality or 140 sqm sub
burb
forest area per capita forr achieving
g a balan
nce between carbon
n dioxide and
n so as to
oxygen o meet the
e ecological balance
e of huma
an well-being. Currently,
developed countries have tended
t to adopt a ge
eneral stan
ndard of g
green spac
ce of
a per capita
20sqm park area a. The World Health Organization (WHO)) recomme
ends
that citties should
d provide 9 sqm of un
ndeveloped (unpave
ed) open sp
pace for ev
very
inhabitant. The WHO
W also
o suggests designing
g green arrea networrks so tha
at all
nts live witthin a 15 minute wa
residen alk to an open
o spacce. There is yet ano
other
yardstick, which refers to London
L butt has relev
vance to any other ccity. Sir Pattrick
Abercrrombie form e Greater London Plan in 1946
mulated the 6 proposing
g that 1.62
2 Ha
of open
n space pe
er 1000 po
opulation was
w a reasonable figu
ure to adopt for Lond
don.
The pla
an also exxplained tha
at all formss of open space nee
ed to be co
onsidered as
a a
whole, and to be
e co-ordina
ated into a closely-linked parkk system, w
with parkw
ways
along existing
e an
nd new roads forming
g the links between
b th
he larger p
parks.
Aarhus
s, with a population
p of 0.3 million is the
e second largest
l cityy in Denm
mark.
The Green Struccture Plan was prepared as part of the planning rreforms off the
1970s. The polittical vision
n of Aarhu
us surroun
nded by fo
orest had strong pu
ublic
supporrt. It has been used
d to contrrol urban growth
g an
nd to set sstandards;; no
dwellin
ng should be more than
t 500 metres
m from a green
n area of a
at least 6,,000
sqm. In terms of
o structura
al diversityy, green spaces
s in urban syystems sho
ould
essentially be de
eveloped as
a networkks. Three main components o
of urban fo
orest
een space
and gre es are: Pattch (urban domestic gardens, public
p and private pa
arks,
garden
ns, urban forest patcches etc.),, Corridorr (roads, avenues,
a walkways and
w
urban greenways
ys), and Ne a the pattches and the
etwork sttructure (llayout of all
ors connecting the pa
corrido atches).
Green space covverage in cities varie

ed marked
dly, averag
ging 18.6%
% and rang
ging
from 1.9% (Reg
ggio di Ca
alabria, Italy) to 46
6% (Ferroll, Spain). Availability
y of
urban green
g spaces per ca
apita varied
d by two orders
o of magnitude,
m from 3-4 sqm
s
per person in Cá
ádiz, Fuen
nlabrada and
a a (Spain) and Regg
Almeria gio di Cala
abria
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Page
P |8
U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
(Italy) to more
e than 300 sqm in Liè
ège (Belgiu
um), Oulu (Finland) a
and Valenc
ciennes
ance).
(Fra
Urb
ban tree co
over in the United States rang
ges from 0..4% in Lan
ncaster, Ca
alifornia
to 55%
5 in Batton Rouge, Louisiana
a, containin
ng approxiimately 3.8
8 billion tre
ees with
an average
a tree canopyy cover of 27%
2 of urb
ban areas.
Curritiba, with
h a populattion of 17 Lakh (1.7 million), iss one of Brrazil’s large
e cities.
In the
t 1970s, growing population
p had reduc
ced urban green spa
ace to 1 sqm
s per
cap
pita. A clea
ar priority and
a consisttent efforts
s by local authorities
a h
have succe
essfully
devveloped gre
een spaces, which no
ow measure 51.5 sqm per capita.
Can
nberra pla
anned by Sir
S Walter Griffin has an exten
nsive integ
grated netw
work of
ope
en spaces that harb
bor more than 40%
% of the nationally
n listed thre
eatened
eco egetation. Despite development presssures, We
ological ve ellington in New
Zea
aland has 200sqm
2 pe
er capita off green spa
ace.
Tok
kyo sufferss from a shortfall of open spac
ce which averages 6.1 to 8.5 sqm
s per
cap
pita, but it has
h a large
e forest of 21,630
2 Ha to conservve water.
Fiig. 5.1: Pano
oramic View
w of Urban Sprawl
Fig. 5.2: Pa
anoramic Viiew of planned Urban Greens
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 9
Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Urban Gre
een Space
es: The Indian Scen
nario
Due to
o unpreced
dented urba
anization, the gap be
etween cityy inhabitan
nts and na
ature
is incre
easing. The concretizzation of cities
c and towns
t has adverselyy impacted the
naturall environment. The space
s to be
e utilized fo
or open grreen has b
become lim
mited
as the cities and towns exp
perience growth. Urb
ban greene
ery is one of the way
ys to
bridge this gap between people an
nd nature. High pop
pulation density is also
anothe
er reason for
f poor developmen
nt of urban
n greeneryy. An attem
mpt has been
b
made to
t analyze
e the area under recrreation/ope
en space for
f differen
nt cities ba
ased
on the data given
n in their re
espective Master
M Plans. A peru
usal of the ffollowing ta
able
revealss that the existing availability
a pita open space varries from 0.81
of per cap 0
sqm in Chennai to
t 278 sqm
m in Greate
er NOIDA signifying
s t wide va
the ariation. Cities
aranasi, Ch
like Va handigarh, Jaipur, Bh
hopal, Allah
habad and NOIDA ha
ave more than
t
HO prescribed norm of 9 sqm whereas
the WH w cities
c like Bengaluru,
B Ludhiana and
Amritsa
ar have lesss than the
e norm ran
nging from 1% to 5%
%. It is interresting to note
n
that in Greenfield Townships like Greater NO
OIDA, the per
p capita availability of
open space
s workks out to 27
78 sqm wh
hich is very
y high. Thiss is illustratted by the fact
that Grreater NOIDA Masterr Plan has provided ample
a space for urba
an greens with
most of
o the reside
ential sectors earmarking large
e chunks off land unde
er green.
Furtherr, it may also be seen

s that the Maste
er Plans of
o selected
d Indian cities
c
illustratte the factt that the proposed
p area unde
er open sp
pace excep
pt for Chen
nnai
and Am
mritsar; mo
ost of the cities are in accorda
ance with WHO norm
ms and wo
orks
out to more tha
an 10% per
p a of open space based on the projec
capita cted
popula
ation and proposed
p area unde
er open space.
s How
wever, it iis for the city
authoriities to make conscio
ous efforts for adherin
ng to the WHO
W norm
ms in future.
From a global pe
erspective, although there
t are wide
w variatiions both in coverage
e as
well ass per capitta availability of gree
en spaces
s, cities in the world renowned
d for
their urrban green
n spaces often
o have 20% to 40
0% covera
age of total geograph
hical
area and 25 sqm
m to 100 sq
qm urban green spa
aces per ca
apita. Most of the Ind
dian
ag far behind in quallity as well as quantitty of urban
cities la n open spa
aces than their
t
counte
erparts in Australia,
A E
Europe and
d North Am
merica. (Ref: Table 6.1, page 11
1)
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 10
Table 6.1: Area under “Recreation” in Indian cities. (existing and proposed)
Source: Compiled from Master Plans of Indian cities

Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Green spaces co
omprise of the varietty of parks
s and gardens that e
exist in a city
c -
spacess to play, exercise
e or enjoy. Th
hese space
es contribu
ute to the q
quality of liffe of
the people of a city by im
mproving air
a quality, reducing heat islan
nd effect, and
improvving the he
ealth of people,
p am
mong otherr benefits. The quantity of grreen
space that exists in a city iss measured
d against itts population.
New Delhi,
D the capital
c of In
ndia, is one
e of the grreenest cap
pitals in the
e world du
ue to
the con
nsistent em
mphasis to greening and
a strict monitoring
m of tree cutting. This has
been possible
p d
despite the
e infrastruccture proje
ects, whicch came u
up due to the
deman
nds of the
e Commonwealth Games
G 20
010. As per
p Forestt Departm
ment,
Govern
nment of NCT
N Delhi,, Delhi had
d about 30
00 sqkm of
o green arrea in 2009. It
accoun
nts for 20%
% of the total area off 1483 sqk
km making per capita
a green sp
pace
availab
bility of aro
ound 22 sq
qm. Beside
es, Departtment of Environmen
E nt and Forests
of Natiional Capittal Territorry (NCT) Delhi,
D therre are man
ny agencie
es working
g for
“Green
n Capital” Mission e.g. Municip
pal Corporration of Delhi
D (MCD
D), New Delhi
D
Municip
pal Counccil (NDMC) and Delhi Develop
pment Autthority (DD
DA). Recently,
the Parks & Gard
den societyy has been
n set up to
o coordinatte the gree
ening activ
vities
in Delhi. The city has so
ome well-maintained
d parks and
a gardens like Lo
odhi
Garden
ns, Mughal Gardens,, Deer Parrk, Budha Jayanti
J Sm
marak Parkk, Indrapras
stha
Millenn
nium Park and
a The Garden
G of Five
F Sense
es besides the Ridge.
Lodhi Gard
den Indra
aprastha Pa
ark Deer P
Park
B
Buddha Park
k Mu
ughal Gardeens Garden of 5 sensees
Fig. 6.1: Urb
ban Green SSpaces of D
Delhi
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 12
U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Impactt of concrretization of
o paveme
ents
The
ere is a ke
een competition for space in urban are
eas. Treess are often
n found
grow
wing in tre
ee pits or planters surrounded
s d with conccrete in a paved are
ea, with
solid paving very
v close to the tree
e trunks. These
T treess often sufffer from severely
s
resttricted gro
owing space and th
he lack off air and water und
der imperrmeable
surffaces. In some casses, tree roots grow
w vigoroussly and evven dama
age the
pavvement. While
W in oth
her situatio
ons, roots may be cut off or damaged during
pavvement rep
pair work.
Fig. 7.1: Imp
F permeable TTiling aroun
nd trees
It has been observed
o that many trees and tree branches have e fallen in various
citie
es owing to heavy rain and wind. Sttrong wind
ds apart, concretisa
ation of
pavvements ha
as much to
o do with the
t falling of trees. Many
M of the trees are
e those
plan
nted on roa
adsides ass well as on
o central verges.
v Ovver the yea
ars, the ope
en area
around them has shrunk, having been
b pave
ed or ceme
ented. Thiss means th
he roots
do not have enough
e roo
om to sprea
ad or grow
w strong en
nough. The
ere is no sp
pace for
new
w roots to form eith
her. Other weakening factor of
o roadside
e trees – regular
pruning of brranches to
o make wa
ay for overhead utiliities, often
n lopsided due to
heig
ght, they lo
ose strengtth to withsttand strong
g winds.
Fig. 7.2: Deesirable roo
ot pits aroun
nd trees
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 13
Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
Policy Gu
uidelines for
f strengtthening Urban Gree
ens
8.1 Roads
The most commo

on use of trees is on roads an
nd avenue
es. If the w
wrong kinds of
trees are
a planted
d at wrong locations or
o places, the safety of traffic iss endange
ered.
Therefo
ore, it is necessaryy to lay down
d certtain criteria before adopting any
plantattion schem
me for roadss.
While selecting tree
t specie
es, the follo
owing crite
eria should be taken into accoun
nt:
i) Sp
pecies shou
uld suit the
e soil and climatic
c conditions.
ii) Sp
pecies should be harrdy, robust and shou
uld need little attenttion once they
t
have achieve
ed certain growth.
g
iii) Sp
pecies haviing long life
e should be
b preferred
d.
iv) Th
he species must be either
e everg
green or nearly
n everrgreen or b
be leafy du
uring
summer.
v) Th
he species must be fa
ast growing
g and wind
d resistant.
vi) Th
he trees should be de
eep rooted; shallow ro
oots injure
e pavements.
vii) Th
he species should no
ot be allow
wed to gro
ow into a very
v large size requiiring
expensive prruning or re
emoval.
viii) Th
he species should be capable of
o easy tran
nsplantatio
on.
ix) Th
he commercial, aestthetic and social va
alues of species
s sh
hould also
o be
considered while
w makin
ng choicess.
The ma
ain functio
on of a roadside aven
nue is sha
ade. Hence
e, trees wh
hich are qu
uick-
growing and provvide dense
e shade sh
hould be se
elected. Th
he trees se
elected sho
ould
provide
e shade no
ot only on the sides, but also in
n the cente
er of the ro
oad. From this
point of
o view, trees with, an
n umbrella
a or semi-u
umbrella crrown like N
Neem, Mah
hua,
lmli and Mango are more suitable on National and State
e highwayys. If the trrees
selecte
ed provide shade the
ey also yield valuable
e timber an
nd fruit. The
e trees sho
ould
be plan
nted in succh a way th
hat their crrowns may
y develop freely.
f Whe
ere the roa
ad is
more than 30 me
eters wide,, a double avenue off trees with
h the outer avenue near
n
the edg
ge of ROW
W line may be used.
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 14
U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Planting of tre
ees along roads
r mayy be in the following
f m
manner:
1 Avenue
1. e Planting
2 Group Planting
2. P
3 Mixed Planting
3.
4 Informa
4. al Planting
The
e planting should be
e suitable for differrent locatio
ons. The following general
g
guid
de lines arre useful in
n selecting tree types.
8.2 Avenu
ue Plantatiion
Ave
enue plantting consiists of pla
anting are
eas in sing
gle or do
ouble rows
s along
high
hways. Long avenue
es may beccome monotonous and where travel spee
eds are
high
h, may ind
duce drowssiness. Lo
oss or irreg
gular grow
wth of indivvidual tree in long
ave
enues is allso noticed
d. These disadvanta
d ges may be
b overcom
me by plan
nting at
irregular interrvals of sayy 30-75 metres and by off-settting the tre
ees by 1 to
o 1.5 m
from
m a uniform
m alignme
ent. Avenue planting will take a distinct fform of tre
eatment
on curves and undulating contours. In large cities an
nd location
ns, where, land is
ava
ailable dou
uble avenu
ues of tree
es may be provided
d. On divided carria
ageway
havving separa
ate pedestrian footpa
ath, the outter rows co
onsisting o
of shady tre
ees and
inne
er row consisting of ornamenta
o al flowering
g trees mayy be adoptted.
Fig. 8.2: Avenue Pla
antation
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 15
Urba
an Green G
Guidelines, 2014
2
8.3 Group Pla

antation
Group planting consists
c off planting a clump of
o 3 or 4 trees along
g the highway
overco
omes the monotony
m o avenue planting.
of p To
T be more
e effective the spacin
ng of
group should
s nott be uniforrm. This sh
hould be staggered
s o oppositte sides off the
on
road. The
T advantage of thiis system is that it helps in sellecting tree
e types to suit
exact conditions
c at each sitte. This sysstem should be follow
wed where
e availabilitty of
land is not an issue.
Fig. 8.3: Grroup Planta
ation
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 16
U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
8.4 Mixed Plantation

n
Mixxed plantin
ng consistss of selectting differe
ent varietie
es of trees, rather th
han one
sing
gle varietyy. This syystem avoids monottony of siingle varie
ety plantin
ng. The
she
edding of leaves take
es place in
n different seasons. The plantts provide flowers
and
d fruit in different seasons and
a thus the aesth
hetic value
e of aven
nues is
preserved throughout. During sttorm, whe
en wind ve
elocity is high, the harder
varieties will survive
s and
d will prote
ect the wea
aker varieties too.
4: Mixed Pla
Fig. 8.4 antation
TCP
PO, GoI, MoU
UD Page | 17
8.5 Informal Plantation

In urban fringe settings, avenue planting may include formal landscape on an
otherwise informal one. Single trees may be featured where practicable,
providing visual interest.
Fig. 8.5: Informal Plantation

8.6 Spacing of Trees
No hard and fast rule may be laid down for the spacing of avenue trees; it
depends on the type of trees. A minimum spacing of 10-12 m should be followed.
The trees in the formal avenue planting should be planted in rows on either side
of the road in a staggered manner. At urban intersections the trees should be at
least 3 mt away from the intersections for right viewing distance.
(A) Trees which provide thick cover and are also valuable from the economic and
aesthetic point of view should be planted along the National and State Highways.
Some of these are:
NEEM: (Azadirachta indica) It can grow in any type of poor but well drained soil.
However, it prefers loam and sandy soil. It can tolerate alkali but cannot
withstand water logging or sea coast conditions.
MAHUA: (Madhuca latifolia) It prefers light well drained soils but can also be
grown on dry, rocky and sandy soil. It can withstand mild alkalies, but not water
logging.
IMLI: (Tramarindus indica) It is a beautiful tree which withstands the dust on road
very well; its fruits and timber are also valuable. Suitable for dry areas.
SHISHAM : (Dalbergia sisso) It yields excellent timber. Suitable for sub-
Himalayan districts where rainfall is over 1,000 mm.
MANGO : (Mangifera indica) Suitable for clay or mixed soil with water level 10 m.
or less.
SUFED SIRIS: (Albizia procera) A quick growing beautiful tree which grows
easily on sandy soil. On account of the light yellow colour of the trunk, it reflects
even weak-light: and is an excellent roadside tree.
RAIN TREE: (Samanca Saman) Suitable for moist districts with a rainfall of over
1000mm.

(B) Trees Unsuitable for Roadside Avenues:

On no account should the following trees be planted along the roadside:
Brittle Trees-
Eucalyptus:
All species- Millingtonia hortensis, Albizia lebbeck, Cassia siamea, Ficus
glomerata.
All these trees have very weak wood, and consequently, break easily in a wind-
storm. The result is that after the storm, roads become blocked and traffic is
stopped for a considerable length of time, and during a storm, these trees are a
menace to the travelers who happen to be on the road.
(C) Thorny Trees:
Acacia nilotica
Acacia modesta
Ziziphus mauritiana
These are thorny trees and their thorns are nuisance for pneumatic tyres.
Trees Suitable For Town Roads:

Foliage trees for outer avenues
Averrhoa carambola Anthocephalus Tamarindus indica
Pterygota alata cadamba Polyalthia longifolia
Callistemon Azadirachta indica Putranjiva roxburghii
lanceolatum Alstonia Scholaris
Samanoa saman Eugenia operculata
Flowering Trees for Inner Avenues

Cassia fistula Spathodea nilotica
Bauhina purpurea Jacranda acutifolia
Colvillea recemosa Delonix regia
Peltophorum ferrugineum Crevillea robusta
Roads Passing Through Special Areas

It is neither possible nor advisable to lay down the rigid standards for the landscape
treatment to be given to roads passing through the different areas. It is, therefore
useful if some general guidelines are provided for the treatment of special areas.
8.7 Water Logged Areas

The type of landscape treatment to be given also depends upon the extent of water
logging in the area. Roads are generally on high embankments in water logged
areas. It should have mild slopes and the surface should be covered with some
shrubs so that road merges into the surroundings. Whenever possible some water

bodies may be developed and may be used as picnic spots. The species for such
areas should be so selected that they can grow well under the waterlogged
conditions not requiring much maintenance.
8.8 Sandy Areas

In sandy areas such species should be planted which have least water requirements
and are wind-resistant.
8.9 Wooded Areas

As far as possible roads should be aligned along the outskirt of the forest and it
should form a part of the road landscape; cutting of trees should be avoided. Even if
it is necessary to cut certain trees, it should neither disturb appearance of the forest
nor the animal life. The felling of trees should be done in stages i.e., first the thinning
be done at the proposed road/ land boundary then the gaps from where thinning was
done be planted with low and medium plantation and lastly when the new plantation
comes up the central area be cleared from the road.
8.10 Industrial Areas

Where the roads are passing through the industrial area, screen planting should be
done on both sides of the road so that views are addressed and they act as a buffer
for noise and air pollution. In conditions where chemical industries are existing or
are proposed it is advisable to have a thick green buffer which is resistant to
obnoxious fumes.
8.11 Parking areas

The most desirable plant material in parking area is trees and shrubs. Trees provide
shade in summer and improve the environment of a car park, provide a visual break
to the appearance, screen off parking areas and define some of the rows of parking.
In urban situations and particularly in congested areas where large parking spaces
are required, planting may be affected by atmospheric pollution in several ways. In
parking areas such trees should be planted which are suitable for situations where
they will be exposed to pollution. It should be noted that deciduous trees shed leaves
intermittently and maintenance is needed to keep drainage clear. Therefore, this
aspect should be taken into account while planting trees, in parking areas. Shady
and flowering trees are most suitable for parking areas.

U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Maintenan
nce of Pla
ant Materia
al
Plantin
ng operatio
ons requirres carefull planning. Nursery will be economical where
large scale
s plantting is req
quired. Succh a nurse
ery will select the se
eeds and nurture
them to
o become-- marketab
ble. The pla
ants should be allow
wed to remain in the nursery
until th
hey have become
b su
ufficiently hard to withstand trransplantattion. The nursery
should be plann
ned in an area of good
g soil and wherre water iss adequatte. It is
suggessted to plan
nt double the
t numbe
er of plants required so
s as to acccount for losses.
Sites for
f pits sho
ould be planned and located beforehan
nd, prefera
ably three to four
monthss before pllanting. Dw
warf trees should
s be grown 1.5
5 to 3 m ap
part. Pits of
o a size
1.25m x 1.25m should
s norrmally be sufficient
s in
n ordinary soil thoug
gh in hard soil the
diametter of 2m is necesssary. The pit should be filled with a mixture of soil
s and
manure
e where water
w is avvailable. Th
he best tim
me for pla
anting deciduous tree
es is in
Januarry and Fe
ebruary an
nd for othe
ers in the pre monsoon mon
nths from July to
Septem
mber.
Immed
diately afte
er planting
g, fencing of suitable size sh
hould be d
done. The
e plants
should be adequ
uately wate
ered for 2-3 years and
a tended
d and care
eful diggin
ng done
around
d the plantss to preven
nt the soil from gettin
ng hard. Removal of weeds should be
done periodically
p y.
All the plants req

quire good manure fo
or the prop
per develo
opment. Go
ood manurre must
contain
n nitrogen, phosphorrous and potash,
p and
d hence a mixture off the manu
ure from
the abo
ove should
d be used. Nitrogen increases
s the plant growth, excess of nitrogen
n
meanss plenty of wood and
d leaves and little flo
ower and fruits.
f Phossphorus qu
uickens
maturitty and assiists in the ripening
r off fruits.
It is, however,
h w
worthwhile to remem
mber that quantity
q off manure tto be adde
ed also
depend
ds upon th
he type of soil availa
able. Care should be
e taken tha
at raw ma
anure of
any kin
nd should not come in direct contact
c witth plant. Regular
R ma
anuring even with
small doses
d is be
etter than casual
c hea
avy manurin
ng.
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 22
i) Maintenance
Careful maintenance of plant material consists of removing parasites, removing
unhealthy branches, pruning, removing dead or dangerous plants and manuring from
time to time. Constant watch and supervision is necessary.
ii) Tiling of pavements: pervious material to be used

Unnecessary and excessive tiling of the roadside pavements should be avoided. The
area around trees should not be covered with tiling as it hampers the basic
necessary functions and needs of the trees. In addition root aeration and availability
of water gets drastically reduced. Whatever tiling is done, pervious tiles should be
used. Roots of the trees should be protected, top soil should be preserved while
taking up civic works. Indiscriminate tiling of road dividers and foot paths should be
avoided.
Fig. 9.1: Perforated tiling for pavements
Tiling is to be done only on pavements with heavy pedestrian traffic. In case of
bridges and such areas where there are no pedestrian movements, tiling may be
avoided and in case tiling is to be done, preference is to be given to pervious tiles.
The species of trees may be chosen for their pollution reduction and abatement
qualities including dust trapping and to avoid reliance of a single species, a
combination of trees, shrubs, grass should be grown.
iii) Growth of grass to be encouraged

The necessity of grass playing a vital role in making the soil suitable for vegetation
should be realized and unnecessary digging of soil should be avoided.
iv) Excessive pruning to be avoided

Practice of excessive pruning should be avoided. Pruning of plants in a well nurtured
garden and pruning of roadside plants should be differentiated. Excessive pruning
may lead to upsetting the root; shoot ratio. Leaf pruning should not be resorted to
indiscriminately.

U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
v) Co
ompost to be made of leaves
Leaf iss an excellent mate
erial for making com
mpost and burning o
of leaves causes
pollutio
on. A systtem of com
mposting of
o leaves in nearbyy parks sh
hould be adopted
a
which will
w provide
e water retentive ma
anure to civ
vic agencie
es, some ffallen leav
ves may
be left near the trree base as water rettentive mu
ulch.
dequate sp
vi) Ad pace to be
e left around trees
A minim
mum area
a of 1.25 m x 1.25 m around the trees should
s be lleft un-cem
mented,
widenin
ng of road
ds upto the
e trunk of trees
t is to be avoide
ed as rootss come un
nder the
asphalted roads which will gradually die. In ca
ase of storrm, these ttrees may topple.
Activitie
es which adversely
a a
affect the ro
oots are to
o be minimized.
Figg. 9.2: Desirrable Spacee around treee roots
vii) Diigging nea
ar trees to
o be avoid
ded
Digging
g near the elephone, electricity, sewerage
e trees by allowing te e lines sho
ould be
avoided to avoid root injuryy; sufficien
nt space sh
hould be le
eft along th
he ground for the
trees. In
I no case
e should ro
oots be exp
posed. Wa
ashing of avenue
a tree
es foliage may be
done on
o a tri-mon
nthly basiss to get rid of particula
ate matter from the fo
oliage.
viii) Us
se of Orga
anic Comp
post
Dead trees mayy be repla
aced by young
y plan
nts after providing
p ssufficient organic
ost in the pits. Organiic manure added with compostt FYM mix with Nitrogenous
compo
fixing bacterial
b culture and
d neem cake should be spread
d on the g
green and poured
into the
e soil beforre either irrrigating the
e tree basin or before
e rains.
anting of second
ix) Pla s lin
ne trees to
o be encou
uraged
New trees whicch may be
e called as
a second
d generatio
on trees must be planted
prefera
ably 2-3m behind
b the
e existing liine of trees
s in an alte
ernate possition or ins
side the
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 24
bungalow compounds, a mix of foliage and fruit trees should be planted. Planting of
fairly well established large trees should be undertaken as chances of their survival
will be more. Species to be adopted may be similar to the old trees lining roads.
x) Initiation of IEC activities

Horticulture Department of the city concerned may initiate education/awareness
campaign with School students and elders and users of the park where the different
species of trees are present in a particular park and importance about preservation
of eco-systems explained. School students may be taken for nature walks in major
gardens to get them acquainted with the flora and fauna around them. Also the
citizens of an area residing near a park may be involved for this awareness
campaign.
xi) Compactness of soil near trees to be avoided

Compactness of soil should be avoided within at least 1.25 m around the tree trunk.
Perforated metallic frame may be used for this purpose. Soil surveys around the
trees should be done by removing stones,
xii) Setting up of a Central Resource Centre

A Central Resource Centre should be set up to aid and advice the State
Governments, Municipal Corporations and other agencies dealing with matters
pertaining to Horticulture and Landscaping.
xiii) Stress on Shelter beds of thick trees

Around the cities vulnerable to desert winds, shelter-beds of special design of thick
trees should be planted.
xiv) Updating technology of transplantation of trees:

Technology for transplantation of trees should be updated to ensure at least 80
percent success rate. As far as possible, trees grown in the nursery with a height of
four to six meters should be planted. Presently, survival rate of trees is less due to
animal menace and neglect. Public participation in caring of trees planted may be
ensured.

xv) Setting up of a tree disease surgery unit in Horticulture Department

A small tree disease/surgery unit should be created in the Horticulture Departments
to cure tree maladies.
xvi) Earmarking of some cost of projects for landscaping

In any layout plan and housing development, at least two and a half percent of the
cost of the project should be earmarked for landscaping and green development.
xvii) Use of kitchen and garden waste for compost

Technology to use kitchen and garden waste to fabricate building and landscaping
material should be perfected and made available to all agencies.
xviii) Recharge of aquifers

Underground water does not get recharged sufficiently because of use of concrete.
Efforts should be made to get recharge the underground aquifers.
xix) Heritage buildings to be landscaped:

Areas adjacent to heritage buildings should be suitably landscaped and beautified.
xx) Encouragement for water harvesting technologies

Information regarding water harvesting has to be disseminated to people at large
and its use encouraged. !t should be ensured that quality of water does not get
deteriorated for which measures are to be taken.
xxi) For maintenance of greens internally

Criss-cross paths should be provided in parks with connecting gates.
xxii) Public participation to be ensured

Public participation at present is poor in the maintenance of greens. This has to be
sensitized through Residents Welfare Associations who need to be involved in
planting of new trees and in their upkeep. User groups need to be activated. NGO's
can play a catalytic role in this regard. Each NGO may earmark a selected area for
its activities thereby dividing the entire area. A Committee with officials from various
Departments may act as nodal contact and may review progress every month or as
necessary.

U
Urban Gree
en Guideline
es, 2014
Integratio
on of Urban Green Spaces
S
Open spaces se
erve a verry importan
nt purpose
e in the re
elationship of man and
a the
nature.. If planned
d properly, they help
p in mainta
aining ecolo
ogical bala
ance. High
hlighting
this, it is recomm
mended tha
at a system
m of open spaces
s be provided a
as part and
d parcel
of the Master/De
evelopmen
nt Plan of the city. These
T open spaces, dependin
ng upon
their fu
unction can be withiin the city and /or on
o its outsskirts. Theyy should include,
apart from
f orga
anized ope
en spacess for recre
eation purrposes, arreas reserrved as
conserrvation area
as, naturall landscape
e areas an
nd social fo
orests.
Depending upon quirement of the city, these open sp

n the req paces sho
ould be
ately provid
adequa ded and should be well
w defined
d in area and
a land use. This will
w help
unctional use. It is em
in checcking encrroachmentss and changes in fu mphasized
d that a
whole-to-part app
proach of spatial
s plan
nning be practiced. This
T calls fo
or delineation and
prepara
ation of spatial devvelopment plan of each city and
a its reg
gion show
wing the
followin
ng before making
m the
e master plan of the city:
c
¾ Settlements, their hie nd functions.

erarchy an
¾ Transporta
ation netwo
ork.
¾ Areas to be
b protected and prreserved including natural
n con
nservation areas,
existing fo
orests, histtorical mon
numents, mining
m sitess etc.;
¾ Reserved forest area
as (both exxisting and
d proposed
d)
¾ Area earm
marked for social fore
ests,
¾ Agricultura
al areas specifying areas
a gen
nerally rese
erved for g
gardens to
o serve
the city an
nd reserved
d for other agricultura
al purposes.
The en
ntire area outside
o the
e proposed
d urbanisa n centres in a city
able limit of the urban
and its region ma
ay be desiignated ass rural area
a and the Town
T and Country Planning
P
Departtment/Urba
an Develop
pment Autthority (wh
hichever iss in charge of the planned
p
development of the city and
d the city re
egion) sho
ould regulate its use.
As a basic
b princciple, the agricultura
a l area of the
t city an
nd its regio
on should not be
permittted to be changed
c to
o urban use
e unless in
ncorporated
d in the revvised mastter plan
of the city at the time of itss periodic review or at the end
d of the pla
an period. With a
TCPO, GoI,
G MoUD Pa
age | 27
view to helping in implementation of the above, it is recommended that the zoning

regulations covering the city region should specifically include the following
provisions for the rural areas.
All residential activity shall be limited to the existing or extended boundaries of the
urban fringe as proposed in the Master/Development Plan of the city and its region.
No structure of a permanent nature for residential or any other purpose shall be
permitted in the agricultural area.
With a view to preserving the rural–urban fringe and also for preventing it from ribbon
development, it is recommended that a forest belt be provided on either side of all
major roads passing through rural areas. For this purpose the right of the way of
these roads may be appropriately earmarked.
Based upon the current practice of developing farm houses on the outskirts of the
city and in the green belt zones where it is being permitted, It is observed that there
exists a demand, particularly in metropolitan centres for low density residential
development with large plots In case where this demand exists and where, as part
of development objectives low density residential areas with large size plots are to
be provided, the following two alternative strategies are recommended:
Design this low density residential zone as an integral part of the Master
Plan/Development within the proposed urbanisable limits of the city; or design
these areas as self-contained low density satellite communities around the
metropolitan centre, with or without farms to be managed and owned by urban
dwellers, which are located far beyond the expected future (atleast upto next 50-60
years) urbanisable limits of the city.
In order to sustain/preserve/conserve urban greens in long run, it is important to

integrate urban greens at different levels. Typically a Master Plan of city needs to
provide green spaces as per the hierarchy. The green spaces may be planned as
well incidental. Following green spaces need to be protected/conserved and it is also
to be ensured that they are not unnecessarily encroached upon or subject to
construction activities:

• Area around flood plains

• Area around marine drive along coastal zones in case of coastal
cities/towns,
• Area under mountainous slopes in case of hill towns
• Area around natural drains
In order to protect the above mentioned environmentally sensitive areas, it is

necessary that following actions need to be taken by the city planning authorities:
¾ Declaring the environmental sensitive zone as no construction/development

zone. This has to be ensured in the proposed/existing landuse plan of a city.
¾ While framing zoning regulations, it has to be ensured that only those
activities are to be allowed which may not have any adverse impact on
environment, and should not lead to addition of built up space.
¾ Cities /towns which are located in valleys or where remnants of old mountains
like Aravalli, Shivalik, Satpura, Western Ghats etc. need to take measures for
strengthening the slopes by aforestation and regulating construction activities
without compromising the overall natural environment of the cities/towns in
the said zones.
SUBCITY /ZONAL LEVEL
At the Zonal level, planned greens are generally found in the form of District
Park/Sub-District Park/playgrounds, which may be located at various parts of the
zone. It has to be ensured that the different open spaces need to be inter linked by
providing connectivity/linkages and should be maintained/ developed in an integrated
manner.
SECTOR/NEIGHBOURHOOD LEVEL
At the Sector/Neighborhood level, planned green spaces are provided in the form of
neighborhood parks/tot-lots. These have to be properly maintained in terms of
irrigating the plants /trees and making the provision of pruning at regular intervals.
x x

References:
1. National Mission for a Green India, Draft submitted to Prime Minister’s Council
on Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India, 2010.
2. Guidelines for Greening of Urban Areas and Landscaping, Ministry of Urban
Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, 2000.
3. Green City Guidelines, Advice for the protection and enhancement of
biodiversity in medium to high-density urban developments, UCD Urban
Institute. Ireland, 2008.
4. Manual on norms and standards for environment clearance of large
construction projects, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India, 2005.
5. Proceedings of Session Challenges of Urban Green Development, Workshop
on Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Use Optimization, International
Congress on Urban Green Spaces. New Delhi, 2012.
6. Good Practices for Urban Greening, Environment Division of the Social
Programs and Sustainable Development Department of the Inter-American
Development Bank. Washington, 1997.
7. Guide on Plant Materials for Landscaping in India, Town and Country
Planning Organization, Ministry of Works and Housing, 1980.

Urban Green Guidelines 2014

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Urban Green Guidelines 2014

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Ur

Urban Greening Guidelines, 2014 is the outcome of blatant and random

The Metropolitan and UT Division of Town and Country Planning Organization

TCPO, GoI, MoUD i

TCPO, GoI, MoUD ii

No. Title Page No.

TCPO, GoI, MoUD iii

TCPO, GoI, MoUD iv

Censuss of India,, 2011 revvealed that 31.16% of the cou

Realizing the importtance of maintaining and prese

¾ Urban forests act as temperature buffers providing shade in the summer,

¾ Green spaces provide a refreshing contrast to the harsh shape, colour,

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 4

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 5

Types of Urban Gre

The typ an greens in settleme

Neighborhood Park: Neighborhood Park is developed at the neighborhood

Playgrounds: Playgrounds are provided normally in the educational institutions

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 7

Green space covverage in cities varie

Furtherr, it may also be seen

Source: Compiled from Master Plans of Indian cities

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 11

The most commo

8.3 Group Pla

8.4 Mixed Plantation

8.5 Informal Plantation

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 18

8.6 Spacing of Trees

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 19

(B) Trees Unsuitable for Roadside Avenues:

Trees Suitable For Town Roads:

Flowering Trees for Inner Avenues

Roads Passing Through Special Areas

8.7 Water Logged Areas

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 20

8.8 Sandy Areas

8.9 Wooded Areas

8.10 Industrial Areas

8.11 Parking areas

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 21

All the plants req

ii) Tiling of pavements: pervious material to be used

iii) Growth of grass to be encouraged

iv) Excessive pruning to be avoided

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 23

x) Initiation of IEC activities

xi) Compactness of soil near trees to be avoided

xii) Setting up of a Central Resource Centre

xiii) Stress on Shelter beds of thick trees

xiv) Updating technology of transplantation of trees:

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 25

xv) Setting up of a tree disease surgery unit in Horticulture Department

xvi) Earmarking of some cost of projects for landscaping

xvii) Use of kitchen and garden waste for compost

xviii) Recharge of aquifers

xix) Heritage buildings to be landscaped:

xx) Encouragement for water harvesting technologies

xxi) For maintenance of greens internally

xxii) Public participation to be ensured

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 26

Depending upon quirement of the city, these open sp

¾ Settlements, their hie nd functions.

view to helping in implementation of the above, it is recommended that the zoning

In order to sustain/preserve/conserve urban greens in long run, it is important to

TCPO, GoI, MoUD Page | 28

• Area around flood plains