Contents

Part 1.
1. Urban planning / City Planning 13

1.1 Urban Area 13

1.2 Planning System 18

Practice question 26

2. Urban planning theories 33

2.1 Sir Patrick Geddes 33

2.2 Sir Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) 38

2.3 Arturo Soria Y Mata 43

2.4 Frank Lloyd Wright 45

2.5 Le Corbusier 48

2.6 Neighborhood Concept 55

2.7 City beautiful movement 58

2.8 Robert Owen (1771 –1858) 60

2.9 The Von Thunen model (1783-1850) 62

2.10 Concentric zone model or Burgess Model (1925) 63

2.11 Components of Hoyt Model 65

2.12 Multiple Nuclei Model 67

2.13 Growth pole theory 70

2.14 Central Place Theory 71

2.15 Weber’s Theory of Location 77

Practice question 80

3. Cities and their planning 93

3.1 Advent of Hindu civilization 93

3.2 Vedic Principles for Planning 96

3.3 Indus Valley Civilization 100

3.4 The Town Planning Concept Shahjahanabad 104

3.5 Lutyen’s Delhi (1914) 108

3.6 Chandigarh 111

3.7 Gandhinagar 116

3.8 Jamshedpur 117

3.9 Jaipur 120

3.10 Western scenario 125

3.11 Hippodamus and early planned cities 129

3.12 Planning in the middle ages 132

3.13 Planning during renaissance Europe (1300-1600) 134

3.14 History of city planning in America 134

3.15 Baroque influences 136

3.16 BAROQUE URBAN PLANNING OF 17TH C 138

3.17 Gridded for growth: the nineteenth century 139

3.18 Radburn’s concept 144

3.19 Ekistics 147

Practice question 152

4. Emerging Concept of cities 166

4.1 Eco-City 166

4.2.2 Strategy 170

4.3 Transit-oriented development (TOD) 172

4.4 Special Economic Zone (SEZ) 173

4.5 Special Investment Regions (SIR) 175

4.6 State of Art Residential Zone (SRZ) 176

4.7 Sustainable urban development 177

4.8 Theories of planning 178

4.9 Zoning 182

Practice question 185

Part 2. Urban Housing 192

1.1 Housing related terms 192

1.2 Housing Classifications 194

1.3 Housing situation in India 199

1.4 Housing Finance 201

1.5 Housing Policies 206

1.6 Five Year Plans 214

1.7 Role of Government in housing delivery 224

1.8 Affordable housing 226

1.9 Slums 228

1.10 Density calculation 231

1.11 Dwelling Unit Calculation 233

1.12 Components of Housing Shortage. 234

Practice question 237

Programs and Schemes 268

 Part - I
Urban Planning
Analysis of Urban Planning
Number of question asked (%)
3%

97%

Questions asked from urban Planning

Questions asked from all other subjects

Marks weightage(%)
2%

98%

Marks weightage of urban Planning Marks weightage of all other subjects

Tips:
❖ Questions from Urban Planning part is mostly theoretical.
❖ Just the broad understanding of the theory discussed in this chapter would be
sufficient.
❖ While studying this chapter special attention should be given to Name, number and
terms. Most questions are based on these three.
1. Urban planning / City Planning
Urban planning (urban, merged urban regions, regional, city, and town planning) is a technical
and political process concerned with the use of land and design of the urban environment,
including air and water and infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas such as
transportation and distribution networks.
Urban planning guides and ensures the orderly development of settlements and satellite
communities which commute into and out of urban areas or share resources with it. It concerns
itself with research and analysis, strategic thinking, architecture, urban design, public
consultation, policy recommendations, implementation and management.
A plan can take a variety of forms including strategic plans, comprehensive plans,
neighborhood plans, regulatory and incentive strategies, or historic preservation plans.
Planners are often also responsible for enforcing the chosen policies.
The modern origins of urban planning lie in the movement for urban reform that arose as a
reaction against the disorder of the industrial city in the mid-19th century.
Urban planning can include urban renewal, by adapting urban planning methods to existing
cities suffering from decline. Alternatively, it can concern the massive challenges associated
with urban growth, particularly in the Global South.
In the late 20th century, the term sustainable development has come to represent an ideal
outcome in the sum of all planning goals.

1.1 Urban Area

For the Census of India 2011, the definition of urban area is as follows;
1. All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area
committee, etc.
2. All other places which satisfied the following criteria:
i. A minimum population of 5,000;
ii. At least 75 per cent of the male main working population engaged in non-
agricultural pursuits; and
iii. A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. km.
The first category of urban units is known as Statutory Towns. These towns are notified under
law by the concerned State/UT Government and have local bodies like municipal corporations,
municipalities, municipal committees, etc., irrespective of their demographic characteristics as
reckoned on 31st December 2009. Examples: Vadodara (M Corp.), Shimla (M Corp.) etc.
The second category of Towns (as in item 2 above) is known as Census Town. These were
identified on the basis of Census 2001 data.
1.1.1 Urban Agglomeration (UA):
An urban agglomeration is a continuous urban spread constituting a town and its adjoining
outgrowths (OGs), or two or more physically contiguous towns together with or without
outgrowths of such towns. An Urban Agglomeration must consist of at least a statutory town
and its total population (i.e. all the constituents put together) should not be less than 20,000 as
per the 2001 Census. In varying local conditions, there were similar other combinations which
have been treated as urban agglomerations satisfying the basic condition of contiguity.
Examples: Greater Mumbai UA, Delhi UA, etc.

1.1.2 Out Growths (OG):

An Out Growth (OG) is a viable unit such as a village or a hamlet or an enumeration block
made up of such village or hamlet and clearly identifiable in terms of its boundaries and
location. Some of the examples are railway colony, university campus, port area, military
camps, etc., which have come up near a statutory town outside its statutory limits but within
the revenue limits of a village or villages contiguous to the town. While determining the
outgrowth of a town, it has been ensured that it possesses the urban features in terms of
infrastructure and amenities such as pucca roads, electricity, taps, drainage system for disposal
of waste water etc. educational institutions, post offices, medical facilities, banks etc. and
physically contiguous with the core town of the UA. Examples: Central Railway Colony (OG),
Triveni Nagar (N.E.C.S.W.) (OG), etc. Each such town together with its outgrowth(s) is treated
as an integrated urban area and is designated as an ‘urban agglomeration’. In the 2011 Census,
475 places with 981 OGs have been identified as Urban Agglomerations as against 384 UAs
with 962 OGs in 2001 Census.
Number of UAs/Towns and Out Growths (OGs):

At the Census 2011 there are 7,935 towns in the country. The number of towns has increased
by 2,774 since last Census. Many of these towns are part of UAs and the rest are independent
towns. The total number of Urban Agglomerations/Towns, which constitutes the urban frame,
is 6166 in the country.

1.1.3 Population of UAs/Towns:

• The total urban population in the country as per Census 2011 is more than 377 million
constituting 31.16% of the total population.
 • Class I UAs/Towns: The UAs/Towns are grouped on the basis their population in
Census. The UAs/Towns which have at least 1,00,000 persons as population are
categorized as Class I UA/Town. At the Census 2011, there are 468 such UAs/Towns.
The corresponding number in Census 2001 was 394.

• 264.9 million persons, constituting 70% of the total urban population, live in these Class
I UAs/Towns. The proportion has increased considerable over the last Census. In the
remaining classes of towns, the growth has been nominal.

• Million Plus UAs/Towns: Out of 468 UAs/Towns belonging to Class I category, 53

UAs/Towns each has a population of one million or above each. Known as Million Plus
UAs/Cities, these are the major urban centres in the country. 160.7 million persons (or
42.6% of the urban population) live in these Million Plus UAs/Cities.18 new
UAs/Towns have been added to this list since the last Census.

• Mega Cities: Among the Million Plus UAs/Cities, there are three very large UAs with
more than 10 million persons in the country, known as Mega Cities. These are Greater
Mumbai UA (18.4 million), Delhi UA (16.3 million) and Kolkata UA (14.1 million).
The largest UA in the country is Greater Mumbai UA followed by Delhi UA. Kolkata
UA which held the second rank in Census 2001 has been replaced by Delhi UA. The
growth in population in the Mega Cities has slowed down considerably during the last
decade. Greater Mumbai UA, which had witnessed 30.47% growth in population during
1991-2001 has recorded 12.05% during 2001-2011. Similarly, Delhi UA (from 52.24%
to 26.69% in 2001-2011) and Kolkata UA (from 19.60% to 6.87% in 2001-2011) have
also slowed down considerably.

1.1.4 Child Population (0-6 years):

• Population of children in the age group is 158.8 million in Census 2011. In the urban
areas there are 41.2 million children in this age group. In comparison to Census 2001,
the number of children (0-6) in urban areas has increased (by 10.32%), while in the
rural areas it has decreased by 7.04%.

• Of the 41.2 million children (0-6) in the urban areas in the country, the population in
Class I UAs/Cities is 27.9 million, which is about 67.8% of the total Urban child
population. In Million Plus UAs/Cities the Child Population (0-6) is 16.6 million
constituting about 40 % of the total urban child (0-6) population of the country.

• Among the 53 Million Plus UAs/Cities 16.6 million are children (0-6), of which 52.7%
are boys and 47.3% are girls, showing a preponderance of male children in these large
cities.

• Malappuram UA has the highest proportion of Children (0-6) (13.57%) in the Million
Plus category, followed by Ghaziabad (13.09%). Kolkata UA has the lowest proportion
at 7.54%.
1.1.5 Sex Ratio
• Sex ratio, the number of females per thousand males, in urban areas in India is 926 in
Census 2011. It has registered an increase of 26 points over the Sex Ratio in 2001
Census.

• Sex ratio in Class I UAs/Cities (population of 100,000 and above) is 921, which is 5
points lower than the total urban sex ratio in the country.

• Among the Million Plus UAs/Cities the Sex Ratio stands at 912. The UAs, where
population of females exceeds the total male population in this group are Kannur UA
(Kerala) at the top with 1168. Surat UA (Gujarat) is at the bottom of the list with Sex
Ratio at 754 where males outnumber females.

• In the two of the three mega cities there is predominance of male population as they
have returned low Sex Ratio (e.g., Greater Mumbai UA - 861, Delhi UA – 867). Kolkata
UA has returned a better Sex ratio at 928.

1.1.6 Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years):

• The Child Sex Ratio in the country has declined from 927 to 914 in Census 2011. This
decline is more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas of the country, where the
decline is by 4 points from 906 to 902 in Census 2011.

• The Child Sex Ratio in UAs/Cities with 100,000 persons and above is 899 which is a
shade lower than the national average for urban areas.

• The combined Child Sex Ratio in Million Plus UAs/Cities is 898. Thiruvananthapuram
UA (Kerala) has returned the highest Child Sex Ratio (971) in this group. The lowest
slot is occupied by Agra UA (780).
• Child Sex Ratio in the three Mega Cities are 946 (Kolkata UA), 900 (Greater Mumbai
UA) and the lowest in 868 (Delhi UA).

1.1.7 Literacy Rate

• The literacy rates among both males and females have shown improvement in Census
2011 compared to the last Census. The literacy rate in the country as a whole is 74.04%.
In the rural and the urban areas, the literacy rates are 68.9% and 84.9% respectively.

• The female literacy rate in rural and urban areas shows wide variation. In the urban
areas of the country the female literacy rate is 79.92% in the rural areas it is only
58.75%.

• In the 468 UAs/Towns the progress in literacy has been quite encouraging. In 89
UAs/Cities the total Literacy Rate has crossed the 90% mark. The corresponding
number of UAs/Cities in Census 2001 was only 23 in Census 2011. In another 288
 UAs/Cities, the Literacy rate ranges between 80% to 90%, improving from 197 in
Census 2001.

• The total Literacy Rate in Greater Mumbai UA is 90.78%, the highest among the mega
cities. The Literacy Rate in Delhi and Kolkata are 86.43% and 88.33% respectively.
The female literacy rate is also the highest in Greater Mumbai UA (87.19) the top three
megacities.

1.1.8 The classification of urban settlements adopted for URDPFI

Small towns can be referred as ‘transitional towns’ mentioned in the 74th CAA where a Nagar
Panchayat (as a municipality) is to be formed for an area in transition from a rural area to an
urban area.

Agglomeration of urban nodes along with its peri‐urban and rural areas are currently observed
in the Metropolitan cities II (like in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad) and in
Megapolis. However, ‘Conurbation’ of settlements is on much larger scale, which may develop
accounting for population more than 5 Crore and with adjoining several large cities and few
metropolitan cities.

1.2 Planning System

1.2.1 Perspective Plan
Developing a vision for region is essential for policy framework. The vision stipulates direction
of growth and identification of resource potential and innovations to be adopted for the thrust
areas of development. It integrates broad level plan with the regional or development plan. A
realistic vision helps policy formulation and preparation of Perspective plan.

Perspective plan defines the vision and focuses on the spatio‐economic development policies,
strategies and programmes towards the intended development of the State. The Perspective
Plan of a State could include ‐ State Urbanization Policy and State Land Utilization Policy. The
plan is based on state resource mapping and analysis and assessment of potential resources. It
addresses the long term policies regarding development of infrastructure and resource
mobilization. The scope of this plan covers the social, economic, environmental and spatial
development goals, policies and priorities relating to the activities that have spatial and
financial implications.
The purpose of a perspective plan is to provide an overall framework for preparation of detailed
plans. Therefore, it serves as a guide for urban local authorities and regional development
authorities in preparation of the regional and development plans.

1.2.2 Regional Plan

For planned and sustainable development of the human settlements, the regional planning
approach needs to be promoted. The planning regions could be classified under three heads:

• Administrative Regions, which can be District Regions or Metropolitan Regions as

per the recommendations of the 73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendment Act,
• Investment Regions, which can be new investment manufacturing zones, industrial
and freight corridors, special investment regions etc. They could be identified under
National Acts/ policies,
• Special regions, which are sensitive in terms of environment/ socio economic or
political aspects.
States undertake Urban and Regional Planning under a variety of statutes such as the Town and
Country Planning Act, Municipal Laws, Urban/Metropolitan Planning/ Development Act,
Improvement Trust Act, Industrial Development Act, Cantonment Board Act, Major Ports Act
etc. Often these laws are mutually exclusive. For instance, a Master Plan for a city would
exclude the lands covered under the Industrial Development Act, even though the lands would
be adjacent and the movement of the people and of the economic activities may be seamless.
This leads to sub‐optimal planning for land use as well as for infrastructure. It is, therefore,
suggested that the principles for spatial planning recommended by these guidelines are
extended to all areas, whether administered by the regular administrative system of the State
Government or by special laws such as for the ports, cantonments, railways, industrial zones
etc.
Furthermore, the concepts of regional planning enunciated in these guidelines should be
extended to all contiguous areas that are socially, economically or functionally inter‐dependent.
For instance, a civilian town and the adjoining port/ cantonment/railway area should be covered
by an umbrella regional plan, even though the actual authority for administration of the
individual piece of land would continue to vest with the respective organization, such as the
Port Trust, Cantonment Board, Railway Administration, etc. At times, even certain
infrastructure could be planned and developed in a regional set up. For instance, the road
network/ mobility plan, or the drainage plan could more efficiently be executed in a regional
set up, rather than limiting to the jurisdiction of the statutory authorities administering their
respective lands.
This would also call for notification of regional planning authorities, for regions that have
contours defined by seamless connectivity of people and economic activities. typically, a town
in the vicinity of an industrial zone (SEZ etc.) should become the ode for notification of a
Regional Planning Authority (RPA), wherein the region would be defined to include the town,
the nearby SEZ and the adjoining villages. Similarly, a Port Area and it adjoining city and
villages should put together be notified as a Region, with a RPA duly notified to prepare a
regional plan and coordinate/ oversee the implementation of the regional plan. Such RPA may
be chaired by a senior officer, such as the District Collector or could even have a fulltime
officer. Senior representatives of the various authorities administering the constituent areas
(ports, villages, cantonment, SEZ etc.) should be represented on the executive body of the RPA.
Similar RPAs may be notified for tourist areas, religious places and the influence zones of the
transit corridors such as national/ state highways, expressways, and waterways. Areas
including and surrounding the airports may also be similarly notified for planned regional
development. It would also be desirable to regularly monitor the contours of such RPAs and
expand the same, as per need. The State Town & Country Planning Acts may be suitably
modified to enable formation of such authorities. Till such time such statutory arrangements
are put in place, the State Government could issue executive orders constituting such
authorities and Ministry of Urban Development could extend necessary support for the
purpose, as required.
Regional plan is to be a comprehensive plan at an appropriate scale (district/interdistrict,
investment region or special area) for the integration of urban nodes within the semi‐urban and
rural areas. The plan is based on understanding of the characteristics of the region such as flow
of people, goods, knowledge and money.
Some states have comprehensive town and country planning legislation, which provides for
urban planning and development in a regional perspective beyond the city limits and
coordinated with the overall framework of economic development, priorities and resource
availabilities. Regions, identified in the States, are to be planned holistically or as sub‐regions
for the holistic approach of planning.
The detailed planning of the urban nodes will be addressed by the development plans at the
next stage of planning, while the requirements of the region will be addressed by the regional
plan to bring out policies for development and bringing in harmony between the different types
of human settlements. Regional plan focuses on balanced development and plan for hierarchy
of settlements, both urban and rural (in terms of its geographical area coverage), hierarchy of
connectivity network, road, rail, sea and airports and intermodal transport hubs, focuses on land
utilization, resource mobilization, environmental protection and disaster risk management.

1.2.3 Development Plan

Development plan is a statutory plan prepared within the framework of an approved perspective
plan. The objective of a development plan is to provide further necessary details and intended
actions in the form of strategies and physical proposals for various policies given in the
perspective plan and regional plan depending upon the economic and social needs and
aspiration of the people, available resources and priorities.
Proposals of a development plan should be definite, supported by an implementation strategy
and evaluation criteria. It makes known publicly the intention of the local authority regarding
physical, social and economic development, the facilities and the services that are proposed to
be provided in the near future. The approved development plan allows the local authority to
implement development of the land area specified under the plan with the help of local area
plans and projects.
The time frame of the existing Development Plans is for a period of 20 years by most of the
Urban Development Authorities/ULBs. For greenfield cities, a longer planning period can be
considered, aligned with the infrastructure life of 30 years. These plans should be in phases of
5 years, to make it convenient for periodic reviews and revision. This 5‐year cycle could also
be usefully coincided with the State Five Year plans and State Finance Commissions’
recommendations, though such an alignment need not be made mandatory. The targets set for
each phase can be assessed as the mid‐term review against the achievements at the end of each
phase.
Master Plan to be referred as Development Plan
The term “Development Plan” is used differently in States. Some States use it for an integrated
multi‐sector plan, such as the District Development Plan. In some other States, it is a statutory
land use plan, approved and adopted by the local authority and its proposals are precise and
definite, notifying the property owners the manner in which their properties will be affected.
The examples of the later type are the Delhi Master Plan, Chennai Master Plan, Guwahati
Master Plan, Ahmedabad Development Plan, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Plan and
Bhopal Development Plan. Here, both the plans, Development plans and Master plans have the
same functions and impose similar controls, with variation in the use of nomenclatures by
States. Many states prefer and there is a growing consensus to replace the terminology of
‘Master Plan’ with ‘Development Plan’.

Structure Plan
In areas under the Schedule 6 of the Constitution, land is not directly State subject such as in
the North‐Eastern (NE) States, where land title is based on community ownership. The
approach to land aspects of the Development Plan may be different in such cases. Therefore, a
Structure Plan approach to land management may be appropriate in order to allocate land for
different land uses in urban infrastructure etc.
In such cases or otherwise, Structure Plan is to serve as a planning tool which directs the growth
and zones of planning, but is not as precise as the development plan (such as the Structure Plan
for Bangalore Metropolitan Region). Structure Plans may be considered as an overarching
Development plan for Metropolitan Regions, allowing broad framework and flexibility.

1.2.4 Local Area Plan

Local area plans are to be prepared to guide the development or re‐development of land,
conservation of buildings and physical features, providing improvements in the physical
layout, making infrastructure and amenities available and managing the area to enhance health
and safety of the residents to support economic development as well as to enhance the quality
of living, environment, and for area specific regulatory parameters for the area covered.
Local area plans need to specify the implementation details to comply with the Government
Policies, such as housing, hi‐tech townships, rainwater harvesting, energy, disaster
management, industrial and service sector investment, barrier‐free environment for the elderly
and the physically disabled, e‐Governance, tourism and other policies and facilitate formulation
of specific projects.
The plan should delineate reservation of land for roads and other public purposes, for
construction, reclamation etc. The plan should provide a framework for recovery of the
associated costs for public projects, by mechanisms like levy of betterment charges, charges
on additional development rights, and appropriate user charges.

1.2.5 Special Purpose Plan

Special Purpose Plan can be prepared for specific development sectors depending on its
economic and environmental importance. Depending on the urgency of the need and
priority of the sector requiring special treatment and covering special aerial extent,
Special Purpose Plans for specific subjects can be prepared. However, these plans are to
be within the framework of the Regional Plan, Development Plan or Local Area Plan in
the jurisdiction of the local authority.

These plans may also emerge to serve the purpose of urban planning needs under
different Central and State Government grants, funding schemes programmes with an
aim to:

• Encourage reforms and fast track planned development of cities, peri‐urban areas,
out‐growths, urban corridors, and others,
• Scale‐up delivery of civic amenities and provision of utilities with emphasis on
universal access to the urban poor,
• Special focus on urban renewal programme,
• Supplement to budget documents on ULBs,
• Sustainability, Environmental and heritage protection,
• Theme based development such as tourism, IT etc.

1.2.6 Annual Plan

An Annual Plan would contain the details of the new and ongoing projects that the local
authority intends to implement during each financial year for necessary financial resource
mobilization and monitoring its performance.
The annual plan is to be prepared by the local authority in each financial year to identify the
new projects, which the authority will undertake for implementation during the year, taking
into account the physical and fiscal performance of the preceding year, the priorities, the
policies and proposals contained in the approved Regional Plan, Development Plan or Local
Area Plan.
The annual plan is intended to provide the resource requirement during the year and sources of
funds including those mobilized by the local authority, grants, aids and project/scheme funds
by the State and Central Governments.
It is thus an important document for the resource mobilization as on the basis of this, the plan
funds are to be allocated by the funding body. This plan, therefore, serves as an important link
with the budgetary process. Annual plans also provide a mechanism to monitor progress of
development plan and various projects.

1.2.7 Project / Research

Projects are derived targets of the sequences of plans, which focus on items of execution,
investments, costing and returns. Conceived within the framework of the Perspective plan,
Development plan or any of the plans in the planning system, projects are the working layouts
with all supporting infrastructure and documents including cost, source of fund and recovery
providing all necessary details for execution including finance, development, administrative
and management.
These projects could be for any area, old or new, any activity or land use like residential,
commercial, industrial, recreational, educational or health related, or infrastructure
development, separately or in an integrated manner; for research and development in the field
of planning, key surveys to determine statistics, by any agency such as government, semi‐
government, private or even individual; or any agency prepared by town planners, architects,
engineers as the case may be, enjoying maximum freedom of expression in their design within
the stipulations of development promotion rules and other regulations as applicable. Research,
specifically for background studies preceding Perspective Plan, Regional Plan, Development
Plan or even Local Area Plan formulation may be undertaken as required by the State
Government and local authorities. Specifically, traffic surveys & related studies to collect
current statistics are crucial for making decisions in plan formulation.

1.2.8 Inter‐relationship among various plans

A Perspective Plan is formulation of development strategy generally at the State level or at the
regional level. This is detailed further in Regional Plan or Sub Regional Plan as the case may
be and in Development Plan. Perspective Plan should be a guiding document for planning. It
could also specify the regional planning authorities, urban/local area planning authorities,
regulatory authorities in the State and those responsible for preparing plan at various levels.
The State Urbanization Plan shall give a stock of the urbanization, planning status and
especially of the land suitability.
Regional Plans are to be prepared at district and metropolitan region level, and where economic
regions are formulated. This is the linkage for aggregation of plan proposals for consolidation
and integration of physical and fiscal planning efforts at District, Metropolitan area, State and
also at National level (in case of inter‐state regions).

Relationship of the Planning System

Development Plan and Mobility Plan need to be integrated to ensure transportation oriented
spatial planning. It needs to be emphasized here that urban plans should not be considered in
isolation from its region as each urban centre is part of a regional system of the settlement
which in turn play their respective roles in the process of development of the region as a whole.
The Development Plan shall provide policies and development proposals, which are detailed
in the local area plan to a greater scale. This interrelationship between planning system is the
key to implementation; hence Development Plan and Local Area Plan should be prepared in
close coordination.
Project reports and Annual plans are necessary requirements of the planning system. These are
directly interrelated with each other and are vertical with the entire planning system.
Implementation of all intended developments is linked to this stage and hence these can be
prepared following any of the above mentioned stages.
Plan Approval Process
Following the spirit of the 74th CAA and also recognizing the fact that the current process of
approval of urban development plans is time consuming resulting into delays, it is
recommended that the plan approval process be decentralized as follows:
Plan Approving authority
Perspective plan State Government
Regional Plan State Government / Regional Development Authority
Development Plan Municipal Corporation/ Development Authority/ MPC
Annual Plan Municipal Council/ Municipal Corporation/ Development
Authority
Zonal Development Plan Municipal Corporation/ Development Authority/ MPC
 Urban Revitalization Plan Municipal Corporation/ Development Authority/ MPC
City Development Plan As above
(terminology to be changed
to
City Investment Plan)
Comprehensive Mobility Plan As above
City Sanitation Plan As above
Projects/ Research Municipal Corporation/ Development Authority/ MPC
Once the authority approves the Draft Plan, it can be put in public domain for inviting
objections and suggestions from the public and various stakeholders.
Scale of Maps for Planning
Sr. No. Type of map/Planning Exercise Size of Planning Area
1 Perspective Plan 1:2,50,000 ‐ 1:1,00,000 (for larger regions)
1:1,00,000 ‐ 1:50,000 (for smaller regions)
2 Regional Plan 1:50,000‐ 1: 25,000 (District Development Plan)
1:25,000 ‐ 1:10,000 (Metropolitan Region Plan)
3 Development Plan 1:10,000 – 1:8,000 (as per State Provision)
4 Local Area Plan/ Special Purpose 1:5,000‐1:1,000 (as per the requirement of the
Plan project)

Summary of planning systems

Practice question
Level 1 (Easy Questions)
1. As per census of India 2011 minimum population for urban area is
a. 6000
b. 10000
c. 5000
d. 1000

2. As per census of India 2011 density of population for urban area is

a. 400 persons per sq.km.
b. 400 persons per ha.
c. 500 persons per ha
d. 500 persons per sq.km.

3. Delhi NCR is an example of

a. Urban agglomeration
b. Out growth
c. Village town
d. Port city

4. Total urban population in India as per census 2011 is around

a. 25 %
b. 31 %
c. 35 %
d. 40 %

5. As per census 2011 Child population includes children in the age group
a. 0 - 6 years
b. 0 - 5 years
c. 0 - 3 years
d. 0 – 1 years

6. As per URDPFI guidelines population range for large city in India is

a. 5 lakh to 10 Lakh
b. 50 lakh to 100 lakh
c. 2 lakh to 5 Lakh
d. 1 lakh to 5 Lakh
 7. Recommended duration of Perspective plan as per URDPFI guidelines is
a. 20 years
b. 20-30 years
c. 30 years
d. 10 years

8. Recommended duration of regional plan as per URDPFI guidelines is

a. 20 years
b. 20-30 years
c. 30 years
d. 10 years

9. Which of the following is Special purpose plan?

a. Development plan
b. City sanitation plan
c. Structure plan
d. Regional plan

10. Plan approving authority of perspective plan is

a. Central government
b. Municipal corporation
c. Development authority
d. State government

Level 2 (Moderate Questions)

1. Match the type of plan in group – I with the time frame in group - II as per URDPFI
recommendation
Group – I Group – II
P. Perspective plan 1. 20-30 years
Q. Regional plan 2. 20 years
R. Development plan 3. 5 – 20 years
S. Local Area Plan

a. P-3, Q-2, R-1, S-2

b. P-1, Q-2, R-1, S-3
c. P-2, Q-1, R-1, S-3
d. P-3, Q-1, R-3, S-2

2. Match the type of plan in group – I with the recommended scale in group - II as per
URDPFI recommendation
Group – I Group – II
 P. Perspective plan 1. 1:10,000 – 1:8,000
Q. Regional plan 2. 1:5,000 ‐1:1,000
R. Development plan 3. 1:50,000 ‐ 1: 25,000
S. Local Area Plan 4. 1:2,50,000 ‐ 1:1,00,000

a. P-3, Q-2, R-1, S-4

b. P-4, Q-2, R-1, S-3
c. P-2, Q-1, R-4, S-3
d. P-4, Q-3, R-1, S-2

3. The correct hierarchy of different types of plan in terms of detailing is

P. Annual Plan
Q. Development plan
R. Regional Plan
a. P, Q, R
b. R, Q, P
c. P, R, Q
d. Q, R, P

4. Which of the following is / are Special Purpose plan?

P. Development Plan
Q. Annual Plan
R. City development plan
S. Disaster management plan

a. P, Q, S
b. P, Q, R
c. P, R,
d. R, S

5. Which of the following is / are true as per Census of India 2011, the definition of urban
area?
P. All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area
committee, etc.
Q. A minimum population of 5,000
R. At least 75 per cent of the male main working population engaged in non-
agricultural pursuits
S. A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq. Ha.
a. P, Q, R, S
b. P, Q, R,
c. Q, R, S
d. P, Q, S
Level 3 (One Mark GATE Questions)
1. The most appropriate plan type for comprehensive physical planning of a metropolitan
region is [Gate 2001]
a] District Plan b] Action Area Plan
c] Town Planning Scheme d] Structure Plan

2. Class II towns as defined in the Indian census relate to a minimum population size of
[Gate 2002]
a] 2,00,000 b] 1,50,000 c] 1,00,000 d] 50,000

3. The most appropriate hierarchical sequence of plans is [Gate 2004]

a] Regional plan Master plan Action plan Perspective plan
b] Regional plan Perspective plan Master Plan Action plan
c] Perspective plan Regional plan Master plan Action plan
d] Master plan Perspective plan Action plan Regional plan

4. Which of the following is NOT a criterion for defining urban areas in India?
[2008]
a] Population size.
b] Percentage of male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.
c] Density of population.
d] Percentage of pucca houses

5. The Planning document submitted for the selected cities under JNNURM is
[2010]
a] Master Plan b] Basic Development Plan
c] City Development Plan d] Outline Development Plan

6. As per the Census of India 2011, ‘Metropolitan Urban Agglomeration’ is a contiguous

spread of several urban settlements where the minimum population size (in lakh) is
[Gate 2014]
a] One b] Five c] Ten d] Fifty
Level 4 (Two Mark GATE Questions)
1. The Census of India defines ‘Urban Area’ as an area with minimum ___
[Gate 2006]
P. Population of 5000
Q. Population of 10000
R. 75% of population engaged in non-agricultural activities
S. 75% of male population engaged in non-agricultural activities
T. Density of 400 persons per sq. km
U. Density of 400 persons per hectare

a] P, S, T b] Q, S, T c] P, R, U d] Q, R, T

Level 5 (Challenger Questions)

1. Which of the following is /are true for urban agglomeration?

P. Must consist of at least a statutory town
Q. Total populations should not be less than 20,000 as per the 2001 Census.
R. Total populations should not be less than 200,000 as per the 2001 Census

a] P, Q b] R c] P, R d] P, Q, R
ANSWERS
LEVEL 1 (Easy Questions)
1. c
2. a
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. a
7. b
8. a
9. b
10. d

Level 2 (Moderate Questions)

1. b
2. d
3. b
4. d
5. b

Level 3 (One Mark GATE Questions)

1. d
District Planning is the process of preparing an integrated plan for the local government
sector in a district taking into account the resources (natural, human and financial) available
and covering the sectoral activities and schemes assigned to the district level and below
and those implemented through local governments in a state.
Action Area Plans are required to be prepared for various areas throughout the County prior
to the submission of planning applications for development on those lands. The general
purpose for Action Area Plans is to ensure that development is undertaken in a sustainable
and integrated manner. An action area plan should set down the framework for the
sustainable, phased and managed development of a particular area.
Structure plans set out strategic planning policies and form the basis for detailed policies
in local plans.
 2. d
classification of town as per census 2011.

3. c
4. d
5. c
6. c

Level 4 (Two Mark GATE Questions)

1. a
Level 5 (Challenger Questions)
1. a