Urban Land Use Classification -

A comparative review of UDPFI guidelines 1996 and URDPFI Guidelines 2015

Poonam Prakash*
1. Introduction

Land use plan is an essential part of town planning practice in India. Every city in their
comprehensive/development plans provides a land use plan classifying the parcels of land
based on the categorisation of function as defined in the master plan document. In India
mostly this classification is based on the predominant function for which the land is used like
manufacturing. Usually, this classification is in two level or three levels defined as use
category, use zone and use premise.

Following permissive zoning, this classification system usually allowed for permissibility of
certain premises of related activities within the zone, for example convenience shopping
area or school in a residential zone, but usually these activities so far were not mixed at the
premise level. The predominant use of land continued to be residential. Over the last few
years, there has been a demand for increased permissibility at the premise level. This can
be seen in the demand for retail shops, nursing homes, daycare centers etc. in the
residential plots. It can also be seen in the way the discussion on ‘transit oriented
development’ is being conceptualized. It advocates premises without setbacks and high floor
area ration which will contain mix of office, commercial and residential buildings with the
same premise in such a manner that it might be difficult to define the predominant function of
such lands. This poses a major challenge to function based land use classification system.

In this context it is useful to revisit the land use classification system that is being followed.
This paper reviews the land use classification guidelines of the Urban and Regional Plans
Formulation and Implementation Guidelines (URDPFI). Next section briefly looks at the
purpose of land use classification historically. Through comparison of the 1996 and 2015
guidelines, section three, four and five highlights the major changes proposed and main
issues in classification system, use category and use zones.

In 1996, based on the recommendations of the national seminar on ‘Master Plan Approach:
its efficacy and alternatives’, a research study was awarded by the Ministry of Urban Affairs
and employment to the Centre for Research Documentation and Training (CRDT) of the
Institute of Town Planners India for the preparation of Urban Development Plan Formulation
and Implementation guidelines. One of the aspects amongst the four terms of reference for
this study was “efficient implementation mechanism and innovative techniques for promotion
of planned spatio-economic development of urban areas.” (UDPFI, 1996). As part of this the
report included ‘Development Promotion Regulations’ as part of the annexures. This
included land use classification system

Almost two decades later the Ministry of Urban Development decided to revise these
guidelines through a private consultant. Recently these guidelines have been placed on the
website of the Ministry of Urban Development as Urban and Regional Plans Formulation and
Implementation Guidelines (URDPFI). Amongst the sixteen points in the terms of reference
given in the Request for Proposal document of the revision one was “to suggest the new set
of Norms and Standards, Zoning Regulations including integrated development of peri-urban
areas which are easily comprehensible and user-friendly” (URDPFI, 2015). Previously part of
annexures, the section on Development Promotion Regulations is now part of the main
report as chapter 9.

2. Purpose of land use classification

Land use classifications have been more the product of expediency than of rigorous thought
(Guttenberg, 2002). This is perhaps also true of the way classification system has evolved in
the Indian context. There is no systematic study in the Indian context of the manner in which
different city plans have classified land uses. The fundamental purpose and principles of
                                                                                                               
*  Associate  Professor,  Department  of  Physical  Planning,  School  of  Planning  and  Architecture,  New  Delhi  
 classification have not really been explicitly articulated in any of the debates and discussions
on classification. UDPFI guidelines act as a reference for many of the small and medium
towns and is completely silent on the issues of principles guiding such classification thereby
making it less likely for it to be followed.

Historically in the United States, the purpose of land use classification was based on criteria
of land suitability or conservation of resources, particularly water or to resolve clash between
industrial and residential interests (Guttenberg, 2002). In Europe interest in land use
classification has its basis in classifying agricultural land with a purpose to recover prices
after the World War and also for soil conservation. So far, activities were considered to be
the major organizing principles of classification e.g. shopping, parking etc. However,
fundamental questions on land use and land use classification began to be asked more
seriously in 1950s because of wave of suburbanization in the US.

The complexity of land use classification was highlighted in the article by Guttenberg (1959)
where he introduced the concept of multiple land use classification system. According to him
land use can refer to buildings or other improvements on the land e.g. developed or
undeveloped, to the occupants or users of the land for e.g. public facilities or community
centre, to the major function of the occupancy of the land manufacturing or recreational, or to
the kind of activities on the land office activity or shopping activity. To develop the system he
introduced five aspects; development type, building type, activity, function and effect. Effect
was in terms of scale of activity, visual effect, nuisance effect in terms of noise, traffic or
other pollution (Guttenberg, 2002)

3. Broad system of Land Use Classification

In the Indian context, preparation of Delhi Master Plan with involvement of Ford Foundation
apparently brought similar classification system to India in 1957. Significant detailing was
added to this system in the revision of the plan in 2001. This system was based on three
level classification of Use Category, Use Zone and Use Premise. Permissible activity within
the premise was provided and permissibility of each premise with the use zone was given.
The UDPFI guidelines 1996 drew heavily from the Delhi Master Plan; however, it restricted it
to two level classification of Use Category and Use Zones. It further detailed out activities
permitted, restricted and prohibited. This detailing out of activity was done surprisingly for
each use category and not use zone. For example if the commercial use category had three
use zones; retail, general business district center and wholesale then the list of permitted
activities did not distinguish between these zones. It also did not explain the basis of
difference between these zones. The principles governing the relationship between the use
zones and activities also remained open and unarticulated.

Figure 1. Land Use Classification System in Delhi Master Plan 2001 and
UDPFI 1996 and URDPFI 2015

Use Category Use Category Activities*

Use Zone Use Zone

*Except for mix use zone for no other use zone activities are
Use Premise separately distinguished

Activities

Delhi Master Plan 2001 UDPFI 1996 and URDPFI 2015

4. Classification of Use Categories

In the two guidelines, the use categories have changed from eight to ten (Table 1). An
examination of the initial eight categories given in 1996 begins to reveal the complexity of
the classification particularly in the Indian context. Considering that the classification is
primarily based on function, one can see that categories number 4 - public and semi public,
number 7- Agricultural and water bodies and number 8 - special area are the odd ones as
these are not functions. Public and Semi Public as a category primarily states the nature of
activity and ownership as in semi-public under which many functions like health, education,
security etc. are grouped. In agricultural and water bodies, water bodies are not a function
but a physical feature on which agriculture as an activity would usually be dependent.
Special area simply is an area requiring development regulations different from rest of the
city and is not a functional category.

The recent guidelines further complicate this categorisation by introducing two new
categories and change the nomenclature of two categories. The two new categories are
Mixed Use and Protective and Undevelopable Use Zone. Mix use is not a functional
category. Introduction of this category is possibly in response to the issue discussed earlier
of demand for increased permissibility at premise level. Protective and Undevelopable as a
category is based on the criteria of land suitability and resource conservation and not on
function. This seems to be primarily in response to the increasing environmental concerns.
The point however, is that the criteria of this classification is not uniform and exclusive and to
address these concerns other aspects of land use as mentioned in section 2 need to be
brought in.

The other change is the change in nomenclature from Agricultural and water bodies to
primary activity and from Manufacturing to Industry. Both the changes broaden the definition.
Primary Activity might have been taken from the census classification of primary, secondary
and tertiary activity since it also includes mining and extractive industries. Change from
manufacturing to industry might cause some confusion and would perhaps need explanation
and whether this will be as per the industrial classification of census or some other
classification. It could have also been done simply because M as a code now was introduced
for Mixed Use Zone.

Table 1 Use Categories as given in UDPFI 1996 and URDPFI 2015

1996 2015
N A-N Use Zone N A-N Use Zone
1 R Residential 1 R Residential
2 C Commercial 2 C Commercial
3 M Manufacturing 3 I Industry
4 PS Public and Semi Public 4 PS Public and Semi Public
5 P Recreational 5 M Mixed Use
6 T Transportation and Communication 6 P Recreational

7 A Agricultural and Water Bodies 7 T Transportation and Communication

8 S Special Area 8 A Primary Activity
9 E Protective and Undevelopable Use
Zone

10 S Special Area

5. Classification of Use Zones

Use categories are subdivided in use zones primarily based on the characteristics of the
activity and the impact that it will have for example retail commercial and wholesale.
However, this hierarchy is usually difficult to follow and most of the land use plans end up
showing the broad use categories and only for some uses the plan goes up to the level of
use zones as identified. Many a time a use zone and a premise overlap. Following is
discussion on selected use zones as identified in the guidelines to highlight some of the
issues.
5.1 Residential Use Zones

There is not a major change in this classification except that mixed residential zone
is removed and placed as a use zone in mixed use category (Table 2).
Unplanned/Informal Residential Zone as a use zone is undefined in the guidelines
and is also problematic since this is a criterion based on type of development and
not the use. If development type is to be the criteria for use zones then all the
housing types need to be identified and group housing and plotted then can also not
be clubbed together. Usually in a plan which is legally binding, and which plans for
all kinds of people and activities it would be rather difficult to show
“unplanned/informal housing”. Such a use zone then leads to a substantial question
i.e. for whom is the plan catering to?

Table 2 : Use Zones in Residential Category

Use Zone (UDPFI 1996) Use Zone (URDPFI 2015)
Primary Residential Primary Residential Zone
Zone
Mixed Residential Zone Unplanned/Informal
Residential Zone
Unplanned/Informal
Residential Zone

This paper is not discussing the activities separately, but it needs to be highlighted
that the removal of use premise as a level makes it open for all kinds of activities
permissible to be mixed in all kinds of ways thereby making the category of mixed
use zone redundant.

5.2 Commercial Use Zones

The guidelines continue to follow the previous three use zones, retail, business and
wholesale (Table 3). In most of the land use plans in India, one hardly ever sees a
sharp distinction between retail shopping zone and general business and
Commercial district Centre as separate use zones. The reason being that it is
difficult to classify such separate distinction particularly when there is no difference
in terms of activities permitted or facilities provided. For example would Connaught
Place in Delhi be considered a retail shopping zone or commercial district center?
While the characteristics of retail shopping zone and business district are very
different but in the land use plans these are usually shown as commercial. Many a
times as in case of Delhi with its hierarchy of District Centre and Community Centre
these are often mixed. Again drawing from an example of Delhi, Nehru Place
planned as office cum retail space has emerged as a major wholesale hub for textile
and computers. Since the nature of space required for this kind of wholesale was
very different from other wholesale markets proposed in the city.

The guidelines have also introduced two new use zones namely ‘service sector’ and
Regulated/Informal/Weekly Market. These two as use zones are simply
incomprehensible. The later will usually be too small to be demarcated at city level.
One assumes that service sector here implies activities like barber, photocopier,
parlour etc. Whether such activities should be classified as separate use zone is
questionable.
 Table 3 : Use Zones in Commercial Category
Use Zone (UDPFI 1996)
Retail Shopping Zone
General Business and
Commercial District Centre
Wholesale, Godowns,
Warehousing/Regulated
Markets
Use Zone (URDPFI 2015)
Retail Shopping Zone
General Business and
Commercial District Centre
Wholesale, Godowns,
Warehousing/Regulated
Markets
Service Sector
Regulated/Informal/Weekly
Markets

5.3 Mixed Use

In each period of technological change, the nature and purpose for which land is
required also requires a revisit. During the period of industrialization there was a
need for certain kind of spaces as well as protection from the impact of industrial
activity. Similarly, the information and communication technology is also bringing in
changes, which require certain kind of spaces and protection from its impact. Issues
of sustainability as well as requirement of particularly the white collared worker in the
IT sector, entry of foreign retail brands is creating a demand for spaces which is
different from that of an industrial society.

Traditionally Indian cities organized in such manner where residential and

commercial activities on the same premise existed and maintained a work-home
relationship. In planning, this relationship was acknowledged through permissibility
of shop cum flat or residential-cum-work plot. As far as land use classification is
concerned, Delhi continues to consider commercial activity within the residential
area as a permissibility condition in a predominant residential use and not as a land
use category as is being proposed in these guidelines.

The mixed-use areas envisaged now in response to the technological change

mentioned above are basically those, which allow for multiple uses at premise level
and at high floor area ratio. It need not necessarily have a work-home relationship. It
need not also be those activities, which are related to the predominant use of the
area. Classification of such zones in the city is now one of the major challenges to
the function as an organizing principle for classification

In these zones particularly the planned ones, the development regulations will
operate very differently from other areas For example in Delhi, an influence zone of
500m on either side of metro corridor is being envisaged as something very similar
to this mix use. This is likely to cover almost one fourth of Delhi, if not more.

The proposed guidelines provide three use zones for this category and this is the
only category in which activities are defined for each use zone. However, the
threshold to maintain the predominance of use shown is very similar to what would
be achieved in residential, industrial and commercial use zone since it is defining it
in terms of land area. The guidelines provide no clarity on the development
regulations for mixed use unlike for other use categories.

Table 4 : Use Zones in Mixed Use

Mixed Use Mixed Industrial Use Zone
Mixed Residential Zone
Mixed Commercial Zone
 5.4 Use Zones other than residential, commercial and mixed use

There are very minor changes proposed in the use zones for industry, public and
semi public and transport and communication (Table 5). A similar issue of
overlapping can be seen in the initial industrial classification of 1996, which is
continued in 2015. The first two categories are based on the scale and type of
industry whereas the third one is based on the impact of the industry. In the public
and semi public, police station has been introduced as a separate use zone whereas
cremation and burial grounds though requiring very different locational attributes has
been clubbed with socio-cultural and religious. In agriculture, which is now named as
primary activity, horticulture has been added as a use zone clubbed with forest. In
special area are use zones, are classified, and based on very different criteria like
visual appeal or historicity. Village settlements have been removed from this in 2015
for some reason. Protective and undevelopable area is a category defining the
development status.

6 Conclusions

This paper highlights the complexity of developing a classification system in planning and challenges
that are posed by the larger changes in society on the organizing principle of the current
classification system. It therefore merits more serious debate and discussion, since it forms the
ontological basis of the planning profession. This debate needs to define function with greater clarity
and principles on the basis of which activities are being grouped together under a certain function.
The classification system also needs to provide more relational understanding of use of land with
aspects like natural resources, land suitability, development type and impact in a more
comprehensive manner. The distinction between zones classified based on the suitability of
development and between zones based on the classification of function should be clarified.

The guidelines of 2015 continue to largely repeat the 1996 system and adds very little in terms of
simplicity and clarity. It actually adds more categories and use zones. Implications of removing use
premise as a level of detail can only be judged through studying the practices of different cities.
Introduction of mix use as a category is a very weak attempt to deal with the issues posed by the
larger changes in the society. The guidelines on land use classification need to address the
fundamental questions of the nature and extent of change in activities due to globalization and
technological changes otherwise it will have a very limited application in practice.

References

Delhi Development Authority (1990) Master Plan for Delhi 2001, Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi.
Dickinson.G.C.and M.G.Shaw (1977) “What is ‘land use’?” in Area, Vol.9, No.1 pp.38-42
Guttenberg A.Z. (1959) “Multidimensional Land Use Classification System,” Journal of American
Planners Association, Vol 25, p.143-150.
Guttenberg, A.Z (2002) “Multidimensional Land Use Classification and How it Evolved: Reflections on
Methodological Innovations in Planning,” Journal of Planning History, Volume 1, No.4, p.311-324.
Town and Country Planning Organisation (1996) Urban Development Plan Formulation and
Implementation (UDPFI) Guidelines 1996, TCPO, Delhi.
Town and Country Planning Organisation (2015) Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation
and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines 2015, TCPO, Delhi.
 Table 5 : Use Zones other than residential, commercial and mixed use as given in UDPFI 1996 and
URDPFI 2015
Use Zone Use Zone (UDPFI 1996)
Manufacturing/Industry Service and Light Industry
Extensive and Heavy Industry
Special Industrial Zone Hazaroudous,
Noxious and Chemical
Public and Semi Govt/Semi Govt./Public Offices
Public
Govt. Land Use(Use undetermined)
Education and Research
Medical and Health
Socio Cultural and Religious
Utilities and Services
Cremation and Burial Ground
Recreational Playground/Stadium/Sports Complex
Parks and Gardens-Public Open Space
Special Recreational Zone- Restricted
Open Spaces
Multi-open Space (Maidan)
Transportation and Roads
Communication
Railways
Airport
Seaports and Dockyards
Bus Depot/Truck Terminals and Freight
Complexes
Transmission and Communication
Agricultural and Water Agriculture
Bodies/ Primary
Activity
Forest
Poutry and Dairy Farming
Rural Settlements
Brick Kiln and Extractive Areas
Water Bodies
Special Area Old Built up (Core Area)
Heritage and Conservation Area
Scenic Value Area
Village Settlement
Other Uses
Use Zone (URDPFI 2015)
Service and Light Industry
Extensive and Heavy Industry
Special Industrial Zone Hazaroudous,
Noxious and Chemical
Govt/Semi Govt./Public Offices
Govt. Land Use(Use undetermined)
Police Headquarter/Station, Police Line
Education and Research
Medical and Health
Socio Cultural and Religious (including
cremation and burial grounds)
Utilities and Services
Playground/Stadium/Sports Complex
Parks and Gardens-Public Open Space
Multi-open Space (Maidan)
Roads/BRTS
Railways/MRTS
Airport
Seaports and Dockyards
Bus Depot/Truck Terminals and Freight
Complexes
Transmission and Communication
Agriculture
Forest and Horticulture
Poutry and Dairy Farming
Rural Settlements
Brick Kiln and Extractive Areas
Old Built up (Core Area)
Heritage and Conservation Area
Scenic Value Area
Government Restricted Area (such as
defence)
Other Uses/spot zone

Protective and Water Bodies

Undevelopable Use
Zone
Special Recreation Zone/Protective Areas
such as sanctuaries/reserve forests and
Ecosensivitve Zone
Undevelopable Use Zone