Lecture-10 Basic Planning

URP 411

Growth of a Town

With the passage of time, no towns for long remained in static condition. The towns behave like
living creature and have their methods of growth on account of new industries, factories,
educational institutions, aided by transport facilities, etc.

Ribbon Development

Here the development is in the form of a ribbon or line i.e. a single row of houses along the bus-
stops, bus routes, railway lines, railway stations. In the beginning this growth is very small along
the roadside but soon it occupies whole of the area. It happens specially in newly developing
towns where rules and zoning regulations have not been strictly enforced. Ribbon development
has become a regular feature where we find overcrowding of all types of buildings such as
schools, factories, petrol pump etc. This type of development is more dangerous from traffic
point of view.

Following are the disadvantages of ribbon development:

Everybody wants to take advantage of the frontage of the main road. The interior is
therefore left undeveloped, causing wastage of valuable land.

Overcrowding on the roadside. Streets become narrow and give rise to accidents.

All types of buildings creep in, at the frontage, such as schools, factories, bus stops,
petrol pump, theatres, etc. with no regard to zoning regulations. All these affect health
conditions of the residents.

The town spreads far and wide which is costly to maintain.

Future improvements become very costly. Ribbon development is the inverse of
planning and is not desirable. Hence it is necessary to nip it in the bud or check its
development, in its early stage.

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Satellite Town
The satellite growth implies dependency on the parent city but still possessing its own identity.
When a town reaches a certain size, satellite devolution must take place, to break the suburban
sprawl beyond that size. Since its periphery falls away from the heart of the parent city, it
becomes less convenient and uncomfortable for the distant people. A number of satellite towns
have been created in India since independence, such as Faridabad near Delhi, Marimalai near
Madras etc. The satellite town will have the following features:

1. The satellite town is also a full town in true sense but depends to certain extent on the
parent city for higher education, employment, etc.
2. It is however independent in its economic, social and cultural activities.
3. It is a pure residential unit with civic amenities like small shopping centres, dispensary,
primary or nursery schools etc.
4. Here no industries are permitted; hence the people will have to depend on parent city for
any workshop and employment facilities.
5. It must be linked with parent city by easy transport facilities like buses, local trains etc.
There will be only one arterial road for communication.
6. It may or may not consist of zoning.
7. Every house may or may not have gardens.
8. It is generally situated in an open country beyond the green belt of the parent city.
9. Its size and development should be controlled and not allowed to grow mare than its
parent city. Otherwise it would grow to become a rival to the parent city and would
create the same problems of control in future.

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10. The industrial nature of satellite towns is non-basic. These towns are considered as the
principle market of those goods and commodities which are produced in mother city.
11. The people, engaged in industrial labour force, are the dominating residents of the
satellite towns.
12. Several industrial estates may also be found in such city.

New Town Concept

Britain was the pioneer of new Towns movement. The New Towns program implemented the
planned decentralization of London, by a reduction of population density within the inner core
of the metropolitan area and a dispersal of people and industry from the center. Of the 15 (First
Generation) New Towns in England, Scotland and Wales, eight are located within the London
region, ranging from 18 to 30 miles distant from the city. These are Basildon, Bracknell,
Crawley, Harlow, Hatfield, Hemel- Hempstead, Stevenage and Welwy New towns. These towns
have invited industrial development and accommodated more than half million people.

Objectives

To reduce the pressure of increased population from the parent town.

To reorganize our cities in to constituent communities that are more economical to
operate and better in general physical and social amenity.

To make fresh start at community and provide an indispensable large net increase in our
housing supply for added urban population.

Characteristics

The new towns follow the tradition of the garden cities, as self-contained communities
with all facilities that make an independent environment.

New towns seek a balance between sources of employment, business enterprise,
shopping, education and recreation for those who live in them.

New Towns will not be of any standard population; they may well vary from 50,000 to
several hundred thousand. But each will be of a predetermined size appropriate to its
individual location, function, and regional outlook, because only so can utilities and city
structure be economically provided and maintained and only so can we forestall the
fringe creation in our cities.

Advantages

Decrease the pressure of high density population from the main city.

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URP 411

Independent in terms of employment.

Street planning and community layout for safety efficiency and amenity.

Green spaces close at hand, schools and community facilities are within walking distance
in the neighbourhood.

Industries close enough to the residential areas to eliminate the long, tiring journey to
work.

Decrease the cost and maintenance of roads, utilities and parking areas.

Problems

Studies have shown that in New Towns high income groups tend to love and a distinctive
segregation between neighbourhood within a town occurs.

Housing difficulties for low-income people exist because of filtering process whereby
stock of suitable accommodation for low-income groups does not exist in new towns.

Differences between Satellite Towns and New Towns

Satellite Towns New Towns
1. High degree of dependence on the main city. 1. Low degree of dependence except some
higher order necessities.
2. Its growth is so controlled that it will never 2. There is no such type of control
have the equal status of the main city. regulation.
3. The industries are mainly non-basic type. 3. It has both basic and non basic industries.
4. Dominating group of population are mainly 4. There is no any specific dominating
engaged in industrial labour force. group.
5. Zoning regulation is not so effective here. 5. Zoning regulation is as effective as in the
mother city.