George

Town(Chennai)
Redevelopment plan
Farhana.k 2120200095
Navin Kumar
2120200110
Area Re-Development Plan
Area Re-Development Plan is a technical and political process concerned with the use of
land and design of urban environment , including air and water and infrastructure passing
into and out of urban areas such as transportation and distribution networks.

A council that does Area re-development plan consider:

 designate an area of the municipality as a redevelopment area for the purpose of any or all of the
following:
(i) preserving or improving land and buildings in the area;
(ii) rehabilitating buildings in the area;
(iii)removing buildings from the area;
(iv)constructing or replacing buildings in the area;
(v)establishing, improving or relocating roads, public utilities or other services in the area;
(vi)facilitating any other development in the area,

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Introduction- Profile

08/ 2/14
1
With the construction of one of India's major port
and George fort, the region became an important
base for the British. George town became the
naval
core area of Chennai.

George Major
Town Locations

Source:
Wikipedia
Commercial
Corridors
Relationship of commercial land The commercial Sathangadu
use and the temple locations corridors

George
Town

Koyambedu

T-
Source: culture and commerce of Chennai cityNagar
– A spatial Analysis of the
relationship between temples and retail Activity
Commercial
Corridors
Relationship of commercial land The commercial Sathangadu
use and the temple locations corridors

George
Town

Koyambedu

T-Nagar
Source: culture and commerce of Chennai city – A spatial Analysis of the
relationship between temples and retail Activity
 Histor
y 1600-the city was formed of a few scattered settlements separated by
long distances. Each settlement grew around the nucleus of a religious
institution especially of a temple. The most important part at that time was
Spatial Growth pattern from core area Mylapore.
• 1639-Francis Day was looking for somewhere to build a fortified
warehouse for the English East India Company, he soon
acquired the land, where in 1640 he built the compound
named Fort St George.

Soon after it was built, a township began to grow up outside it for

the natives catering to the needs of the Europeans inside, and this
became known as the Black Town(George town).
• By the early 18th century, with a growing population and commercial
activities, there was congestion in Black Town, resulting in dispersion
of some of the population to neighboring areas.

A fishing hamlet existed at the present site of George Town called

as Chennai Patanam, from which the name of Chennai was
derived.
• By 1733, George Town became very congested and the
weaving community started settling in Chintadripet area where
lot of open space was available for their activities. The washer
men, who were in the Mint area moved towards the west.
In 1773, the English erected 13 pillars along the flattened area of the
Black Town and banned construction in any form between the pillars
and the fort which would otherwise block the view of possible invaders.

• Potters from this area moved outside the Fort on the north side
and formed a new colony named Kosapet.

When the French occupied Madras in 1746 and returned it to the English in
1749 in exchange for Quebec by the Treaty of Aex-La-Chapel, the English
flattened a part of Black Town in order to have a clear field for fire in the event
of a future attack.
• Soon a new township, known as the new Black Town, came
up beyond these pillars and the old Black Town gave way to
the Madras high court.

In 1800 especially after the inception of Municipal Corporation,

the development of the city began.

• A thoroughfare was formed along the stretch between the pillars

and the high court. which later became the China Bazar road.
 Several Tamil refugees from Burma, who fled Myanmar during the early sixties, arrived
in George Town.

• In 1969, the Burma Bazar, a market selling imported foreign goods in shops
on pavements, was established by these Burmese refugees-turned-
entrepreneurs.

Relocation of wholesale activities in Vegetable, Fruit and Flower from CBD to

Koyambedu and City bus stand from CBD to Koyambedu have been carried out; Iron and
Steel Market at Sathangadu was developed. Truck terminal at Madhavaram was made
operational.

Plan of Fort St George and the city

Old map of George A street in George of Madras in 1726
 Issues in George
10 Town
Traffic Congestion in George town due to narrow
roads.

Poor Infrastructure
Congestion due to facilities
commercial activities

On-street vendors, soaring

prices
non-availability of land
 poor sanitation Street in George
town
Lack of Pedestrian
facilities.
Informal activities are high in George town
On-street Parking issues
area.

Improper maintenance of Heritage Buildings.

 Coral Merchant Street (Transport and shipping
offices)

Angappa naicken street (masjid, textile,

eateries)

Mannadi Street (Textiles, imported

goods, eateries)

Linghi chetty street (steel hardware, electric motors and

pump sets)
 Strategic
12
proposals
 The CMDA removed encroachments from the satellite township of Maraimalai Nagar,
central business district of George Town, Koyambedu market complex.
 The CMDA has sought the help of the Chennai Corporation and the police to evict the
from Badrian Street and wholesale flower traders in George Town, as per court
traders
 orders. CMDA Shifted the wholesale market from George town to Koyambedu
 Market.
 CMDA announced
shifted Iron and
RoadSteel markettotoreduce
Widening Sathangadu.
traffic congestion .
 Strategies were adopted not to affect heritage buildings by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd
(CMRL).
Shift of flower and vegetable market to Koyambedu

Badrian Street Koyambedu Market

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Similarity between one
town
George Town
town
One
• George Town and its extension • One town is also specialized in
southwards into Anna Salai Commercial retail and wholesale
together constitute the central activities and is the core area of
business district of the City where Vijayawada.
most of the
wholesale trade, specialised retail
trade and banking and financial
institutions are located and where
commercial activity is intense.

• Koovum(Buckingham canal) • Krishna riverfront

riverfront development.
• Roads are narrow in the streets
of George town
• Infrastructure is
poor
development
• Condition of Roads in One-town
are also in poor condition.
• One town has poor infrastructure
in terms of storm water drains.

• George town has heritage structures • One town include Heritage

like Fort St George, Madras high buildings like temples.
court, museum, Thousand Lights
mosque and Theosophical Society
and and has five temples .
Lessons
learnt
 Congestion in one-town can be reduced by promoting mixed land
 use.
Encroachments can be shifted from the Road side to Gandhi
Kaleshwara Rao market. is an open area as it has good
mahila kalashala;which
 connectivity as in
Infrastructure can be
improved.
Reference
s
 ’Structure of Chennai’. Chapter 1. CMDA. Retrieved 24 Feb 2013.
 Wikipedia
 Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA)
 report The Times of India website,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Chennai-Metro-rail-allays-
fears-that-tunnelling-works-will-rattle-heritage-
buildings/articleshow/8113755.cms, 29 April 2011, 06.23 am, Accessed on
22.06.2014
 The Hindu website, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/cmda-
seeks-to-ramp-up-antiencroachment-drive/article5125584.ece, 14
September
2013, 09:13 am, Accessed on 13.6.2014
 The Hindu website, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/now-
wholesale-iron-merchants-are-scattered/article38783.ece, 20 June 2013,
11:24 am, Accessed on 18.06.2014
 Samachar website, http://www.samachar.com/cmda-to-regulate-parking-of-
trailers-in-sathangadu-mcecKLfhfje.html, 30 April 2013, 07:43 pm, Accessed
on
16.06.2014