DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS

CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 URBANIZATION AND NEED OF NEW TOWNS

3.0 URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN PROBLEMS

3.1 INCREASED POPULATION

3.2 URBAN LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
3.3 URBAN TRANSPORT
3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
3.5 HOUSING ISSUES

4.0 CONCEPT OF NEW TOWN

5.0 TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS
5.1 PLANS OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
5.2 SUBDIVISION CONTROL
5.3 ZONING
5.4 TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (TDR)

6.0 NEW TOWNS IN INDIA: A CASE STUDY OF NAVI MUMBAI

6.1 POPULATION
6.1.1 TREND OF POPULATION
6.1.2 GROWTH RATE
6.2 THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
6.3 TRANSPORTATION
6.3.1 ROAD TRANSPORT
6.3.2 RAIL TRANSPORT
6.3.3 WATER TRANSPORT
6.4 HOUSING
6.5 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NAVI MUMBAI
6.5.1 COLLECTION & TRANSPORATATION OF MSW
6.5.2 MSW PROCESSING & DISPOSAL FACILITY

REFERENCES
 1.0 INTRODUCTION
The origin of most European cities lies in the era of urban reconstruction
which started after World War II. In the postwar period a unique central planning structure
emerged: the New Towns. During this movement a further city-concept emerged, the so-
called Garden Cities. A Garden City is a central planned urban reconstruction in which strong
emphasis is made on smoothly integrating new housing and living areas into existing
environmental features of the area. One could say, all Garden Cities are New Towns, but not
all New Towns are Garden Cities. A planned urban community designed for self-sufficiency
and providing housing, educational, commercial, and recreational facilities for its residents.

During the 1960s and 1970s several European New Towns/Garden Cities
exchanged experiences on these city concepts. As a result of these exchanges on a European
level, many specific features were brought back home and added to the existing planning
projects. One can still recognize today striking similar features in the different European
urban areas. The New Town/ Garden City concept turned out as expected to be a success.
Many people were attracted by the new urban areas and for a long period of time did these
areas flourish in a social, cultural, social-economic and economic way. However, in
somewhat 40 to 50 years society has changed and the physical surrounding of the urban
areas is not sufficient anymore. The livable and flourishing areas of the post war period have
turned into deprived areas. Interestingly enough, this goes for most -if not all- urban areas
centrally planned on the concept of New Towns/Garden Cities.

The Romans planned many towns in Britain, but the settlements were
changed out of all recognition in subsequent centuries. The town of Winchelsea is said to be
the first post-Roman new town in Britain, constructed to a grid system under the
instructions of King Edward I in 1280, and largely completed by 1292. Another claimant to
the title is Salisbury, established in the early 13th Century by the then Bishop of Sarum. The
best known pre-20th century new town in the UK was undoubtedly the Edinburgh New
Town, built in accordance with a 1766 master plan by James Craig, and (along with Bath and
Dublin) the archetype of the elegant Georgian style of British architecture.

However, the term "new town" is now used in the UK, in the main, to refer to
the towns developed after World War II under the New Towns Act 1946. These grew out of
the garden city movement, launched around 1900 by Ebenezer Howard and Sir Patrick
Geddes and the work of Raymond Unwin, and manifested at Letchworth Garden City and
Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. Following World War II, a number of towns
(eventually numbering 28) were designated under the 1946 Act as New Towns, and were
developed partly to house the large numbers of people who had lost homes during the War.
 2.0 URBANIZATION AND NEED OF NEW TOWNS

Urbanization is the physical growth of rural or natural land into urban areas
as a result of population im-migration to an existing urban area. Effects include change in
density and administration services. While the exact definition and population size of
urbanized areas varies among different countries, urbanization is attributed to growth of
cities. Urbanization is also defined by the United Nations as movement of people from rural
to urban areas with population growth equating to urban migration. The UN projects half
the world population will live in urban areas at the end of 2008. As more and more people
leave villages and farms to live in cities, urban growth results. The rapid growth of cities like
Chicago in the late 19th century and Shanghai a century later can be attributed largely to
people from rural communities migrating there. This kind of growth is especially
commonplace in developing countries.

Urbanization occurs naturally from individual and corporate efforts to reduce

time and expense in commuting and transportation while improving opportunities for jobs,
education, housing, and transportation. Living in cities permits individuals and families to
take advantage of the opportunities of proximity, diversity, and marketplace competition.
People move into cities to seek economic opportunities. In rural areas, often on small family
farms, it is difficult to improve one's standard of living beyond basic sustenance. Farm living
is dependent on unpredictable environmental conditions, and in times of drought, flood or
pestilence, survival becomes extremely problematic. Cities, in contrast, are known to be
places where money, services and wealth are centralized. Cities are where fortunes are
made and where social mobility is possible. Businesses, which generate jobs and capital, are
usually located in urban areas. Whether the source is trade or tourism, it is also through the
cities that foreign money flows into a country. It is easy to see why someone living on a farm
might wish to take their chance moving to the city and trying to make enough money to
send back home to their struggling family.

There are better basic services as well as other specialist services that aren't
found in rural areas. There are more job opportunities and a greater variety of jobs. Health
is another major factor. People, especially the elderly are often forced to move to cities
where there are doctors and hospitals that can cater for their health needs. Other factors
include a greater variety of entertainment (restaurants, movie theaters, theme parks, etc)
and a better quality of education, namely universities. Due to their high populations, urban
areas can also have much more diverse social communities allowing others to find people
like them when they might not be able to in rural areas. These conditions are heightened
during times of change from a pre-industrial society to an industrial one. It is at this time
that many new commercial enterprises are made possible, thus creating new jobs in cities. It
is also a result of industrialization that farms become more mechanized, putting many
laborers out of work. India is one of the world's highest growing countries.
 3.0 URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN PROBLEMS

3.1 INCREASED POPULATION

The urban population of India is increasing. India has shared the growth
pattern with some of the fastest growing regions in Asia. The country has witnessed around
8 percent growth in GDP in the last couple of years. India’s urban population is increasing at
a faster rate than its total population. Urbanization has been recognized as an important
component of economic growth. At 28 percent, the pace of urbanization, however, has
been slow and lower than the average for Asia. The absolute number of people in urban
cities and towns, however, has gone up substantially. The researchers expect rate of
urbanization to also increase in the coming years. With over 575 million people, India will
have 41 percent of its population living in cities and towns by 2030 from the present level of
286 million.

3.2 URBAN LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

Most people only come into contact with the planning system when decisions
have to be taken about whether something can be built in their area. Most new buildings or
major changes to existing buildings or to the local environment need consent - known as
planning permission. Each application for planning permission is made to the local planning
authority for the area. The application must include enough detail for the authority to see
what effect the development could have on the area. If the planning application is in line
with the approved plan, the applicant can usually expect to receive planning permission
within eight weeks for householders. Approval for larger, commercial developments often
takes longer. The development should be strictly according to the Development Control
Regulations (DCR).

Permitted development

Some types of minor building work - such as a boundary wall below a certain
height - do not need planning permission. This is because the effect of these developments
on neighbors or the environment is likely to be small, and the government has issued a
general planning permission to authorize them. This is known as permitted development.
Some areas have special protection against certain developments because they contain
attractive landscape (like national parks) or interesting plants and wildlife, or because we
need to control the spread of towns and villages into open countryside (like the greenbelt).
Some smaller areas of land also contain ancient monuments that must not be damaged.
Some buildings are specially protected or listed because of their architectural or historic
interest. Your local planning authority can let you know whether you need permission. If the
local authority refuses permission, the person applying can appeal to the government.
Appeals are dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate.
3.3 URBAN TRANSPORT

Cities are locations having a high level of accumulation and concentration of

economic activities and are complex spatial structures that are supported by transport
systems. The most important transport problems are often related to urban areas, when
transport systems, for a variety of reasons, cannot satisfy the numerous requirements of
urban mobility. Urban productivity is highly dependent on the efficiency of its transport
system to move labour, consumers and freight between multiple origins and destinations.
As cities continue to become more dispersed, the cost of building and operating public
transportation systems increases. Some of the major problems faced in urban areas are:

Traffic congestion and parking difficulties.

Public transport inadequacy.
Difficulties for pedestrians.
Loss of public space.
Environmental impacts and energy consumption.
Accidents and safety.

3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Pollution, including noise, generated by circulation has become a serious

impediment to the quality of life and even the health of urban populations. Further, energy
consumption by urban transportation has dramatically increased and so the dependency on
petroleum. With rapid industrialisation and random urbanisation environmental pollution
has become a serious problem. Over exploitation of open spaces, ever-increasing number of
automobiles and demographic pressure has further aggravated the problem.

3.5 HOUSING ISSUES

The most basic problem due to population growth of urban areas is a

shortage of adequate housing. This statement may seem strange, because most countries
have a crude surplus of houses over households. The apparent surplus includes, however,
large numbers of properties which are unfit to live in. When these are excluded, the result
is a net shortage. This does not take account of other reasons for shortage - like second
homes, housing in the wrong place or the need for a vacancy surplus so that people can
move house. Following housing related issues are common in urban areas:

VANDALISM: There is inadequate play space in or outside the home.

RUBBISH: It may cost money to have large items of rubbish removed.
HOME MAINTENANCE: Maintenance of homes and gardens costs money for
equipment, which many poor people do not have.
LACK OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES: Shops and facilities are not economically viable.
EMPTY HOUSING: Housing is left empty because the area is unattractive. A bad
house in a good area would still be taken.
 4.0 CONCEPT OF NEW TOWN

The idea of the New Town was first proposed by the Victorian Ebenezer
Howard, whose book Garden Cities of Tomorrow provided inspiration for post war planners.

The vast destruction inflicted by the Second World War created a need,
especially in London for both houses and jobs. In 1944 the Greater London Plan
recommended the establishment of 10 satellite towns to meet the housing shortage. In
1945 the New Towns Committee created government-sponsored corporations financed by
the Exchequer. They were given power to acquire land within a defined, designated area, to
establish new towns. The New Towns Act 1946 provided the government with the power to
implement these new plans.

The New Towns were not intended as either industrial estates or dormitory
suburbs. The principle was that they would become self contained communities combining
the convenience of town life with the advantages of the country. Local industry, shops,
housing and cultural facilities would be provided to meet the needs of the local inhabitants.
However, of the 11 New Towns designated in Britain between 1946 and 1955, eight were
London ‘overspill’ or satellite towns. In 1948 Bracknell was put forward as one of the New
Towns to help alleviate the housing crisis in West London with new houses being offered to
people from Brentwood and Chiswick.

The purposes for which new towns are founded are numerous and serve to
demonstrate the flexibility of the concept. New towns have been built, for example, to
establish capital cities, for military or strategic purposes, in connection with public works
projects, to exploit natural resources, as demonstration projects, to relieve urban
congestion in established centers, to revive declining areas, as educational centers, and as
private land development enterprises. New towns have also been founded for colonization,
as ports, to relocate the populations of existing towns, and as planned extensions of existing
towns. In many cases the purposes for which new towns are built overlap, or some other
function may be served which is incidental to the major purpose for which a town is
founded. Also, the purposes for some new towns may be established by the broader
objectives of national development plans.

The heart of the new town idea is the creation of an urban community
conceived as an integrated and harmonious whole. The new town starting either from
scratch or from an already existing human settlement or hamlet with an adequate
urbanizing potential can provide the most modern of facilities, whether schools, shopping or
parking. The ability to develop through an overall plan makes possible community amenities
and aesthetic qualities normally not realized. Because people today have rising incomes and
expanding leisure time, recreation receives an important role in the new town plan. Reston
in Virginia State in the USA, for example, has made a golf course, an artificial lake, riding
stables and bridle paths, and other recreational facilities the very backbone of the
community. The more advanced new town makes an effort to provide a balance between
workplaces and homes. It has a distinctive centre with important functional and visual
purposes. High-rise apartments, low lying buildings and individual homes help to provide
variety as well as superior design for living.
 5.0 TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS

5.1 PLANS OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The statutes require Authorities to prepare and periodically update plans of

conservation and development, which specify the kinds of land uses a municipality desires.
Preparing or amending plans requires Authorities to analyze systematically the effects of
different types of development and devise strategies to address them. The process also
requires weighing competing needs and concerns (e. g., the need for stores and factories
versus the need for hospitals and schools).

The plans may recommend areas that should be preserved as open space. If
the municipality's legislative body approves, the owners of land so designated can have
them assessed as open space under the “490” program, without factoring in the price
buyers are willing to pay for the land’s development potential. Although the law does not
require Authorities to implement their plans, they can do so through their land use
regulations, capital improvement projects, and community and economic development
programs. The plan’s salience value depends on the extent to which the municipality
consults it when making development decisions.

5.2 SUBDIVISION CONTROL

The statutes allow Authorities to adopt subdivision regulations, which require

developers to prepare raw land for development in a way that promotes public health and
safety. The regulations must ensure:

1. The land can be developed without endangering public health and safety;

2. Developers provide for proper water, sewerage, and drainage and take steps to control
soil erosion and sedimentation; and

3. Proposed streets are in harmony with existing ones.

They must also encourage developers to prepare the site in a way that
conserves energy or promotes the use of renewable energy. The regulations may set
standards for grading or improving streets and providing public utilities and services.

5.3 ZONING

A zoning commission can divide the municipality into districts and regulate
the way people can use land within them. Zoning regulations can address the way
developers can erect, construct, reconstruct, alter, or use buildings and structures in each
district.
The statutes specifically allow Authorities to adopt regulations that:

1. Regulate the height, number of stories, and size of buildings and other structures;

2. Regulate the percentage of the area of the building lot that may be occupied;

3. Regulate the location and use of buildings, structures, and land for residential,
commercial, and other purposes; and

4. Consider the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses, with a
view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land
within the municipality.

By addressing these factors, the regulations control the extent to which people can develop
land for a permitted use. For example, minimum lot size and floor area requirements
control the number and size of homes in a district while setback requirements specify the
distance between a structure and the lot's boundaries.

5.4 TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (TDR)

TDR is a technique that seeks to steer development away from certain areas
Authorities want to preserve toward those where they welcome development. It works by
separating the right to develop farms, forests, and open space land in designated
preservation areas from the land itself. In return, the landowners receive credits equal to
the difference between the current use value of their land and its fair market value. The
owners recoup the value of the development rights by selling the credits to developers, who
can use them to build more units than the zoning regulations normally permit in the
designated development areas. The statutes allow Authorities to implement TDR singly or
jointly. A municipality adopting TDR by itself must do so through its zoning regulations,
which may include provisions for varying density limits in connection with a transfer.
Authorities can adopt a joint TDR if their legislative bodies approve.
6.0 NEW TOWNS IN INDIA- A CASE STUDY OF NAVI MUMBAI
The rapid rate of growth of population, made possible by the increasing
industrial and commercial importance of the city, resulted in a fast deterioration in the
quality of life for the majority of people living in the city of Bombay. As per Development
Plan, Navi Mumbai consists of 95 villages and two Municipal Councils of Panvel and Uran.

CIDCO adopted polycentric pattern of planning and development of Navi

Mumbai. It prepared a master plan in October 1975 and was approved by the government
in August 1981. It is being modified from time to time as per the needs. The pattern
ensured balanced land and even distribution of residential areas, job centres, wholesale
markets, non-polluting industry and population density. The 14 self-contained nodal
townships are strung along the mass rapid transport corridors, designed to minimise travel
time and distance between nodes and neighbouring cities. The major wholesale markets
and industrial belts are evenly distributed in outer areas. Intervening nodes are for
predominantly residential settlements. Each node is self-contained with educational
health, social, religious, cultural, sports and recreational facilities.

6.1.2 GROWTH RATE

6.1.1 TREND OF POPULATION

Population in Lakhs
Census group 1971 1981 1991 2001
Gr. Mumbai 59.71 82.43 99.26 119.14
Thane 1.71 4.74 8.04 12.62
Kalyan - Dombivli 1.51 5.78 8.20 11.93
Navi Mumbai 1.56 2.50 5.35 11.03

6.1.2 GROWTH RATE

Census Groups 1971-81 1981-91 1991-2001

Greater Mumbai 3.81 2.04 2.00

Thane 8.13 15.68 5.85
Kalyan - Dombivli* 28.28 4.19 4.55
Navi Mumbai 6.03 11.36 10.26
4.55 2.87 2.81
* Increase in Kalyan is due to change of census group

From the growth rate table, the impact of Navi Mumbai City shows the reduction in the
growth rate of Gr. Mumbai and its suburbs. In comparison with last decade the growth rate
is constant or slightly declining as compared to the earlier decades. The growth rate of
Greater Mumbai in1971, 1981was 3.81, which were reduced to 2.04, and during the decade
1991 and 2001 it is 2.0.

6.2 THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

The Central Business District (CBD) of Navi Mumbai has been developed in
Belapur node. Spread over 575 hectares it is 20 times larger than Nariman Point, Mumbai's
Central Business District. Located in the very heart of the city it is placed within easy
commuting distance from all nodes. Forming a ring around the picturesque Manasarovar
Lake, the CBD spreads along the periphery of five nodes. The lake is to be developed to offer
a range of water sports. The CBD will have its own circular railway and inner as well as outer
ring roads. Four radial roads will connect it to Mumbai, Pune and other parts of the
mainland.

6.3 TRANSPORTATION
6.3.1 ROAD TRANSPORT

The development plan of Navi Mumbai provides a functional hierarchy of

road network system of city scale roads i.e. Urban Expressway, Arterial Roads, Link Roads,
Sub Arterial and Local roads. The total length of Expressway and major arterial roads is
around 200 Km, which are planned with 6 lane divided carriageway with paved
shoulders/footpath with wide medians and service corridors for laying utilities. All the
Expressways and major arterials are interconnected by interchanges in the form of
cloverleaf, Flyovers, ROB’s, RUB’s, underpasses or by at grade road junction with/without
signal. Entire road system described above is implemented in planned manner and
commensurate with growth of population in the city. Navi Mumbai is served by four bus
transport agencies which operate services between Mumbai-Navi Mumbai, within Navi
Mumbai, Thane-Navi Mumbai and surrounding areas. These services are Navi Mumbai
Municipal Transport, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport, Maharashtra State Road
Transport Corporation and Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Transport. The buses of all agencies
are playing with a good frequency.

6.3.2 RAIL TRANSPORT

The railway transport system of Navi Mumbai consists of commuter rail network, railway
station-cum-commercial complexes, inter-city railway terminal and railway lines for goods
traffic, and is planned considering an overall requirements of city for faster, economical and
easy movement of men and materials. The railway transport, also known as mass rapid
transport, covering a length of 157 kms. and occupying 900 ha. area is planned with seven
separate corridors and 26 stations. The first corridor of 29 kms. length, called Mankhurd-
Belapur-Panvel is commissioned

6.3.3 WATER TRANSPORT

 CIDCO has taken initiative in promoting the water transport service between
Mumbai & Navi Mumbai by providing infrastructure facilities required for the operation of
high-speed hovercraft. As a part of integrated Navi Mumbai Transport System, water
transport system has been developed. The landing facilities are planned at 7 locations in
Navi Mumbai of which one location is for development of main terminal to handle both
Catamaran and Hovercraft. The remaining 6 locations are only for Hovercrafts. They are:

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has been

appointed as nodal agency to develop the terminal facilities at Ferry Warf (Mumbai) and
Nerul (Navi Mumbai) as well as operate Hovercraft and Catamaran service between Mumbai
and Navi Mumbai. Necessary studies have been initiated by MSRDC and bid for appointing
an agency on BOT basis is expected in due course.

6.4 HOUSING

CIDCO built 54% of the housing stock and the rest is built by the private sector consisting of
individual households, housing co-operatives, corporate bodies for their employees, and
real estate developers. About 74% of the households own their houses in Navi Mumbai. The
total housing stock created in Navi Mumbai is about 221450 units, out of which 119460
units are built by CIDCO and 101990 tenements by private sector. Of the total houses
constructed by CIDCO, about 50% are for EWS and LIG, about 27% for MIG and about 23%
for HIG. Besides constructing tenements CIDCO had allotted land for co-operative housing
society plots, bungalow plots, row house plot and for other social utility purposes. About
27% of population belongs to EWS and LIG categories. The same figure for Mumbai is over
65%, an average the lower percentage in Navi Mumbai can be attributed to a higher
percentage of nuclear families, household size is 3.8 compared to Mumbai's more than 5.

6.5 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NAVI MUMBAI

 CIDCO has implemented Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling)
Rules -2000 for the area under jurisdiction of CIDCO i.e. New Panvel, Kalamboli, Kamothe,
Kharghar, Dronagiri, etc. Solid Waste Management System is broadly divided in two parts -
A. Collection & Transportation of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) B. Processing & disposal of
MSW.

6.5.1 COLLECTION & TRANSPORATATION OF MSW

The present solid waste generation is to the tune of 65 MT/day. The method of collection &
transportation of MSW followed is as under -
1) Daily collection of MSW on house -to-house basis.
2) Daily collection of MSW from community bins.
3) Transportation of MSW in closed body vehicle up to processing & disposal site.
4) Conducting public awareness programs for segregation and storage of MSW in two
categories as Dry (Non-Bio degradable) & Wet (Bio degradable) waste.

6.5.2 MSW PROCESSING & DISPOSAL FACILITY

CIDCO has developed its own MSW processing & disposal facility at Village
Chal near Taloja MIDC. Receiving and treatment of waste is started from 23rd November
2007. Compost production will be started soon after maturation period of 45 days will be
over. The Plot area is approximately 14 Ha. The site is selected as per the guidelines of
regulatory authority and authorization from Pollution Control Board is obtained. The waste
received at the facility shall be processed & disposed off scientifically. The site is designed
for 15.5 years period considering 65MT of MSW per day with progressive increase annually.
The total storage capacity of landfill is about 3,65,000 MT.

6.5.2.1 Methodology of Waste Processing

Waste received shall be taken to processing area where the recyclables and
bulky material shall be separated manually and stored in recyclable bins. The waste shall be
processed by Aerobic composting technology using windrow method. Microbial Culture
shall be used to increase the rate of stabilization. The stabilized waste shall be further
processed and refined to form compost. The rejects of the process shall be taken to landfill
for final disposal.

6.5.2.2 Methodology of Disposal in Landfill

Rejects of waste processing shall be transported & deposited in the land fill.
The waste is compacted and covered with inert materials daily as per the placement plan.
Leachate collected in the sump well shall be pumped to leachate holding pond. During the
entire operation of facility, Environment Monitoring shall be done as per MPCB guidelines.
REFERENCES

1. Nelson W.S. Chow; “Moving Into New Towns - The Costs Of Social Adaptation”; ASIAN
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, 2000.
2. A.R. Crosby, "Physical Planning for the New Town" in International Council
on Social Welfare - Hqng Kong Committee, Symposium on Social Planning in a New
Town: Shatin (Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, 1976), pp.2-14.
3. Anna Jorgensen, James Hitchmough, Nigel Dunnett; ” Living in the Urban
Wildwoods: A Case Study of Birchwood, Warrington New Town, UK”; Department of
Landscape, Sheffield University.
4. Tommy Firman; “New town development in Metropolitan Region: a perspective of
spatial segregation”; Department of Regional and City Planning, Institute of Technology,
Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 41032, Indonesia.
5. www.cidcoindia.com