Category Archives: Housing

Chapter 10: Sectoral Policies and the Land Acquisition Process

Ever wondered what various sectoral policies point to? Indian states have such a complex governance system and so many policies, let us look at a select few for two states in India (one highly urbanised and the other being one of the least urbanised). We will also understand the steps if somebody wants to have access to land to setup a project. There are links to policy details. Some may find it boring. Some may be extremely interested. Mind it. This chapter is part of a series on Hierarchical Spatial Planning Framework

The presence of complex governance systems with multiple sectoral departments means that each departments is in-charge of various development measures. It is highly likely that each department has specific policies or other forms of guiding documents for planning interventions. Some of these policies/guiding documents are expected to directly have an impact on land use, whereas some of them would result in planning processes that affect eventual land use (indirect impact on land use). As most of the departments have such policies in force and decisions are made abiding by these documents, it is important to understand and consider them during the formulation of the land use planning policy for any state or country.

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Chapter 17: Framework for Regional Spatial Strategy and Planning

We investigate what a regional plan should have. What zones to create and what all to include in those zones. This chapter is part of a series on Hierarchical Spatial Planning Framework

Land use capacities have varied overtime with changing spatial environmental and economic conditions. This has necessitated identification of land use capacity for alternative choices of land allocation among various uses. It is increasingly necessary to delineate the problem areas, which need separate attention. Since supply of land is fixed, use of land for one purpose will be at the expense of other. When huge investments are made on land for one purpose it cannot/should not be reverted to other uses.

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Housing Gap Assessment for an Urban Area

India has started talking about Smart Cities. Over the past decade, focus had been on Urban Renewal and Slum Up-gradation. Be it smart cities or urban renewal / regeneration or slum up-gradation; Urban Housing proves to be one of the most difficult challenge for a town planner. Irrespective of who is providing housing, the Urban Local Body, the private developers / builders or a combination of both, housing gap assessment is necessary for all of the cases.

This note is an attempt towards the methodology for estimating housing gap for a city. Though the same may provide for a good assessment from the point of view of a research level thesis, it may need much more detailing for an urban planner in-charge of a city.

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