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