Introduction to Town Planning

Prepared By Gargi Sojitra

Town Planning
Town Planning it is a term used to indicate the
arrangements of various components or units of
a town in such a way that the town attains the
significance of a living organism.
It is the art and science of ordering the use of
land and siting of buildings and communication
routes so as to secure the maximum practicable
degree of economy, convenience, and beauty.

Town Planning

Town Planning

Objects of Town Planning

Objects of TP - Beauty
Taking advantages of natural surroundings
Giving architectural finishes to various important
components
Examples preservation of natural greenery,
imposing architectural control on the public as well
as the semi-public buildings, ancient architectural
buildings, temples, churches, mosques, buildings of
cultural and historical significance etc.

Objects of TP - Convenience
Various economic, social and recreational amenities
to be given to the public.
These amenities include cheap power and
electricity, proper sites for industrial wastes, facilities
to commercial units etc.
Recreational spaces (open spaces, parks, town
halls, playgrounds, theatre, stadiums etc.) are very
important to be designed and appropriately located.

Objects of TP - Environment
People should be able to carry on with their daily
activities without much effort.
The problems evolving with the rise in tiresome
travel to work, long hours of work, limited time spent
within the community etc. tend to destroy the vitality
of urban living
These mal-adjustments have and the town planning
is mainly concerned with bringing about a better
relation between man and his environment.

Objects of TP - Health
To create and promote healthy conditions and
environments for all the people
Making right use of land for right purpose like
dividing the land into zones such as residential,
commercial, industrial, recreational etc.
Providing parks and playgrounds for public,
maintaining lowest possible levels of pollution etc.
Dividing the land into different zones prevents
encroachment of one zone upon the other and
promotes orderly development of the town in future.

Economic Justification of Town

Planning
Town planning needs to be studies from a lot of
angles. Ex legal, sociological, historical,
architectural and economic.
Economically town planning is desired if it leads to
better utilization of the resources of the community.
The best town plan should thus lead to highest
aggregate land values.

Factors effecting economic

worth of towns
The following factors should be considered for
assessing the economic worth of the town
planning
Change in quantity of resources
Demand for goods and services
Production techniques
Redistribution of land values

Principles of Town Planning

Guiding principles of town planning are
Green Belt
Housing
Public Buildings
Recreation centers
Road systems
Transport facilities
Zoning

Principles of Town Planning

Green Belt providing green belt on the periphery
of the town limits its size.
Housing to be provided to various categories with
care. Development of slums should be checked.
Removal of slums with alternative arrangements.
Public buildings well balanced grouping and
distribution through out the town. Avoid unnecessary
concentration at any spot.

Principles of Town Planning

Recreation Centers needed for general public.
Depends on size of town.
Road systems good road layout leads to efficient
city. Faulty road system leads to traffic jams, more
travel time and is costly to repair and rearrange.
Transport facilities suitable transport facilities that
cover the entire city effectively. Different modes can
be explored.
Zoning dividing town in suitable zones with rules
and regulations in place for effective development of
each zone.

Necessity of Town Planning

When town planning is not implemented, the town life
turns chaotic
Defective road system resulting in formation of narrow
streets and lanes.
Development of slums and squatter settlements
Haphazard location of industries
Heavy traffic congestion during rush hours
Inadequate open spaces for parks and playgrounds
Lack of essential amenities
Noisy atmosphere
Uncontrolled development and unhealthy living conditions

Origin of Towns
Historically towns have developed because of certain
specific reasons.
These reasons can be broadly classified in 2 categories
Topographical
Functional

Topographical features contributing to the origin of

towns are
Conditions favourable for industrial units
Hilly areas to achieve the object of defence

Origin of Towns
Topographical features
Plain areas useful for business activities
River banks
Sea or ocean fronts

Functional aspects

Education
Health resorts
Political
Religious

Growth of Towns

Natural Growth
Growth in natural way i.e. without any future
planning.
Decisions taken for immediate comfort and
convenience of residents.
Essential amenities are provided in haphazard
manner without any consideration for future
needs.

Concentric Spread
Natural tendency to be as near as possible to
the town.
Town thus develops in concentric rings.
Idea based on the fact that similar or functionally
related activities will be located at the same
distance from the centre of the urban area.
Problems traffic congestion, narrow streets,
concentration of population, improper houses
etc.

Concentric Spread
Ancient Aachen
City Plan
Wealthy inner city
that surrounds
the core, with
manufacturing
and poverty
towards the outer
rings

Concentric Spread
Ahmedabad City
Plan
Organic growth

Concentric Spread

Model
developed by
Ernest
Burgess based
on his
observations of
cities in the
American precar, industrial
age (specifically
Chicago)

Concentric Spread

Ribbon Development
Ribbon development means building
houses along the routes of
communications radiating from a human
settlement.
Such development generated great
concern during the 1920s and the 1930s
in UK.
Increasing motor car ownership meant
that houses could be sold even if remote
from shops and other services.

Ribbon Development
It was attractive to developers
because they did not have to
waste money or plot space
constructing roads.
The practice became seen as
inefficient use of resources
and a precursor to urban
sprawl.
It led to the introduction of
green belt policies.

Ribbon Development
Disadvantages
Providing services like
water supply, electricity
along the long strip
becomes costly.
Scattered community
lack of social life.
Future improvementscostly

Ribbon Development
Disadvantages
Houses along the strip face noise pollution, dust and
undesirable smells.
Interior portion left undeveloped
Traffic jams and
accidents due to
presence of
pedestrians and
local traffic.
Traffic capacity and
efficiency of main
road reduces.

Ribbon Development
Control and prevention of ribbon development
Control of unfettered access to the highways
Land use zoning to check undesirable building activity
in vicinity of highways
Regulation and control of traffic using highways
Removal of encroachment from road right of way
Controlling the access points, providing grade
separated crossings, planning road side amenities
etc.

Satellite Growth
Satellite a body under
influence of a more
powerful body but
possessing its own
identity.
Development of satellite
towns takes place when
the main town reaches a
certain size.

Satellite Growth
Features
It has its local government and corporate life.
It is a town in full sense of word except it depends on
nearby large town or city to a certain extent.
It is connected to the parent city by local trains, buses
etc such that transportation to the main city is easy.
Situated beyond green belt of the parent city.

Satellite Growth
Features
It is mainly residential area having only shops,
schools etc for the citizens.
Industrial development is not allowed. People have to
depend on the parent city for employment
opportunities.
It is not a suburb which might eventually get absorbed
in the parent city.
It need not have zoning regualtions

Satellite Growth
Features
Its size and development are controlled in such a way
that it does not become a rival to the parent city in
future.
Satellite town may be considered to be part of the
market for some of the goods and services being
produced in the parent city.

Satellite Growth
Disadvantages
Longer commute to work
Commute time and comfort depends on the
modes of transportation available.

Scattered Growth
Growth of town takes place in a very
irregular way
Results in
Traffic congestion
Encroachment of industries in residential
areas
Slums
Lack of parks

Problems get difficult to solve in future.

Scattered Growth

Planned Growth
Town develops in
predetermined line
as conceived by the
town planners.
Overall growth of the
town is controlled by
enforcement of
suitable rules and
regulations.
Chandigarh, India

Planned Growth
Rational distribution
of land.
Provision of
amenities with
future needs in
mind.

Palmanova, Italy

Horizontal Growth
The town expands and grows horizontally in all
directions.
Such growth happens where land is available in
plenty at nominal cost.
Advantages
Cost of construction of buildings will be less as the
buildings will be 2 or 3 storeyed only. Also highly
skilled labour will not be required.
Density of population can be restricted.

Horizontal Growth
Advantages
Marginal space
surrounding can be
used for gardening
Economy of floor
space as provision of
columns, lifts will not
be required.

Horizontal Growth
Disadvantages
Requires use of
more land, hence it
will prove
uneconomical
where land values
are high.
Foundation cost per
unit area will be
more.
Absence of group
living.

Vertical Growth
Multi-storied buildings
Where land is less
and costly
Advantages
Use of common
amenities, sense of
group living develops.
Foundation cost per
unit area is
reasonable.

Vertical Growth
Advantages
Higher level floor enjoys natural sceneries such as river
view, sea view etc.
Considerable saving in land.
Economy in construction
cost, repetition of typical
floors.
Max use of modern
construction techniques
such as fire proofing,
sound proofing, heat
insulation, air-conditioning,
high speed lifts etc.

Vertical Growth
Disadvantages
Natural calamities, difficult to escape.
More population density.
Design of flats stereo-typed.
Have to tolerate evils of group living.
Failure of lift or water raising pump will cause great
inconvenience.
Wastage of floor space, as lifts, supporting column etc
have to be provided

Stages of Town Development

Produces
mainly
human
necessities e.g. Agriculture Village

Acts as centre of exchange e.g.

Marketing town

Provides residential, recreational

and educational facilities

Sir Patrick Geddess Model (1854-1932)

Stages of Town Development

Necropolis:

Lewis
Mumfords
Model

Stages of Town Development

The town is divided into separate
distinct zones.
In this shops are separated from
houses and there are few factories
In this stage, the town is distinctly
divided into residential zone and
industrial zone.

Griffith Taylors
Model

This stage indicates the physical

decay of most of the portions of the
town

Site for an Ideal Town

Availability of natural advantages
Availability of electric power.
Available means of communication.
Climatic conditions.
Contours of area.
Development of surrounding area.
Drainage of area

Site for an Ideal Town

Available facility of sewage disposal
Soil fertility
Frequency of floods
Growths of trees
Nature of soil
Position of streams and lakes
Water resources, etc.

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