ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

use’ that mandates special standards and density allowances within the zone.

Challenges in TOD

Both, Delhi and Ahmedabad Master Plans, prescribe detailed norms, allowances and urban form guidelines that comply to TOD principles, the question of affordability seems unanswered. However, the development around TODs in India is more of an urban design and densification approach, which is necessary, but an incomplete conversation for the Indian context.

Large land parcels

Large land parcels are the true strength of the TOD zone, which is crucial to strengthen the functioning of the transit corridor. This is where large developer is attracted to construct large housing society which accommodates a large amount of people at one place. When zone is highly dominated by the small land parcels along TOD, where area is lesser than 30,000 square meters, the land is majorly used by private developers and as an individual, it gets hard for them to construct higher that consumes full FAR that is permissible for that zone. This is particularly true at transit station, where the economics is strong, there are many property owners and few large parcels. Land must offer be assembled from multiple property owners into large development sites. This is most easily accomplice through a redevelopment of land that comes under Gujarat Housing Board, Public and vacant land in all the area.

Irregular front setback

Due to the minimum setback building regulations, the edge that brings build fabric in an alignment of similar setback is shifted in all plots and thus created haphazard growth in all over SH-41. Due to the presence of such setting, the walkable spaces remain inactive and this leads to the acceptance of private vehicle for all the locals. This leads to increase in concession of vehicles on roads and lesser acceptance of the available public transit. TOD along any transit corridor is introduced to build a safe walkable environment which is meant to ease the use of public transits. Without the easy accessibility to the transit corridor, public realm and existing infrastructure for walking and cycling stays inactive. To promote walkability and for an active realm, a build-to-line settlement is needed to define clear space for the public realm. Haphazard development due to existing building regulations along SH-41. There is unmatched alignment of building blocks due to minimum setback norm.

Chargeable premium

To encourage high-rise and large-scale development, it is essential to free the developers from paying premium on FAR, which is chargeable and restricts the development to build high-rise. This is the same reason why developers prefer to purchase the land (virgin land) at fringe areas and thus the importance of the TOD remain silent. In order to bring sustainable development, which is in favour of keeping the TOD zone active, provision for incentives becomes crucial. A strategy to relax premium on FAR can lead to the vision that is desired along the corridor. The development that encourages the high-rise and build to line is essential for the development which promote sustainable and active growth. New development that came up is last 10 years towards the northern periphery are utilizing complete FAR.

Purchaseable FSI

Affordable housing is one of the crucial aspect to development TOD that encourages majority of LIG and EWS to reside along TOD corridor and increase transit ridership. The presence of adequate housing is lacking due to availability of higher land prices. Land prices defined by Jantri rate in Ahmedabad with purchasable FSI disconnects the path of development / redevelopment that is not supportive to present norms. To fill in the gaps, it is essential to reconsider the regulations that encourages high-rise and high-density development. In favour to enable such development, TOD zone is counted as one of the dominant zone such that the base FSI of the zone becomes 4 and developers don’t have to purchase any FSI and thus relaxes the prices factor to propose affordable housing with in the TOD zone. Land price in Chandkheda varies from rs. 650/- to 7000/- respectively. Prices of land parcels along SH-41 is higher than compared to land price at fringe area.