How National Transit-Oriented Development Policy Will Change Cities

More and more people will be living, walking or cycling to their workplaces and back once the government implements the newly formulated National Transit-Oriented Development Policy. Transit-oriented developments (TOD) will make it easy for people to live close to Metro, Monorail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors. Such developments will help cities carry on with their urban sprawl while keeping in check the rising number of private vehicles and over-shooting levels of pollution. To get states and union territories on board, the Urban Development Ministry will be finalising the policy in consultation with them.

How will the policy work?

Walk the walk

The policy will promote dense developments along mass-transit corridors through vertical construction. For this, floor area ratio (FAR) norms will be relaxed to enable vertical growth along these corridors. This means you will see taller buildings close to mass-transit corridors. As people live and work close to each other, walking and cycling will emerge as the preferred mode of transportation, a practice common in many European countries.

 If all works out according to the plan, you will have to walk or cycle only 5- 10 minutes to access public transport.

The train of thoughts

To promote transit-oriented developments, the Centre has made transit-oriented development mandatory under the new Metro policy. On the other hand, to receive central funds under the Green Urban Mobility Scheme, TOD must be a part of the process.

Under the new Metro policy are covered over 300 kilometres of operational lines in seven cities, 600 kms of under-construction project lines in 12 cities and over 500 kms project lines under consideration. Similarly, the ministry has supported BRTS projects in 12 cities which are under different stages of construction. Eight more cities are set to take up BRT projects.

Where is the money?

The Centre will tap increases in property values along mass-transit corridors to finance transit-oriented developments---once the plans to develop new TOD zones are unveiled, the demand for real estate will rise, triggering a sharp rise in property values. The Centre hopes to earn more finances once the system is in place. When people live closer to each other and use mass-transit networks for their travel purposes, these ventures will turn more profitable, too. This additional revenue will be used to finance transit-oriented developments.

They go hand in hand

States will have to incorporate transit-oriented development in their master plans and identify influence zones for tapping revenue streams. They will then encourage mixed neighbourhood development, where people will have a range of housing options to choose from. And for all your daily needs, you will not have to go far; commercial developments are an integral part of the plan.

Leading by example

Cities such as Ahmedabad, Delhi, Naya Raipur, Nagpur and Navi Mumbai are already working on a transit-oriented development model.

Also Read: Things To Know About Delhi's Transit-Oriented Development Policy