How Integrated Townships Make For Efficient Urban Planning

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Housing For All By 2022' mission is not an easy target to meet; it would need assistance from all quarters. Although a social scheme by definition, the economic impact the mission will have on the health of the housing sector is also undeniable. This is why private players have shown a keen interest in helping the government house its population in the next six years.

States and government agencies, which have been asked to suggest ways to meet the target effectively are leaving no stone unturned to lend a helping hand. For instance, the Maharashtra state government recently proposed some modifications to the way it will plan a large township. The state has proposed to replace the words Special Township Project (STP) with Integrated Township Projects (ITP). This modification in the name, however, will change the way large-scale township developments come up in the state.

Urban planning in the state is governed by the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1996, and the modified rules will be applicable to areas' regional plans.

The main objective of the modifications is to unlock idle land in city peripheries for development, as further construction in urban spaces is limited. These ITPs will promote affordable housing, without putting any stress on government expenditure. The government is also pushing housing for economically weaker sections and low-income groups through these projects. It would be mandatory for developers to build a part of their project for LIGs in lieu of a higher floor area ratio.

How ITPs can meet the country's housing needs

By definition, an integrated township is a large-scale housing development, with a self-sustainable eco-system. It is a perfect mix of green housing space with good infrastructure, and an atmosphere buzzing with commercial activity.  

Undeniably, such townships will trigger renewed activity in the real estate sector. But that is not all. It is ironical how authorities struggle to house an ever-rising population in limited urban spaces, even as land in regional areas gathers dust. Earlier, the argument could have been that to develop housing in peripheries would require large-scale investment in building transport facilities. In fact, this is a key reason why developers sometimes have a hard time trying to sell projects on the outskirts of a city. Integrated townships could be the answer to that. Authorities will not have to empty their coffers in making housing in the periphery sustainable, if integrated townships are promoted across the country.

The recent move by Maharashtra could prove an important step in developing real estate for the country's citizens and also giving the sector a boost.

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