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PRINCIPLES FOR DIFFERENTIAL REGULATIONS FOR TOD, BENGALURU

Since June 2019, HTAU has been assisting the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) and Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) as a Mobility and TOD expert in a wide range of preparatory activities for one of the largest TOD and MMI focused consultancies in India. A key deliverable of our scope of work was to establish Principles for differential Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Regulations for the city for inclusion in the Bengaluru TOD Policy, currently under finalization. The Draft Policy published in February 2019, reinforces the need for integrated landuse-transport planning, an approach that promotes compact development and sustainable transport modes. It envisages higher-density, mixed use and mixed income neighbourhoods with improved accessibility around mass transit stations, supported by adequate infrastructure and amenities. It proposes the use of FAR based incentives to prioritize TOD as an integral part of the city’s growth strategy, as well as encourages private sector participation in provisioning of public infrastructure, amenities, and affordable housing. However, implementation of TOD and its objectives  require differential, enabling building regulations that would effectively:

  1. Promote high-density developments through different building typologies – low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise and mixed – appropriate for an urban context. 

  2. Promote mixed-use perimeter type urban blocks (where buildings are placed along the perimeter of plots facing public roads) with street-oriented buildings and active frontages by i) enabling horizontal and vertical mixing of uses; ii) ensuring building façades and boundary treatments enable “eyes on the street” (i.e., passive surveillance of the public realm through buildings with direct physical and visual access from the street, and active frontages with primary entrances and doorways for pedestrians, without boundary walls or setbacks); and iii)    Ensuring on-plot parking provisions do not hamper pedestrian access and activity. 

  3. Ensure fire safety in all buildings.

  4. Ensure access to light and air in habitable spaces.  

Many test cases were explored to finalize recommendations for the regulations. The image represents one such test case. ​

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