ITPI Publication: M.Tech Thesis Research Paper
by Kandarp Rajyaguru, Placepoet Architects
This paper, Rejuvenation of Built Heritage of Porbandar City through Local Area Planning, was published in the Institute of Town Planners, India Journal (Vol. 16, No. 1, January–March 2019). It is co-authored with Ravin M. Tailor, Ph.D. (SVNIT Surat) and Akshay Kumar Sharma.
Abstract
Local Area Planning (LAP) was introduced in Gujarat’s GTPUD Act in 2014. Porbandar is an example of organic growth without Town Planning Schemes, yet LAP can still be applied. Public opinion was used to identify neighbourhoods showing the side effects of urbanisation. The proposal sets a maximum FSI of 3 and 4 based on abutting road width, and an extra built-up of almost 2 lakh sq m. The proposed road network covers about 24 percent of the LAP boundary, compared with 26 percent existing. Urban design projects such as chowks and gardens can sit inside the same frame. Improved circulation, reconstituted plot boundaries, and additional built-up should lead to healthier urban development.
Introduction
Urbanisation is closely linked with the historic shift from rural to urban culture. People come to the city for work and social mobility (Jaysawal and Saha, 2014). In India most modern cities have grown organically. That haphazard pattern makes holistic development difficult for urban local bodies, especially in CBDs. Land acquisition, development plans, and TP schemes are the usual tools. Another is Local Area Planning, set out in the GTPUD Act (2014 amendment) as Chapter VI, section 76.
Porbandar shows the familiar side effects: traffic congestion, overcrowded housing, and varying street widths. It also has a rich natural and built heritage — Kirti Mandir (the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi), Sudama Mandir, and a bird sanctuary. This study derives LAP proposals to address those problems.
Porbandar covers about 7 sq km. There is no unurbanised land inside city limits, so TP schemes are not available and future development has been stuck. Issues include missing hierarchy in the transport network, undevelopable plot sizes, and a lack of community space.
LAP is concerned with local problems and the welfare of people in a defined area. Local Area Plans can be prepared:
- for planned development of an urbanising periphery or urban village
- in already developed areas
- in old, dilapidated, and unauthorised areas
- in a disaster-prone part of the city
- for a heritage site affected by its surroundings
In older areas, LAP can identify infrastructure deficits against demand and fold them into ward-level plans. Those interventions can then feed back into the Development Plan — land use, built form, and urban design in the local DCRs.
Existing scenario of the Porbandar CBD
The boundary was set through a pilot survey and public opinion. LAP — The Heritage Square — is about 28.14 hectares. The area is predominantly commercial and acts as Porbandar’s CBD. The fabric is low-rise, mostly G+2 clusters of adjoining buildings, mixed commercial and residential, on narrow streets. Housing is mostly introvert, with a common faliya at the centre and land-locked plots. Those central faliyas are currently government land, which is an advantage for redevelopment.
There are no land-use restrictions by plot size, so old dilapidated buildings have been converted to shops. Redevelopment has stressed infrastructure and density. Small plots have been rebuilt without margins or road frontage, often consuming FSI 2 — more than permissible. That pressure asks for an area-wide policy that can hold both the present and the future.
Existing road network
Two major roads run east–west: M.G. Road (15 m to 7.5 m) on the south, and SVP Road / Station Road (15 m) on the north. Another link is Kirti Mandir Road, between Manek Chowk and Shitala Chowk. Typical block perimeters are often under 400 m, which encourages walking. The market is fairly pedestrian, with vehicles as through traffic.
There are no footpaths on most streets, and on-street parking plus a lack of in-plot parking after redevelopment makes walking hard. Street hawkers have no regularised zone. Widths range from 3 m to 15 m; footpaths appear only on 15 m roads.
| Road width (m) | Length (m) | Area (sq m) | % length | % area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 946 | 14,190 | 14.19 | 25.18 |
| 12 | 1,323 | 15,876 | 19.84 | 28.17 |
| 9 | 877 | 7,893 | 13.15 | 14.00 |
| 7 | 1,179 | 8,253 | 17.68 | 14.64 |
| 6 | 864 | 5,184 | 12.96 | 9.20 |
| 4 | 525 | 2,100 | 7.87 | 3.73 |
| 3 | 955 | 2,865 | 14.32 | 5.08 |
| Total (even widths) | 6,669 | 56,361 | 100 | 100 |
| Uneven widths / chowks | — | 16,419 | — | — |
| Total including chowks | 6,669 | 72,780 | — | — |
Existing built form
The built form ranges from high-density row-house clusters to mixed-use buildings with shops below and houses above. Density is highest around Kirti Mandir, Sutaarvada, and Manek Chowk. Heights run from G to G+3; in the last five years, apartments up to G+6 have appeared.
Kirti Mandir block
The block sits on the western end of the LAP, 2.12 hectares, with Kirti Mandir, Kasturba Memorial, an urban square, two open plots, and a police station. Land use is about 33 percent residential and 34.3 percent roads — yet the area is still congested because of irregular street widths, unregularised otlas, and weak build-to-line control.
Street widths range from 14 m on Kirti Mandir Road to 1.53 m in inner residential lanes. The back road from Kasturba Memorial to Shitala Chowk averages only 1.8 m. Despite the heritage value, the urban local body has not provided parking, wayfinding, drinking water, or public-transport connections. Housing is overcrowded and poorly ventilated; some plots are as small as 15 sq m.
| Structure | Built-up area (sq m) |
|---|---|
| G | 217 |
| G+1 | 3,135 × 2 = 6,270 |
| G+2 | 4,382 × 3 = 13,146 |
| G+3 | 260 × 4 = 1,040 |
| Total | 20,673 |
Proposals
Accessibility
The aim is to improve access to every plot, with special care for protected monuments. The most significant widenings are Kirti Mandir Road and the 9 m road at the back. Remaining roads are widened to at least a serviceable minimum so fire engines and ambulances can reach every building.
Amalgamation and reconstitution of plots
Existing plots are too small to develop under comprehensive GDCR. Amalgamation and reconstitution produce developable sizes from 552 sq m to 2,339 sq m. In most cases the new plot sits on the old location. Buildings adjoining Kirti Mandir and Kasturba Memorial are left intact.
Proposed built form
Low-rise structures (up to 18 m) with commercial ground floors and residential upper floors. Internal layouts would be settled through public participation on each plot. G+1 façades would be similar across the CBD to rebuild a coherent fabric.
Advantages of the redevelopment model
Redevelopment under LAP provides FSI 3, against FSI 2 in comprehensive GDCR. Within the LAP there is no height restriction other than airport authority (clause 15.1 of comprehensive GDCR). Households gain floor space and options; overcrowding can be eased; parking is required as underground or surface space.
| Parameter | Existing | Proposed |
|---|---|---|
| FSI (plot) | — | 3 |
| FSI (gross) | 0.97 | 1.44 |
| Total plot area (sq m) | 12,982 | 12,706 |
| Total built floor space (sq m) | 20,673 | 30,659 |
| Streets | 34.30% | 35.59% |
Road hierarchy
Four street types: 15 m, 12 m, and 9 m vehicular, plus a 9 m pedestrian street. Blocks would have perimeters of 250–500 m to increase walkability. All new roads would have footpaths; a few purely pedestrian streets would carry linear parks and a regularised hawker zone. Front margins would be public domain so footpaths can maximise shop-front interaction.
Across the full LAP, plotted area moves from about 20.30 ha existing to 21 ha proposed. Plot sizes would range from about 700 sq m to 3,500 sq m.
| ROW | Length (m) | Area (sq m) | % length | % area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 m vehicular | 1,373 | 20,595 | 22.71 | 30.15 |
| 12 m vehicular | 1,528 | 18,336 | 25.28 | 26.84 |
| 13.5 m vehicular | 240 | 3,240 | 3.97 | 4.74 |
| 9 m vehicular | 2,156 | 19,404 | 35.67 | 28.41 |
| 9 m pedestrian | 748 | 6,736 | 12.37 | 9.86 |
| Total | 6,045 | 68,311 | 100 | 100 |
Building setbacks
Road-side and side margins are given a job. Compound walls are eliminated so the street meets the built form. Three setbacks relate to abutting road width and building height.
Density utilisation
FSI (free plus chargeable) is assigned by abutting road width. Plots on 15 m roads receive FSI 4; others FSI 3. Base FSI of 2 is free; the remainder is chargeable. Complete implementation would yield about 6.13 lakh sq m of built-up, against 4.15 lakh sq m existing.
Building massing and façade guidelines
New buildings in the CBD have ignored vernacular architecture, form, and materials. Façade guidelines therefore treat the G+1 of every roadside elevation. Elements are taken from existing built heritage: railing, inclined chajja, lancet window, balcony, and pointed-arch shop entrances. The module uses the golden ratio, 1.618.
Conclusions
Local Area Planning is a third tier of planning in India: micro-level work down to the plot. It deals with local issues Development Plans cannot solve, and can be used in dilapidated cores, walled cities, urban villages, and fast-growing urban centres.
LAP — Heritage Square — is Porbandar’s 28.14 ha CBD. The proposals, informed by a questionnaire survey, are:
- A new road layout on the existing pattern, with targeted widening, to unlock land-locked plots and recessed entries.
- Amalgamation and reconstitution so plots are large enough to redevelop (overall plotted allotment for development from 19.58 ha to 18.19 ha in that accounting).
- New road sections with on-street parking.
- FSI of 3 and 4 on proposed plots larger than 500 sq m, by adjoining road width.
- A shared G+1 façade based on the guidelines.
- Mixed-use built form: commercial on the ground floor, residents above.
- Road-side margins as public walkways, without compound walls on the street.
- Room for urban design projects: squares, parks, heritage conservation, and plaza redevelopment.
References
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