The Making and Unmaking of Chandigarh: A City of Two Plans by Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

SITING & NAMING CHANDIGARH

CHANDI MANDIR

CHANDIGARH- A CITY OF TWO PLANS

SECOND MASTER PLAN- LE CORBUSIER

PLANNING CHANDIGARH- LE CORBUSIER

TEAM WHICH BUILT CHANDIGARH

LE CORBUSIER’S MASTER PLAN City planned for a population of 0.5 million to be realized in 3 stages. Stage-I (S1) •

from Sector 1 to 30 covering 3642 hectares for 150000 population,

•

low density development of 41.12 persons per hectare with

•

high order of infrastructure / amenities. Land to be allotted on free hold basis

Stage-II (S2) • from Sector 31 to 47 covering 2428 hectares for 350000 population, high density development of 144.15 persons per hectare (3.5 times of stage 1) with lesser order of infrastructure and amenities. Land to be allotted on lease hold basis Stage-III (S3) • Re-densification of Stage-I (S1)- accommodate population exceeding 0.5 million without compromising with the quality of life.

FOREWORD

Chandigarh occupies a seminal position in the annals of modern architectural history and the contribution of one of the masters of modern architecture- Le Corbusier is an important benchmark in the development of India’s post- independence modern architecture. From the initial inputs from Albert Mayer and Matthew Novicki to the final implemented master plan of Corbusier, the journey of making of the city is very interesting. This book “Making and Unmaking of Chandigarh: City of two Plans” by Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta, traces and explores this duality and paradoxical existence of this seminal city. Jit Kumar Gupta, rightly acknowledges and puts on record, equally valuable contribution of Maxwell Fry, Jane Drew, Pierre Jeanneret and Er. P.L.Verma, along with others, who were actively involved in the making of Chandigarh. The interesting aspect of this e-books is, that it not only gives a detailed account of the making and unmaking of Chandigarh but also provides a valuable compilation of various articles, written and thoughts expressed by various stakeholders on the city. Jit Kumar Gupta, very skillfully weaves all of them in the context of making and unmaking of Chandigarh. He hopes that this effort of his will help readers arrive at innovative ideas in urban and city planning and extremely innovative and creative ideas used in Chandigarh, some of them still unexplored, un-experimented and left unused, need to be brought forth. I am sure the readers will not only find them interesting but will get benefitted by them. Chandigarh remains an experiment, one of its kinds, brought forward by a willing political leadership, local and central government and dedicated efforts of local architects and engineers. However, unfortunately such an effort did not set any precedent. Most of the Indian cities, new and

existing, did not emulate the extremely creative and vitally important aspects of city planning and architectural regulations. Had that happened, I am sure the quality of life of our fellow urban citizens would have been much better. I hope our readers including; city planners, policy makers, politicians and bureaucrat, will make efforts to emulate the thoughts that went into planning of Chandigarh, to make our cities more livable and would contribute positively in enhancing the quality of life our citizens. This book implores and leads you to the inner depths of the process of making of Chandigarh through a complex web of 17 chapters, with some rare and valuable orders and policies. I am sure Jit Kumar Gupta’s effort will light a flame in the right section of decision makers, to work towards making cities better places to live and enlighten the users-we common men- to demand better cities for better quality of life for our future generations. Habeeb Khan ________________________________________________________________________________ Ar. Habeeb Khan is a practising architect and academician, who is passionate about architecture being contextual, and makes a small attempt to improve the quality of life of fellow citizens through his architecture. His firm, Smita & Habeeb Khan Architects, based in Nagpur works towards this cause, committedly and passionately. He is the Director of Architecture at LTJSS, which runs two architectural colleges, PIADS in Nagpur and LTIADS in Navi Mumbai. He is currently the President of Council of Architecture, a statutory body of the Govt. of India, constituted under the Architects Act of 1972.

PREWORD

Planned as a finite and seamless city for a finite population, Chandigarh is known globally for its innovations and experimentations in the art and science of urban planning and architecture. Chandigarh has also been acknowledged as one of most successful cities and ranks high among the newly planned cities of the 20thcentury. Chandigarh has demonstrated its uniqueness as the best planned, developed and managed city in the country even after seven decades of its creation and remains the Mecca of Architecture worldwide. Planned as a Solar city on the doctrine of the CIAM charter of Athens 1933, Chandigarh has clearly demonstrated and faithfully re-established the efficacy and efficiency of grid-iron pattern as one of the best options of city planning. Planning with nature, using the natural triad of Sun, Space and Verdure, as the basic elements to make any city safe, sustainable and liveable, has been ably showcased and demonstrated by Chandigarh. Concept of periphery control to protect the city from the onslaught of haphazard development on the fringes and linking the city with its rural counterpart, remains the first and only example in the country of a city to be planned in the regional context. Chandigarh still remains the only city in the country, promising and providing basic amenities of life to all its citizens, including poorest of the poor, to lead a dignified life, by assuring the provision of potable piped water supply and sanitary based sewerage system. Self- contained and self-sustaining neighbourhood planning, followed and practised in Chandigarh in the shape of sectors , has emerged as the new norm for planning and decentralisation of activities in cities and new town ships. Looking at the entire context of planned urban growth and development in post-independent India, contributions made by Chandigarh remain both unique and universal. Chandigarh will be known, not only in the parlance of urban planning and development, most successful experiment ever made but also will be reckoned as a role model in the domain of urban management in India. Chandigarh also amply demonstrated and proved the Le- Corbusier dictum of , ‘Good Urbanism makes Good Money.’

I have known Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta since my College days as a Teacher, an Educator ,Moderator and an intellectual par excellence who has in- depth knowledge and insight into the Doctrine behind coming up of Chandigarh. His Ebook , ‘Making and Unmaking of Chandigarh- A City of Two Plans’ -by Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta, makes an attempt and tries to look, critically and objectively, at what went into making the capital city of Chandigarh , both unique and universal ,besides a great place to live and work. Book also looks at the march of the capital city of Chandigarh during its last seven decades of existence, in terms of the development challenges and issues faced by the city. Looking at the contents, I feel this e-Book will be a valuable addition to defining the vocabulary of Chandigarh, explaining what went into making the city a great urban experiment. Article defining the comparison of two master plans, based on which city was planned, opens a new window of thought and ideas and gives insight of the city ,had the first master plan by Albert Mayer, been implemented on ground. Acknowledging the fact, cities remain both difficult to explain and elaborate, l would like to congratulate Ar Jit Kumar Gupta, for bringing out the book and making value addition to the growing vocabulary of Chandigarh by bringing out numerous little known facets of the city through various articles in the eBook. Ar. Kapil Setia Chief Architect, Chandigarh Administration, UT.

PREFACE

Chandīgarh remains a city of crisis. It was conceived in crisis, born in crisis, grown in crisis and continues in crisis of population, poverty, politics and pollution. Despite all these crises, Chandigarh remains a role model in the domain of urban planning, architecture, urban design, landscaping and urban management. Assuring minimum quality of life even to the poorest of poor and offering basic amenities of life, Chandigarh remains the only city in the country, providing minimum two room accommodation, piped water supply, water borne sewerage, and sanitation system, metaled roads, assured electric supply etc to all the residents of the city. Known for experimentation and commitment of the professionals including, architects, town planners and engineers, who worked tirelessly, has made Chandigarh, one of the finest planned and developed cities, locally and globally, in the post -independent period. Despite limitations and constrains imposed by the non-availability of adequate financial resources, state of art construction technologies, construction machinery etc, Chandigarh showcased how profession of architecture, town planning and engineering can be effectively leveraged to create one of the finest examples of human settlement. Despite limitations defined above, Chandigarh invented a new typology of architecture, universally known as Chandigarh Architecture, based on the local climate, using locally available materials in the natural form, reinventing the use of brick, minimizing the use of glass and wood, using pre-fabrication, standardizing , adopting principle of sharing and clubbing etc, to make buildings and city not only cost-effective, time-efficient but also qualitative and role model in architectural and planning vocabulary. In addition to its innovative architecture, success of Chandigarh, as a unique urban experiment, can be largely attributed to the appropriateness and quality of site selected, which remains both unique and unparallel in the annals of city planning. Placed under the shadow of great Himalayas and enclosed by Sukhna and Patiali ki Rao Choes (two non-perennial rivers), there could not have been better site for locating new city. Credit for selecting unique site remains with the professionals and administrators of the government of India, Capital Project and Ambala District of state of Punjab, who were involved in the site selection process of the new capital city. Chandigarh remains a city of two plans and not that of one plan. We are doing great injustice by forgetting the valuable contribution made by the first team led by Albert Mayer and Methew

Nowicki, in the planning and designing of the new city which included; preparing first master plan; defining the new city traffic transportation network; positioning four major components of the city including Capitol, City Centre, University, Industrial area; detailing out the Capitol, City Centre ,Super bock; creating green network in the shape of twin parkways for the city; detailing network of services etc; The second Master Plan by Le- Corbusier, prepared in merely 96 hours, based on which city stands planned and developed, made use of the principles, approach and setting of major elements of city defined in the first master plan. Valuable work done by the first team of architects remains both unknown, muted and marginalized, which needs to be brought out from the closed chests of Chandigarh administration and duly acknowledged, for its role in laying down and defining agenda for making Chandigarh a great city. Credit for the success and glory of making of Chandigarh must go the wisdom and patronage of political leadership positioned at the centre and state levels, to create a new city instead of going for upgrading of an existing city. Credit should also be shared by the team of administrators, architects, engineers and professionals, who worked tirelessly and selflessly for the making new city a distinct reality. In addition to contribution made by Mons Le- Corbusier, enormous work done by Pierre Jenerette, who came on the project along with Le-Corbusier and continued to steer the project, during his stay for 14 long years as the Chief Architect of Chandigarh, remains most valuable and unique, but less acknowledged. But for him and his work, city would have never been what it stands today. Work done by Jane B Drew in planning of first residential Sector 22, including defining the principles of neighborhood planning; pattern of housing layouts; limiting number of entries ; creating central green; connecting neighborhood with nature and great mountains; making sector safe from traffic and self-contained in day to day needs; defining the mobility pattern; making use of 7Vs in the local planning; creating V4 shopping street; positioning of public buildings including healthcare, education etc;, remains both unique and universal, which laid down the framework of planning for other sectors of the city. Maxwell Fry along with Jane B Drew, both husband and wife team, running their own architectural practice, came for three years, contributed by defining the architectural vocabulary of Chandigarh by designing major institutions of healthcare, education, housing etc. They were also responsible for bringing Le- Corbusier as Architectural Advisor and as team leader of second team engaged for making of Chandigarh. In addition to the foreign experts, contributions made by the young Indian architects, planners and supporting professionals, working with them would also need recognition. Work done in the Capital Project of Chandigarh, both in quality and quantity, remains unique and unparallel in the annals of any government organization. Contribution made by Chief Engineer P L Verma to the construction and development of the city and buildings in the capitol complex and even in its planning and designing, remain most valuable and remarkable. He made the creation of Sukhna Lake, a district reality besides putting in place different types of architectural controls; setting a culture of high standards of construction; making of best quality materials including bricks etc. He was also responsible for selection of the site for the city; engaging and negotiating with the second team of architects for the city. Unfortunately, most successful Chandigarh model of city planning, development and management remains largely unexplored, ignored and unexplained. Setting up of a distinct and dedicated unit for planning, development and management for the new city, headed by a top bureaucrat Sh. P N Thapar ICS, duly supported by Chief Architect, Chief Engineer, Estate Officer and other supporting staff remains both unique, effective and efficient system of urban governance, which need documentation, detailed study and analysis for replication in the new cities. In addition, Chandigarh remains a unique example of city planning, where planned development based on the defined norms have been achieved without the creating and making provision and legal

framework for preparing the Master Plan. Success of the Chandigarh city can be largely attributed to the bulk acquisition of the land for the first stage of the city (9000Acres). City remains totally owned by government, where land was first allocated on free hold basis and then on the leasehold basis. City created a unique example of planning cities in the regional context, by creating a legal framework for preserving, planning and managing its periphery, with the help of Periphery Control Act, which placed the extent of periphery initially in the year 1952 at 8 kilometers , subsequently extended to 16 kilometers in 1964 , considering the intensity of development. City was able to protect its flora and fauna by preserving and protecting all its existing wealth of trees by enacting Tree Preservation Order. Visual pollution was planned to be checked by the Advertisement Control Order, which was made integral part of New Capital (Development& Regulations) Act. Simplified building bye-laws, Zoning Plans and Architectural Controls were largely used as the mechanism for the city planning, development and management of including sub-division of land, allocating use to the land divided and regulating the construction on the land so divided. Periphery Act remained most potent weapon till November, 1966, to check the unauthorized construction on the fringe of capital city of Chandigarh. However, with the reorganization of the state of Punjab and bi-furcation of periphery in 1966, with majority of periphery area going to state of Punjab (75%), Haryana getting 24% and only 4% area remaining with Chandigarh, periphery control lost its relevance, context, role and importance as protector of the city. It emerged as the biggest threat to the rational existing of the new city. Despite best of efforts made by Government of India to protect and promote the development of Chandigarh in the Regional context, states of Punjab and Haryana, have gone for the largescale urban development. Chandigarh Inter- state Capital Regional Plan, 2001, evolved in 1984 by the Town and Country Planning Organization of the Government of India, has remained only a paper tiger without any legal backing and states going ahead with urbanization policies and programs. State of Punjab has evolved a Regional Plan for the Mohali Region covering periphery are falling in the state of Punjab. Haryana has evolved a developed plan for its share of the Chandigarh periphery. Chandigarh, as it stands today, has not been fully explored, documented and explained for large number of innovations made in the domain of planning, designing and management of the new city. City has large number of innovations to its credit in making planning, designing and construction of buildings both cost effective, energy efficient, time-efficient and qualitative, which needs to be researched and brought out for learning and replication Despite all limitations, adverse conditions created, threats and challenges posed by the change of geo-political situation, created by bifurcation of the state of Punjab and making Chandigarh a centrally administered unit, with a limited area of 114 square kilometers, besides making it the capital of states of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh remains both a unique, distinct and a the most successful experiment in the city planning, designing, construction and management, both locally and globally. With the grant of heritage status by UNSECO on July 17,2016, Capitol Complex has been globally acknowledged as the most valuable heritage in the domain of built environment, within a short period of six decades of creation. Chandīgarh holds great value for the professionals and profession belonging to architecture and town planning, because city has put them on high pedestal of recognition by showcasing their role in making value addition to environment, ecology, economy, environment and quality of life. This eBook is never intended to explain the entire context of making of a Chandigarh along with its planning, designing, construction and management because cities remains most complex and dynamic entities, ever evolving, devolving and never static and never finished. Book remains a mere compilation of the various articles written by the author for the city both, individually and collectively;( involving Ar. Chitrangda Sharma, faculty Chandigarh College of Architecture for the article, “Role of Art in Chandīgarh Architecture” and Ar. Nishant Rai for being co-author in the

article, “Chandigarh experiment with Low Cost Housing”); over a period of time, watching capital city when coming to the city to join the Chandigarh College of Architecture in 1964 , as a student of architecture ;as a professional working in the domain of urban planning and engaged in the teaching and learning of architecture/ urban planning and as a resident of the city for last 56 years. Each article in the book remain separate, distinct and self-contained written in different contexts, and as such may contain repetition of thoughts and ideas. Since the span covering remains fairly large, so possibility of data reflected becoming old and irrelevant cannot be ruled out. eBook tries to bring out few of the unknown aspects of Chandigarh planning, designing, art and architecture, which needs deeper and further expansion and exploration for making available to the professionals, students of architecture and planning besides residents of the city beautiful for understanding the entire context and genesis of the making the capital city. Chandigarh, as a great experiment in urban planning makes a great teaching and learning, which needs to be expanded and explored for understanding the genesis of what makes a new city a success and what leads to its failure. This eBook; ‘Chandigarh-A City of Two Plans’, is the fifth eBook by the author. First eBook, ‘Planning and Designing of the State of Art Healthcare Facilities,’ was dedicated to the healthcare sector; whereas second eBook titled, ‘Making Cities Great Places to Live’, showcased the options for planning, designing safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities and towns. Third eBook titled, ‘Managing Unique Heritage of India- Issues and Options’, build the case for the role and importance of built heritage in defining human civilization and options that need to be exercised in order to preserve, conserve and promote the built heritage by making it integral part of the urban development process and adopting community-oriented approach to make it people centric. Fourth eBook on, ‘Housing for all in Urban India- Myths and Realities’, focused on looking at the issues and roadblocks which hinder the creation of adequate stock of housing and explores the options available to make availability of housing for all in the urban context a distinct reality. This eBook on Chandigarh, tries to look at the various aspect which went into planning and development of Chandigarh capital city in the historical perspective; looking objectively at the intent, content and scope of two master plans prepared for the city; detailing the principles which went into planning of the neighborhood planning; looking at the safety of sector planning; Factors which led the emergence of Chandigarh Architecture and bringing out the factors which were adopted to make the government housing both qualitative and cost-effective. This eBook, it is hoped, will help professionals and readers to understand the entire context of city planning and explore large number of innovative ideas promoted by Chandigarh, which still remains unexplored and not have seen the light of the day. In the making of this eBook, I would like to acknowledge and put on record my deep appreciation and gratitude for the valuable contribution made by Ar. Yamini Gupta, Assistant professor, Chitkara College of Architecture and Planning, Chitkara University. Despite her pre-occupation and prior commitments, Ar Yamini She helped me in compiling all the articles; putting them in proper order and giving it the shape of eBook. Her dedication, sincerity and commitment has made this eBook a distinct reality. Her contribution in making of this eBook remains both enormous and valuable. I would like to dedicate this eBook to the sacred memory of my mother, Late Smt Leela Gupta, who as a teacher made me where I stand today, despite all odds and hardships she faced in upbringing and educating me, and to my Late father Sh Ved Parkash Gupta, whose benevolence I was deprived off, in my early childhood. Jit Kumar Gupta Chandigarh September 23, 2020

CONTENTS

S.NO

ARTICLE

PAGE NO

PLANNING THE CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH: PROBLEMS, LESSONS AND PROSPECTS

CHANDIGARH- A CITY OF TWO PLANS

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING IN CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH- AN APPRAISAL

CHANDIGARH HOUSING

COST

DEFINING ROLE ART IN PROMOTING CHANDIGARH ARCHITECTURE

ART AS DEFINER AND PROMOTER OF ARCHITECTURE

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PERI-URBAN AREAS

UNTOLD STORY OF CHANDIGARH MASTER PLAN

EXPERIMENT

WITH

LOW

OPTIONS

FOR

STRATEGIES FOR MAKING CHANDIGARH A SMART CITY

MAKING AND UNMAKING OF CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH

102

IMPERATIVES FOR PLANNED CHANDIGARH PERIPHERY

108

VISION AND PROSPECT FOR THE CHANDIGARH SMART REGION

113

EMERGING SCENARIO OF CHANDIGARH DEVELOPMENT BY MAKING VILLAGES FALLING IN PERIPHERY PART OF CHANDIGARH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

117

PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE NEW CITIES IN INDIA

119

EDICT OF CHANDIGARH

128

THE CHANDIGARH TREES PRESERVATION ORDER, 1952

131

CHANDIGARH ADVERTISEMENT CONTROL ORDER, 1954

134

DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING THE CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH: PROBLEMS, LESSONS AND PROSPECTS

Ar. J.K. GUPTA

PLANNING THE CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH: PROBLEMS, LESSONS AND PROSPECTS 1.

INTRODUCTION 1.1

Human settlements in general and urban centers in particular have more often than not betrayed the planner’s perception of their growth and developmental processes. Chandigarh is no exception to this general rule of human limitation. There always emerges a gap between what is visualized and what actually comes up i.e. between vision and reality, because city growth and development is largely guided by the economic forces and these critical forces are highly unpredictable and dynamic in nature. Moreover, there is a distinct time gap between planning and development and this gap invariably leads to new realities emerging on the city scenario. Human behavior and their needs are very complex which makes the planning process highly vulnerable. Fast changing technologies, and means of transport and communication have added more uncertainties to the already hazy future and accordingly have made city planning very complex.

1.2

Emergence of large number of contradictions on city horizon poses new challenges to city planners in evolving appropriate plans, which minimize these contradictions and frictions. The Chandigarh of today poses this very dilemma to planners and experts to evolve appropriate strategies and framework for action, which will enable this city to grow in an orderly manner and maintain its distinct character, which planners conceived for this city beautiful. Search for appropriate solutions has assumed importance because the city is in crisis and in danger of fast losing its special identify.

PLANNING 2.1

Planned on a rigid, rectangular grid iron pattern of roads, half a mile apart in the east-west direction and three-quarters of a mile in the north-south direction, the Chandigarh plan promised basic amenities of life even to the poorest of the poor of its citizens to lead a dignified life. Safe from fast traffic, in easy reach of all needs of material, mental and moral sustenance and growth, surrounded by nature in an intimate community and yet part of a real city, this was the life dreamed of for the 5 lakh inhabitants to be brought into the city in two distinct phases of JIT KUMAR GUPTA

development. A distinct quality of life was accordingly assured to a distinct class of people to be housed in this capital city to be established on a terrain with great mountains to the north, and two rivers flowing approximately 7-8 kms. apart. The human life in the city was proposed to be compartmentalized and put into air-tight containers of working, living, care of body and spirit, known as SECTORS, each having human contents varying between 5,000 & 25,000, separated by fast moving traffic arteries known as V2 and V3 and connected with a central green flowing from south to north in the direction of great mountains. 2.2

The Master Plan of the city re-drawn by Le-Corbusier in four hectic days of inspired activity in February 1951, was largely based on the well-advanced master plan prepared by Albert Mayer. It changed the shape of the city from a leaf to a rectangle, reducing considerably the size of the city in the process. The basic unit of planning was changed from a super-block to sector based on the same neighborhood concept i.e. city within a city. The sector constituted an attempt to create space, which provided for day-to-day material and social needs of the citizens in easy reach of home, but at the same time linked to a larger scale of the city in terms of transport and services. The entire network of sectors was woven with a so-called efficient system of traffic and transportation governed by the rule of 7 Vs changed by adding V8 to suit the specific needs of the city. Sector planning was made introvert with no door opening on to V2 & V3. The focus of life within the sector was V4 – the shopping street -which was to contain amenities needed for catering to the material needs of the residents. The size and shape of the sector was based on considerations with focus on human beings and their welfare. The industrial area was placed on the south-east of the city to eliminate any possibility of heavy traffic entering the city. A 500 feet wide green belt provided an organic green to seal the residential sectors from industrial fumes and noise. Educational area occupied the north-west side with work centers concentrated in the Capitol Complex, City Centre, Sub-city Centre and along the major axis.

2.3

The Master Plan envisaged a distinct density pattern with density level much higher in the second phase as compared to the first phase.

An effective

mechanism of controlling and safeguarding the space around the new city from the onslaught of haphazard growth and development was provided by declaring an

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

area of 5 miles which was subsequently increased to 10 miles as periphery area. Tree preservation order and advertisement control order were issued to protect trees and to regulate the display area. These in nut-shell were the planning and protective mechanisms evolved to safeguard the quality of life in the city of tomorrow’s India.

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS 3.1

During the short span of 45 years of its existence, Chandigarh has the distinction of achieving number of mile-stones which range from achieving substantial degree of growth and development as per the provisions of the Master Plan, achieving its projected and targeted population of 5 lakh, making provisions of a sufficiently high order of amenities and services, ensuring much better quality of life to the residents, setting high norms and standards of planning and development, creating awareness about the importance of planned growth and to prove good urbanism makes good money. These mile-stones have been achieved despite tremendous population and developmental pressures which the city was able to cope effectively and efficiently in the face of unforeseen developments emerging out of changes in geo-political situation of the region in 1966. the city in the recent past has started showing signs of enormous stress due to ever increasing population pressure, rapidly transforming urban form, fast changing class-structure and ever increasing unplanned and unforeseen physical and economical activities. There is an urgent need of quantifying these stresses and suggesting appropriate strategies to minimize them.

3.2

One of the major problems facing the city is the enormous population growth both of the city and that of the adjoining areas. There is also rapid increase in the floating population, which come to work, and avail of the services in the city. The sum total of all this has already exceeded the planned population. In fact, it is this increase in human numbers, which is causing anxiety to planners and administrators. Distribution of population within the city has not been orderly. Few sectors have become over crowded whereas in few others the density is very low. Sector 20 has the highest population of 26,079 persons whereas Sector 9 has a population of only 2,613 persons. These population differences are basically due to the planning of these sectors arising on account of larger and smaller sized plots provided therein. In fact, the entire city can be stratified in different zones of

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

high density and low density with density increasing as we go toward the south. The southern most sectors have been planned with highest density. Unfortunately, in Chandigarh, no attempt was ever made to distribute the planned population all over the city and sector planning was thus an exercise merely to carve out first bigger plots then reducing the size of plots and now providing flats without considering its impact on the quality of life and social fabric of the city. By virtue of the planning process adopted, the city has a social stratification, which clearly defines areas of different quality of life. The new kind of planning which is being undertaken in sectors 48 & 49 (for co-operative societies) is going to create enormous population pressure on the city services. In these sectors, areas under green spaces have been drastically cut down whereas number of dwelling units have been increased tremendously. All this call for looking at the entire planning mechanism of the city if it is to be saved from further stratification. The city now needs to be planned rather than designed with planning not made subjective but governed by latest innovations. A group of experts may be assigned to undertake the job. Creation of an effective system for planning and monitoring the city growth would help in promoting orderly growth of the city. City is now ripe for the study to be undertaken for stage three i.e. Re-densification of Stage-One, which was suggested by Le-Corbusier to absorb the future growth of population of the city. 3.3

Root cause of Chandigarh’s problems has been that Chandigarh planning and development has been seen in isolation compared to the development of its periphery and region. In fact, what happens in Panchkula, and Mohali is bound to affect Chandigarh. Any population pressure in Mohali and Panchkula will in turn pressurize the city services and road network and unless and until a coordinated approach for planning and development of Chandigarh.

Mohali, Panchkula,

Mani-Majra and Chandi-Mandir is adopted rational growth of the city cannot be ensured. The Creation of High-Powered Committee of two states and U.T., which should take all vital decisions of growth and development of these cities is absolutely essential. A coordinated and mutually supportive approach would be a pre-requisite for ensuring orderly growth in the region. Punjab and Haryana should be asked to develop office complexes and create housing for their employees in Mohali and Panchkula and shift their directorate and other

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

non-essential offices to those areas. Further the level of educational and other services to be created in Mohali and Panchkula should be brought at par with that of Chandigarh so as to reduce pressure on Chandigarh. More investment must flow to Panchkula and Mohali for ensuring their optimum growth. 3.4

Traffic problems within the city area have to be viewed in the context of city planning. The city plan conceives zoning the city into distinct areas earmarked for living, working and leisure and accordingly one would have to travel for going to place of residence or to go for leisure etc. Thus, travel is inherent in the city plan. Unfortunately, this travel component assumes complex proportions with the growth of the city and accordingly people are subjected to long and unnecessary travel. This leads to congestion and pollution besides making the city highly energy inefficient.

In order to minimize travel in the city area, it would be

desirable to decentralize work centers and provide basic amenities at the local level of an appropriate order.

Mixed zoning needs to be adopted to reduce

distances between different components of human activities if the city is to be saved from traffic chaos of the future. 3.5

Besides taking care of the intra-city traffic by rationalizing the land use pattern within the city, it would be crucial to effectively manage the inter-city traffic also. This would require the city to be seen in the larger context i.e. region. The present alignment of NH-21 passes through the most crowded part of the city is creating large number of problems by allowing through traffic to flow within the city. In order to take care of the inter-city traffic, following suggestions are made: a) All missing links between Chandigarh and Mohali should be completed immediately to ensure dispersal of traffic. b) Additional linkages with Panchkula should be created so as to ensure smooth flow of traffic between these two areas and also to reduce pressure on Madhya Marg. If this is not done the city would be in crisis. c) New link from Kurali should be created via Siswan-Mulanpur to Baddi (H.P.) area so as to divert entire traffic meant for Himachal Pradesh. d)

Present alignment of bye-pass of NH-21 passing through the city should be immediately changed and shifted out of the city. The present bye-pass should be realigned to take off from Ghaggar. It should also bye-pass Zirakpur, Mohali and Kharar to meet the Chandigarh-Ludhiana and

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Chandigarh-Ropar-Mandi road to cater to the needs of the traffic meant for Patiala, Ludhiana, Ropar, Hoshiarpur and H.P. e)

The existing

Ambala-Banur-Landran-Kharar

road

needs to be

strengthened and upgraded to take care of all the traffic coming from Delhi and going towards Ropar, Hoshiarpur, Mandi etc. 3.6

Chandigarh promised basic amenities of life even to the poorest of the poor to lead a dignified life but as the things stand today 9.08% of its population lives in slums. Thus, every eleventh man in the city leads an undignified life. Recent survey conducted by the Estate office shows an estimated 19,210 jhuggies, which exist in Chandigarh. Growth of the slums has been phenomenal in the past despite the recent programme undertaken by the Administration to slums dwellers on a large scale. The experience of all other cities in the country including Delhi is not different on this account. What needs to be seen is who are the people who come to this city and squat on the government land. There is an urgent need to check this cancerous growth before it may adversely affect the quality of life in the city. Rehabilitation of slums within the city area as has been done in case of Sector 56 in Palsora would be disastrous (3800 units in 50 acres) and needs an immediate review. Solving this problem would require both preventive and curative measures. Strict enforcement against encroachment, provision of land for low income group within the sectors, review of allotment and rehabilitation policy and checking connivance of officials in the growth of slums are the few factors which can lead to appropriate solutions. If the city is threatened by residential slums, growth of commercial slums has also gone unabated. Uncontrolled growth of Rehri Markets in each sector has eaten away vital green spaces provided at the sector level and created numerous problems. Present policy of appeasement and providing constructed booths on ownership basis have given further impetus to the mushrooming growth of these unauthorized markets. Factors like land disposal policy of auction adopted for commercial sites, lack of commercial space at local level, concentration of shopping in the shopping street and lack of small shops are some reasons for the growth of these commercial slums. In order to tackle this menace, it would be desirable to earmark larger areas under commercial use, create larger number of commercial sites, increase proportion of booths considerably, disperse commercial area in different corners of the sector, provide

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

space for day markets at sector level and review the land disposal policy of commercial sites. 3.7

If the city is threatened by residential slums, growth of commercial slums has also gone unabated. Uncontrolled growth of Rehri Markets in each sector has eaten away vital green spaces provided at the sector level and created numerous problems. Present policy of appeasement and providing constructed booths on ownership basis have given further impetus to the mushrooming growth of these unauthorized markets. Factors like land disposal policy of auction adopted for commercial sites, lack of commercial space at local level, concentration of shopping in the shopping street and lack of small shops are some reasons for the growth of these commercial slums. In order to tackle this menace, it would be desirable to earmark larger areas under commercial use, create larger number of commercial sites, increase proportion of booths considerably, disperse commercial area in different corners of the sector, provide space for day markets at sector level and review the land disposal policy of commercial sites.

3.8

Another ever growing problem which should cause considerable anxiety and concern to the custodians of the city is the uncontrolled, unchecked, unhindered and unregulated development and growth of 4 villages which fall within the planned sectors of the city. These four villages have a combined population of 27,025 (1991) with Burail alone recording a population of 16,000.

It is

unfortunate that a decision was taken to retain these villages and allow their unplanned growth. A look at these villages shows the quality of life available and how mushroom growth is taking place there. In the absence of appropriate and basic amenities these villages have become a source of nuisance to the adjoining planned area.

It is high time that development within these villages and

conversion of land use in them is effectively managed and regulated otherwise these villages would ultimately become hot beds of speculation and would have commercial development of substandard nature which may adversely affect the safety of the area. These villages need to be properly planned and developed and provided with basic amenities for effective integration with nearby residential areas. Decision to retain/acquire other villages falling in future sectors should be taken in the light of experience gained in other cities.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

3.9

Provision of green spaces in the sector were basically meant to provide lungs to the area and for developing areas of leisure. But as it stands today green spaces have become largely eye-sores. In fact, maintenance and upkeep of green spaces is very expensive and needs constant care and upkeep. In the initial planning, sectors were provided with large green spaces, which were subsequently reduced considerably.

However, no norms and standards for open spaces have been

evolved for sector planning so far. In order to effectively manage and protect the open spaces it would be desirable to involve the community who should be made custodians of such open spaces, to protect and safeguard it against any possible misuse, conversion and encroachment. Carving out Institutional sites out of green spaces needs to be avoided and its conversion for residential or commercial use should be prohibited. However, proper norms and standard for green spaces, their size, shape and location in the residential area keeping in view their optimum utilization should be worked out and incorporated in the future planning. 3.10

In recent times, cult of encroachment, conversion of land uses and unauthorized construction has gained considerable momentum. The areas ripe for such misuse are largely the houses developed by Chandigarh Housing Board. This needs to be checked. Construction and development by Housing Board must be brought under effective control so as to ensure their effective merger with other surrounding areas. Housing Boards must not exercise any control on the development of the area, which should vest with the Estate Office. The designs and layout plans evolved by Housing Board also need closer scrutiny so as to minimize the elements of misuse. Housing Board should not be allotted land abutting the sector roads or along shopping streets or major arteries so as to minimize their misuse. Allowing resumption of houses where misuse occurs should be only after corrective measure are taken or punishing the owners of such houses should be effectively resorted to, to minimize misuse.

3.11

Corbusier’s novel idea of making Chandigarh a unique city with regard to providing food to the city population on a co-operative basis still remains confined to papers only. If this idea was realized many fruit and vegetable make shift shops would not have existed and city would have looked much cleaner than what it looks now. It would have saved not only administration from the Rehri menace but would have benefited the inhabitants of Chandigarh immensely.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

3.12

Another critical area which has emerged in the context of development of Chandigarh is its periphery which was initially meant to provide all basic and day to day needs of the new city. However, after re-organization of state of Punjab in 1966, when Chandigarh became Union Territory (a centrally administered unit) with capital of two states of Punjab and Haryana and its periphery area got divided into three parts with majority of share going to state of Punjab and Haryana. The sanctity of periphery was violated with impunity with large scale unauthorized constructions coming up within the periphery. The extent of magnitude of unauthorized constructions can be gauzed from the fact that during last 30 years more than 15,000 such violations have been detected in the state of Punjab alone. Situation in Haryana and Chandigarh is no better. The uncontrolled, haphazard, unauthorized, sub-standard developments in peripheral area has created enormous pressure on city infrastructures and has also adversely affected quality of life in and around the beautiful city of Chandigarh.

3.13

After re-organization of state of Punjab and tri-furcation of periphery, Punjab established new township of SAS Nagar with a planned population of 2.5 lakh and Panchkula was established by Haryana in close vicinity of Chandigarh for a population of 1.5 lac within the periphery area. Both these towns have already achieved a population of one lac each and because of lot of developmental pressures they are being expanded continuously by adding more and more areas. The original concept of Corbusier to contain the city growth to 47 sectors has already been violated and number of sectors have already gone up to 81 (almost double the number originally planned for). SAS Nagar is fast emerging as an industrial town with more than 1200 hectare going for both medium and heavy industries. As such the total character of Chandigarh and its surrounding areas is undergoing drastic changes with a large urban agglomeration emerging on the otherwise placid area meant for agriculture etc. Because of paucity of basic infrastructures in the new towns of SAS Nagar and Panchkula (which are in the process of development) the pressure on infrastructures in Chandigarh is growing large and large. Deficiency in delivery of urban services and its mismanagement are becoming obvious. In the absence of any coordinated approach to the planned development by three state administrations, growth and development of Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Panchkula is becoming lopsided.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

LESSONS

4.1

Chandigarh despite numerous problems and adversities convey number of messages and offers lessons to the planner, architect, engineers and administrators in the context of planning, development and management of urban settlements so as to enable such settlements to achieve the goal of optimum human welfare besides providing a certain quality of life to its residents. These messages could be summed up as under: 1) No city is finite; therefore, it would be wrong on the part of planners to assume and plan for a Finite City. A city must be planned to cater to any unforeseen growth and development and must be able to absorb any shock caused by developmental forces. It must be planned on a module, which leads to an inbuilt system of flexibility in the planning process without adversely affecting the basic fabric of the city. 2) It is easy to think of a small city with a population of 5 lacs with a ten miles periphery of green belt for keeping the city supplied with essential nutrients. But in practice it does not work. The real challenge is to evolve a city system which can expand and yet maintain a green edge which keeps the city supplied with food and keeps the nature close by. 3) Compartmentalization of human activities should invariably be avoided. This leads to increased travel needs resulting in wastage of time and resources besides causing enormous travel stress on human beings. Planning for the entire gamut of human activities considering them as an ‘integrated whole’ would be very vital for creating cities which are highly energy efficient by considerably reducing the travel needs of the people. Mechanism of mixed zoning instead of rigid zoning needs study and application in the siting and location of different uses and functions in the city to minimize traffic requirements. 4) Inter and intra-city traffic must be planned on different footings. The two must not be allowed to mix in order to avoid chaos in traffic in the city area. 5) Planning, development and management of a city cannot be viewed in isolation. It has to be viewed in the larger i.e. regional context. Planning of city and region must be done in an integrated manner. A common authority for city and region would be a pre-requisite to ensure optimum growth of city and its region. 6) Research and Development must be made an integral part of all planning, development and management processes. Permanent R & D machinery must be set

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

up to ensure orderly planning and development of any city. This would help in eliminating many pitfalls, which are caused due to decisions based on subjectivity and lack of information. 7) Rigid developmental controls always lead to stagnation and violations. Controls must be reviewed periodically and updated to keep pace with changing needs and aspirations of the people and society so as to achieve the desired objective of orderly growth and development. 8) Short-term city development plans should be prepared for proper growth. Long term perspective plans have led to stagnation of planning and developmental efforts in the face of rapidly changing needs and technologies. 9) A committed and dedicated team of experts considerably helps in ensuring planned development of any settlement and is a pre-requisite if continuity of planned growth is to be ensured.

Higher planning input is of paramount importance for promoting

planned growth of the city. 10) Planning and development of a new city should not be handled by a single person but should be made a collective effort of a group of experts in order to eliminate elements of subjectivity and to ensure continuity of thought and action. 11) A unified planning, development and management machinery/ agency always helps in promoting orderly growth of the city and to ensure provision of basic amenities and services. 12) Large scale acquisition of land in the initial stages of the project always helps in smooth planning and development of the city.

It also helps in generating vital

financial resources for city development maintenance, upkeep and provision of higher order of basic amenities, services and infrastructure. 13) The city must make provision for the service sector of the city, which is vital for the maintenance and upkeep of the city services. Ignoring this sector invariably leads to unauthorized construction, encroachment and growth of slums etc. 14) No city has one finite plan. It is the product of series of plans which are evolved over a period of time to take care of changing realities and dynamism of urban settlements. Any stagnation of planning effort or rigidity in approach leads invariably to lopsided development of new cities.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

CHANDIGARH- A CITY OF TWO PLANS

Ar. J.K. GUPTA

CHANDIGARH – A CITY OF TWO PLANS Could you ever think of city beautiful Chandigarh, being a leaf shaped city, with all curved and radial roads, planned as a traditional Indian city with bustling bazaars, without wonderful Sukhna lake, having no sector, without ceremonial Jan Marg, without bustling Madhya Marg and without vibrant shopping streets V4 with Sukhna choe lost in the haze and glory of Capitol complex. This would have been a distinct reality, had the first master plan prepared by Albert Mayer would have been implemented to make the capital city a reality. Historically looking, Chandigarh remains the product and synthesis of two distinct but diametrically different master plans (in thought, approach, intent, content, planning and architecture), prepared for the city by the American and French architects. First Master Plan of Chandigarh owes its evolution to an American Architect Albert Mayer, selected by the then Prime Minister of India Late Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru to make Chandigarh to be the finest planned and designed city in India, which was drawn in collaboration with Ar Methew Nowicki, a polish architect settled in Tokyo in the year 1949. First plan shows clearly the influence of principles and pattern of American planning with basic residential unit defined by Superblock. Second Master Plan of Chandigarh was prepared by- Le Corbusier-a Swiss Architect settled in Paris, who was appointed to replace the first team due to sudden death of Methew Nowicki- which has been implemented on site. Present city of Chandigarh owes its existence and glory to the second Master Plan prepared by Le-Corbusier in a short span of 96 hours after having a feel of the site; despite the fact Corbusier was hired to implement the first Master plan which was already approved by the government. In fact, second Master Plan prepared, in the year 1951, by Le- Corbusier used the first Master Plan as the base plan for evolving the second plan. Second plan of Corbusier shows the distinct influence of French planning and the principles of city planning defined by CIAM-International Congress of Modern Architects- a forum created by group of eminent architects headed by Corbusier which worked on defining the principles and approach to planning, designing and mobility of the future cities of machine age/ industrial era. It will be both interesting and learning besides making value addition to our knowledge and understanding of making of the capital city, how with the change of design team, Chandigarh underwent a total change in planning and designing framework and how different Chandigarh would have looked had Mathew Nowicki not died in the tragic air crash in August 1950 and Le- Corbusier was not hired to implement the approved master plan of Albert Mayer. Based on the limited study, understanding and analysis carried out of the two master plans, it can be clearly seen that had capital city Chandigarh been built based on the first master plan, the city would have looked totally different, operated in a different manner, with different quality of life available to the inhabitants. Paper tries to visualise, the impact of the first master plan of Chandigarh prepared by Ar Albert Mayer, in terms of urban planning, designing, architecture, shape, size, urban landmarks, residential, commercial areas, traffic and transportation, landscaping etc.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

1. APPROACH TO CITY PLANNING ● Both plans differ in approach, intent, content, scope, shape, size, planning, transportation etc but have number of commonalities. Both plans, agree in terms of the location of the four major elements of the Capital city—Capitol, City Centre, University and Industrial area. ● First plan would have made city more traditional and vernacular with large traditional Indian components used in planning and designing the city. Second Master Plan focussed on making new city both futuristic, a city for the machine age and a role model for future urban development (planning and architecture) in India. ● Defining element of the city fabric in first master plan was the Super- block whereas in the second master plan was the Sector. ● First master plan looks more natural, responding positively to site considering the shape along with the natural elements defining the site. Second master plan looked more mechanical and geometrical ,looking at the contours of the site. ● Focussing on nature and natural elements was found to be of lower order in the first master plan as compared to the second master plan which believed in planning the city with nature and the triad of natural elements of Sun, Space and Greenery besides connecting city with Shivalik range of hills through central greens provided in all sectors.

2. SHAPE OF THE CITY ● Going by the first Master plan of Albert Mayer- Chandigarh would have been a leaf/fan shaped city, with curved and radial network of roads, parkways and super block as the basic unit of residential planning, defining the city rather than a rectangular city based on mechanical Grid-Iron pattern with straight roads cutting at a defined distance and a network of central greens connecting city with Shivalik range of hills in the second master Plan .

3. AREA OF THE CITY ● Chandigarh as a city would have been land inefficient with first master plan occupying greater area( 18000 Acs) as against 15,000 Acs used by the second master plan, for housing a population- envisioned to be 0.5 million in both cases.

4. POPULATION DENSITY ● Differential population density of 25, 50. 75 persons per acre for residential pockets was planned for the three segments of Super- block reserved for HIG, MIG and LIG components in the first master plan ● Second Master Plan envisioned planning of the city comprising of two stages S1 & S2, with distinct pattern of densities for each stage . Lower density was envisaged for the first phase, S1 ( 17 persons/acre- 1,50,000 population in 9000 acs) and higher density was proposed for the second stage S2( 59persons/acre- 3,50,000 population in 6, 000acs). However, Corbusier also proposed stage three- S3, which involved JIT KUMAR GUPTA

re-densification of S1, if city population ever exceeded planned population of 0.5 million. ● Second Master Plan designed city as a mosaic, with densities increasing while travelling from North to South, away from the hills, while no such variation was planned in the first master Plan. ● First Plan would have made city more balanced, physically and socially, as compared to divide created now in the city between Stage-1 ( Sectors1-30) and Stage -2( Sectors 31-47) of development.

5. LIVING- RESIDENTIAL UNIT ● If first Master Plan would have been in place -Sectors would have been missing and superblocks would have defined the Chandigarh living, structure and fabric of the city ● Size and population of the super-block 0.5 Sqkm (500mx!000m) would have been half that of sector 0.96 Sqkm ( 800x1200m) with number of basic units-superblocks getting multiplied by a factor of two. ● Instead of four divisions of the sector ( area 24 Hect appx), the super-block would have three horizontal divisions of 17 hect, only. Reduced size of super-block would have made city more socially vibrant ● Superblocks in a group of 3, would have held 3500 families whereas Sectors as a residential unit has large population variations ranging between 5,000-25000, depending on the size and location. ● Considering the population and the size, Super-block may have made neighbourhood units physically more compact, socially more vibrant, cohesive and balanced due to mixing of residential housing of all categories including- HIG, MIG and LIG and smaller size of the unit as compared to the existing sectors . ● Pattern of housing envisioned in the first master plan was to locate residential units around a central green with housing categories restricted to three whereas in the second plan, houses of 14 categories were planned as terraced/ row housing with green spaces distributed in the sector. ● Super -blocks would have remained disconnected due to the absence of planned central vertical greens ● With large number of LIG housing provided by making them integral part of neighbourhood units, city may had lesser incidences of slums.

6. SUKHNA LAKE – ARTIFICIAL WATER FEATURE OF CITY ●

ity would have missed its most valued possession- beautiful Sukhna Lake, gift of C the creator to the resident of the city beautiful, important water features and tourist hub-- had the first master plan been implemented- with Sukhna choe getting divided into two layers- one forming part of the capitol Complex.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

7. CAPITOL COMPLEX ● First Master Plan positioned capitol complex as the crowning glory of the city, occupying the apex position at the base of Shivalik hills. Capitol was planned to be an eco-friendly, cleaner and greener complex of four buildings with a permanent water feature ( part of Sukhna choe) forming integral part of its planning and designing. ● Second Master Plan by Le- Corbusier—shifted capitol complex to the leftnorth-west- to free Sukhna choe from the Capitol, to create the great artificial water body- Sukhna lake by putting a dam for storing water

8. INDUSTRIAL AREA ● First Master Plan placed little emphasis on the Industrial area by allocating much smaller portion of the city in the Eastern direction for industries. However, in the second master plan Industrial area was shifted to the North- East direction with much larger component of the city earmarked for industries.

9. CIRCULATION ● Road pattern and travel in the city would have been defined by radial and curvilinear roads as against existing straight lines . ● City would have missed Rule of 7 Vs- Rui- da-vitante, amended to include V8bc -to accommodate the two wheelers. ● Shopping street- V4-would have been lost to posterity with superblocks replacing sectors. Shopping would have been more like traditional Indian bazaars with shops located within the superblocks. ● City structure would have been defined by major roads comprising of two vertical axis and four horizontal ones instead of one vertical and four horizontal margs. Fast curvilinear roads around, with footpaths and cycle tracks within defined the travel pattern around and within for super blocks. ● City would have missed Margs and Paths- there would have been no Janmarg, Madhya Marg, Uttar Marg, Dakshin Marg, Sarovar Path, Udyog Path etc because of the planning of road network. ● City would have large increase in the number of conflict points with increased number of crossings. Instead of one there would have been two entries from vertical roads to each of the superblocks ● First master plan planned a circular road around the city which would have worked both as collector and distributor of through traffic, making mobility in the city more rational.

10.CITY GREENS ● Known for its green spaces, Chandigarh would have been missing its vertical green belts within the sector because of planning and designing of the super-blocks in the city. Instead, residents would had central green spaces enclosed by housing clusters / institutions etc. JIT KUMAR GUPTA

● City edges would have been lot greener with Green belts defining the outer edges of the city-separating the city from Patiali–ki-Rao & Sukhna Choe ‘ ● City might have missed its great green lung running vertically across the city- Leisure Valley along with major institutions like museum, stadiums, garden etc located as a part of the great valley, if second master plan would not have been implemented.

FIRST MASTER PLAN - CHANDIGARH- ALBERT MAYER

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

PLAN OF SUPER BLOCK - ALBERT MAYER

● Super block having 500 m x 1000 m dimensions ● Each super block consisting of three blocks which contained-- housing, schools, shopping centres others amenities ● Types of housing – Inter-mixing of Low, Middle and High income groups

SECOND MASTER PLAN – CHANDIGARH – LE CORBUSIER

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

PLAN OF SECTOR –LE- CORBUSIER ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Sector having 800 m x 1200 m dimensions Planned on human scale on a module 400m Planned introvert Limited entries--Four , one from each side Each Sector – self sufficient in day to day needs-- housing, schools, shopping centres others amenities Types of housing –Inter-mixing of government /private Central Green connecting residents with Hills/Sector Planned on the analogy of city within city- self sufficient in day to day needs still part of larger city Planned to keep all fast moving traffic on the periphery- permitting slow moveing traffic inside V4- shopping streets containing all the basic amenities

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING IN CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH- AN APPRAISAL

Ar. J.K. GUPTA Dr. RASHMI ASTT

NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING IN CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH- AN APPRAISAL ABSTRACT Neighborhood as an idea, concept, option and strategy has been extensively used globally by Architects and Urban Planners to plan and decentralize cities, create cities within cities, promote self-contained communities and to make cities more humane, safe and socially interactive. Accordingly, large typologies of neighborhood planning and designing with varying shapes, sizes and contents have emerged in the urban context with Americans using superblock and French using Sector for the neighborhood planning. Despite high degree of relevance, neighborhood planning has not been able to deliver the envisioned objectives. Cities in the process have been socially and physically fragmented, leading to clear division into different communities with little physical and social connectivity. Variance of planning and designing norms followed at neighborhood and sub-neighborhood levels have promoted more dichotomy and contradictions with varying quality of life. Differential population and infrastructures have divided the city into high- and low-end neighborhoods. City fabric in large cases has emerged as distinct social map of communities graded on the area/location basis with neighborhood planning emerging as instrument of social segregation/division. Neighborhood has been used in the planning of capital city of Chandigarh (India) with entire city fabric woven around Sector as the basic unit. In order to understand the neighborhood planning in the context of Chandigarh, paper would aim at looking, critically and objectively, entire context of sector planning with focus on basic philosophy and approach followed by eminent Architect Le Corbusier and his team in all three phases of city development, bringing out the issues, efficacy and efficiency of Neighborhood unit and its impact on growth and development of the Chandigarh in the present context. Keywords: Neighborhood, communities, urban planning, decentralization

1. INTRODUCTION Neighborhood, as a geographically localized community within large city, town, suburb having considerable face-to-face interaction among members, has been promoted as a concept, approach, strategy and option for ensuring safety of children and elders, walking to schools and playgrounds in industrial cities of early nineteenth century in America. Clarence Perry envisioned neighborhood as a model for residential development in metropolitan areas, to plan safer cities and safer communities against the uncontrolled and unregulated vehicular traffic. Neighborhood was designed to provide a framework for urban planners attempting to design functional, self-contained and desirable neighborhoods in industrializing cities besides creating new residential communities which satisfies social, administrative and service requirements for satisfactory urban existence. However, over a period of time concept evolved to serve the broader purpose of providing a distinct identity to communities besides offering designers a framework for disseminating the city into smaller suburbs.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Concept which had its origin in USA, with variable degree and variable contours, over the years has been used extensively, both locally and globally, by planners and architects to provide a framework and model for developing residential communities and to promote healthy social and physical relationship besides creating functional, self-contained and desirable units with appropriate quality of life. The concept of the neighborhood unit has been used extensively and forms a notable aspect of designs of the new town movement. However, despite variations used in creating neighborhood units, the basic concept and variety of institutional, social and physical design principles of neighborhood planning enunciated by Perry remain universal. These principles provide specific guidelines for the spatial distribution of residences, open spaces, community services, streets and businesses involving well defined boundaries, safety from vehicular traffic, promoting pedestrianization, keeping vehicular traffic on fringe, providing assured level of open spaces, community facilities based on defined norms for a defined population with primary school as the focus of community. William E. Drummond - a central architect in Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio advocated neighborhood unit to be the organizing basis of the whole city; to be regarded as a unit in the social and political structure of the city. Accordingly, the neighborhood unit, as a model for residential environments containing community facilities, parks, local shopping and housing, has revolutionized the basic approach to city planning promoting decentralization, minimizing travel, rationalizing traffic and equitable distribution of community facilities and amenities based on population. Concept has made urban planning more objective and inclusive, promising assured quality of life to all residents of the city. The neighborhood unit, as a comprehensive physical planning tool, has also helped in promoting community centric life, away from the pollution, smoke and ugliness of industrial plants. However, despite distinct advantages neighborhood has also promoted fragmentation of cities promoting dichotomy and contradictions in their planning, development and management. Looking at the variations in the growth and development of cities one can visualize that neighborhood has also been used as a planning tool to promote discrimination and differential quality of life for the various income groups in the cities. This calls for looking at the concept both critically and objectively in order to make it more rational.

2. PRINCIPLES GOVERNING NEIGHBOURHOOD 2.1 Human Scale Looking at the entire context, Perry tried to put in place a clear agenda for defining and planning of the neighbourhood unit. Considering the context of safety, he stressed the need of adopting human scale based on walkability in order to fix the size of neighbourhood. Based on the observations and data available, he concluded that a child could walk about one-quarter of a mile and no more than one half mile within a time span of 10 minutes without being stressed. This distance, he found sufficient for excluding the major arterial street in the planning. Making school as the fulcrum of the community, the size of NH unit was placed at 160 acres. This area, based on a density of ten units per acre, could easily house a population of 5000 to 9000, sufficient to support the provision of a school and other amenities which could also be used by the community for neighbourhood meetings and JIT KUMAR GUPTA

activities. Perry envisioned to make neighbourhood, school centric based on the human scale with mobility leveraged by walking. 2.2 Exclusion Perry critically considered the role and importance of mobility in the communities and came to the conclusion that if the neighbourhood unit is to be made safe, healthy, free from the curse of noise and pollution, then it will be essential to exclude vehicles from invading the community area. Accordingly, he suggested the adoption of approach based on,’ Planning for people and not for vehicles’, which called for excluding heavy and fast vehicular movement from the neighbourhood unit.’ 2.3 Edges Based on the principle of exclusion, the third principle enunciated for defining neighbourhood was to place arterial streets along the perimeter so as to eliminate unwanted through-traffic from the neighbourhood. In this way, major arterial roads became the definers of the neighbourhood unit rather than its divider. 2.4 Mobility Perry advocated the need for adopting a well-defined pattern of road network for the internal mobility in order to make it safe. He focussed on the reduction of the number of vehicles moving within the neighbourhood besides limiting their speed. To achieve this he suggested the adoption of narrow and curvilinear street design for both safety and aesthetic purposes. Such streets, by design, would discourage unwanted through traffic and enhance the safety of pedestrians by rationalising their speed. 2.5 Shopping For stopping and excluding non-local traffic, Perry proposed that local shopping area should be placed on the perimeter or to the main entrance of the neighbourhood. Locating shopping on the fringe will not only stop the entry of vehicles but will also eliminate the need for providing parking vehicles coming for shopping. 2.6 Open Spaces Perry considered open spaces vital for promoting community living and to promote the environment and ecology of the area. He also considered these spaces vital for promoting social interaction between the residents and community. He suggested the open area should be distributed within the community and the residential blocks for their optimisation. Keeping in view the role and importance of these spaces, at least 10 percent of the neighbourhood area is to be dedicated to parks and open space, creating places for play and community interaction

3. PLANNING CHANDIGARH Chandigarh a city of crisis, was the product of partition of India in 1947, when state of Punjab was left without a capital, with Lahore going to Pakistan. Search soon began to find a permanent seat of capital with state government opting for a new city on a new site unfettered by the traditions of the past. City was conceived to serve as a role model of planning and architecture for the future new cities to come in the country. Capital city of Chandigarh was established on a distinct terrain and a secure site encompassed by natural features defining its edges on three sides with great Himalayas to the north, and two rivulets flowing approximately 7-8 km apart on western and eastern margins. With vacuum existing in the field of architecture and planning at that time in the country, Albert Mayer, an American architect, was invited to prepare a Master Plan for the city in 1949. He along with Matthew JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Nowicki prepared the master plan and other details for the city. However, the death of Matthew Nowicki, responsible for architectural control and supervisory work of the Plan, in an air crash in August 1950 forced Mayer to express his inability to continue with the project. Le Corbusier, the world fame French architect, along with three other architects was then invited to implement the plan and make capital city a reality. Present city is the product of Master Plan and architectural details prepared by the second team. 3.1 Mayer Plan

Figure 1. Albert Mayer’s plan for Chandigarh (Source: Chandigarh Master Plan 2031)

The plan prepared by Mayer visualized a fan shaped layout, set between the two seasonal streams which defined the location of four critical functions of the city. The Capitol Complex was placed at the head, the Civic Centre in the middle, the University campus on the western edge, and the Light Industrial area to the east, adjacent to the Kalka-Ambala railway line. The plan was broadly based on principles involving use of neighbourhood or superblocks as the basic planning unit in order to separate residential areas from rapid vehicular traffic, and facilitate the accessibility to and efficiency of urban amenities and services; and use of the location and topography of the site to determine the overall character of the city. The basic neighbourhood planning unit was to be the superblock. Three such blocks, accommodating 3500 families, were to be grouped together. The superblock covered an area of 500 x 1000 m, and was graded according to population density representing three income groups-low (75 persons/acre), medium (50 persons/acre) and upper (25 persons/acre). The residential areas were placed at the edge of the superblocks, while facilities and amenities (schools, parks, community centres etc.) were located in the centre. Land was also reserved in the superblocks for undetermined future needs. The house design included an inner courtyard, a characteristic feature of a traditional Indian house. The road network was adapted to the terrain. A curvilinear network of main roads was to surround the superblocks with separate interior roads planned for pedestrians, cyclists and animal-drawn traffic. The plan provided for two

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

large parks extending east-west through the city. It also proposed a series of dams on Sukhna Choe to create a permanent water basin around the Capitol Complex. Proposed plan, based on 'humane ideals', was meant to create a peaceful city, not one where complications were to be counteracted by complications. Matthew Nowicki, entrusted with the preparation of the architectural design of the city, the detailed plans for the Capitol Complex, civic centre and market area, and the supervision of the construction work in Mayer's absence, suggested the following modifications in the Mayer’s plan: ● a leaf-like basic plan, instead of the proposed fan shape, with the stem of leaf as the commercial axis and a vein like system of arteries flowing from it: ● a continuous park system, and ● Design of the Capitol Complex with Indian elements. 3.2 Le Corbusier Plan

Figure 2. Le Corbusier’s plan for Chandigarh (Source: Chandigarh Master Plan 2031)

Master Plan evolved by Le-Corbusier defined Chandigarh as a Horizontal city, on the pattern of a garden city, considering the economy, socio-economic conditions and living habits of people which ruled out vertical planning. City was planned for a population of 0.5 million to be realized in two distinct stages of development. Stage-I (S1)(Refer Fig.2) from Sector 1 to 30, covering 3642 hectares for housing150000 population was envisioned to be a low density development of 41.12 persons per hectare with high order of infrastructure and amenities. Land was to be allotted on free hold basis. Stage-II (S2)(Refer Fig.2, from Sector 31 to 47 covering 2428 hectares for 350000 population, was designed to be a high density development of 144.15 persons per hectare (3.5 times of stage 1) with differential order of infrastructure and amenities. Land was to be allotted on lease hold. Stage-III (S3)(Refer Fig.2 Re-densification of Stage-I (S1), was also proposed to accommodate additional population of city, when it exceeds 0.5 million, without compromising with the quality of life. Thus Master JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Plan envisioned a stratified density pattern for the capital city in different statges of development. The Master Plan of the city, re-drawn by Le-Corbusier in four hectic days of inspired activity in February 1951, was largely based on the Plan prepared by Albert Mayer. It, however, changed the shape of the city from a leaf to a rectangle, reducing its size in the process. The basic unit of planning was changed from a super-block to sector keeping intact the neighbourhood concept i.e. city within a city, The life of the future inhabitants of the city was compartmentalized and put into air-tight containers of working, living, care of body and spirit, known as sectors .The entire network of sectors was woven in an efficient system of traffic and transportation governed by the rule of 7 Vs (later changed to 8Vs). . The industrial area was placed on the southeast of the city to eliminate any possibility of heavy traffic entering the city. A 500 feet wide green belt was provided to function as sink for industrial fumes and noise. Educational area occupied the northwest side with work centers in the Capitol Complex, City Centre, and Sub-city Centre and along the major axis. Corbusier Master Plan focused on four major functions, which were fundamental to the harmonious existence of a city, namely, living, work, recreation and circulation. Planned on a rectangular gridiron pattern of roads, half a mile apart in the east-west direction and three-quarters of a mile in the north-south direction, the Chandigarh plan promised basic amenities of life even to the poorest of the poor to lead a dignified life. Safe from traffic , within easy reach of all needs of material, mental and moral sustenance and growth, surrounded by nature in an intimate community and yet part of a real city, was what the visionaries and planners dreamt for half a million inhabitants, to be brought into the city in two phases of development. A distinct quality of life was accordingly assured to a distinct class of people to be housed in the capital city. 3.3 Sector

Figure 3. Typical Sector Layout in Chandigarh (Source: Chandigarh Master Plan 2031)

Sector, as a container of life, was defined by Le-Corbusier to be rectangular in shape, on the analogy of neighbourhood unit to be self- contained and self-sufficient in day to day needs in terms of local shopping, high/higher secondary school, hospital/health, bank, post office and JIT KUMAR GUPTA

leisure. Considering the role and importance of Sector, planning of capital city of Chandigarh was structured around 46 sectors out of which 41 were residential and 5 institutional/ commercial besides industrial Area. Size of the sector was based on the human scale with dimensions fixed on a walking time of 10 minutes to access any area of the sector. Restricting traffic in the sector was to be achieved through providing only four entries, one from each side. Sector planning was made introvert with no door opening on to V2 and V3 fast traffic roads. The size and shape of the sector was so designed as to enhance the quality of life. Each sector measured 800 meters by 1,200 meters, enclosed by roads allocated to fast mechanized transport and sealed to direct access from the houses, catering to the daily needs of its inhabitants, which was to vary from 5,000 to 25,000 and has a green strip oriented longitudinally stretching centrally along the sector in the direction of the mountains. The green strip was mandated to stay uninterrupted and accommodate schools, sports fields, walks and recreational facilities for the sector Vehicular traffic is completely forbidden in the green strips, where tranquility shall reign and the curse of noise shall not penetrate. For linking with Greater Himalayas, a continuous green belt stretching North-East to South-West provided in the centre of Sector. Green belt was to house Education, Cultural, Religious and Community Buildings. Most of the houses grouped around a central open space. All houses have setback (open area) in front and rear. Though plans of different Sectors not identical, but they followed the same planning principles. Each Sector has a central green bisected by shopping street (V4). A loop road was to distribute the traffic in the interior (V5) intersecting the shopping street. Individual houses derive approach from V6 branching out of the loop road. Grouping of houses and density pattern derived on the basis of income. High income Sectors have low density and a pattern of detached houses. For achieving higher densities, low income groups are provided with terrace housing on smaller plots. Sectors 7 & 8 are exception, planned on the Mayer’s concept of Super Blocks. Centre of focus of Sector was envisioned to be V4 shopping street, a curved road to slow down traffic with shops on one side (South-West) and a verandah to provide shade to shoppers and to eliminate crossing of streets. Market were linked with adjoining Sectors, forming a continuous ribbon. Variety of shops provided ranged from smaller booths to larger Shop-Cum-. Flats. Larger shops designed as three storeyed buildings with shops on the ground floor and residence for owners on upper floors, as per the preference of the shop owners. Continuous verandahs running in front of shops was to protect shoppers not only from rain and sun but also to provide a shaded walkway. Safe from traffic and in close proximity to the nature, sector constitutes an attempt to create city within a city which provides for all the basic day to day material and social needs of the citizens in easy reach of the home, but at the same time linked to the larger scale of the city in terms of transport and services as well as architectural meaning. Sector 22 was the first sector to be planned in the city by Jane B Drew, which has been followed in the planning of subsequent sectors with minor variations in planning for housing clusters but without changing the basic principles.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Figure 4. Layout of Sector 22, Chandigarh (Source: Chandigarh Master Plan 2031)

4. ISSUES & OPTIONS With history spanning over six decades, Chandigarh planned and designed as the capital city of state of Punjab, has given a new theme, direction and meaning to the art and science of Architecture, Town Planning and Landscaping in the Indian sub-continent. Chandigarh also has the distinction of achieving the mile-stones of achieving its projected and targeted population of 5 lakh and creating awareness about the importance of planned growth and to prove good urbanism makes good money. These mile-stones have been achieved despite tremendous population and developmental pressures which the city was able to cope effectively and efficiently in the face of unforeseen developments emerging out of changes in geo-political situation of the region in 1966. The city in the recent past has started showing signs of enormous stress due to ever increasing population pressure, rapidly transforming urban form, fast changing class-structure and ever increasing unplanned and unforeseen physical and economical activities. There is an urgent need of quantifying these stresses and suggesting appropriate strategies to minimize them. The major impact in this growth and development has been visualised at the neighbourhood level. 4.1 Population & Density Despite following the framework of neighbourhood enunciated by the Perry, Chandigarh sectors represent a differential pattern of population and density varying within different phases of development and different sectors. Few sectors have very high population and density whereas few have very low population and density. As against average planned JIT KUMAR GUPTA

density of 16 persons per acre for the Stage-I (Sectors 1-30), as per 2001 census, it has already achieved density of 26 persons per acre. Existing residential density varies between 0.3 persons per acre for sector 6 and 82 persons for sector 20. As against proposed population for each sector 5000- 25,000, population ranges between 35 persons for sector 6 and 22,138 for sector 20. Similarly, in the Stage –II development (Sectors 31-47), the variation in density ranges from 16 persons/acre in case of Sector 36 to 155 persons in Sector 45 as against average density of 60 persons per acre. Large population variations have also been observed ranging from 4254 to 41077 in these sectors, this is despite the fact these sectors still have to be fully developed. Master Plan prepared by Chandigarh administration, has placed the planned density for Sector 41 at 236 persons per acre with a population of 46049 when fully developed. Population of these sectors have already gone up with more population getting concentrated in Chandigarh, which achieved the distinction of becoming one of the 53 metropolitan centres with population of Union Territory placed as 10,54,686 as per 2011 census. These variations are the outcome of strategy adopted for planning of sector level neighbourhoods emerging out of carving larger and smaller plots. This pattern of development has stratified the neighbourhood into high end and low-end communities. Thus, the individual status in capital city of Chandigarh is now largely determined by the sector numbers. City looks clearly stratified and divided in Northern and Southern cities, with distinct variations in quality of life, basic services, amenities etc. With large population getting concentrated in Southern part, these sectors represent high degree of congestion and chaos. 4.2 Housing Since Chandigarh was to be an administrative city, constructing housing for government personnel was put on priority. Thirteen categories of houses, according to the income of government employees, were proposed. The three lowest types of government housing were subsidized to maintain the minimum standards of amenities of two rooms, space for a kitchen, bathroom and a rear open space. The factors of economy, available technology and local climate governed the construction and design of each category of house. Lower categories of housing were planned as terraced housing with small frontages, shared walls and common circulation areas, whereas higher category housing was planned as detached and semi- detached housing with large plot areas. The lower category housing was also spatially planned at different location within the sector with prime position going to higher category housing. Few Sectors were exclusively marked for higher categories of government employees. This led to branding of Chandigarh neighbourhoods based on the housing typologies and the sectors. Similarly, private housing in the city was stratified into Marla housing (smaller plot area) and Kanal housing (larger plot area) distinguishing the society on the basis of the typology of plots. Further the developmental controls put in place were more stringent for lower category private housing (Frame Control) as against more relaxed controls of development for larger plots (Zoning controls). In addition, larger open spaces were made available for the higher category housing as compared to smaller housing. The fact was much more pronounced in case of lower category housing created by the Chandigarh Housing Board, a parastatal

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

agency created to provide affordable housing to the lower portion of economic pyramid involving economically weaker sections of society. 4.3 Traffic Neighbourhood concept had its genesis in the safety of the residents from the hazards of the mechanical traffic. Accordingly, all neighbourhood concepts provided for segregation of fast moving and mechanical traffic from the pedestrian traffic to make the community safe. However, in case of Chandigarh, entire planning of sectors revolves around V4 to V6 which distributes the traffic to the individual household. This pattern has led to high degree of vehicular penetration within the residential areas, making community highly unsafe. V4, which is the shopping street and major activity zone of the sector, attracts large volume of both inter and intra sector vehicular traffic, leading to not only traffic congestion but also number of accidents. These roads have assumed the role and function of major arteries of the city attracting large volume of vehicular traffic in the sectors. In addition, lack of adequate parking in the shopping area at the sector level has also led to spilling of vehicles on the roads. Shopping streets of few sectors, particular that of sector 15, 19, 20, 22, 40, 45 have assumed city level importance attracting large vehicles and population across the city. In the absence of shopping facilities at the sub-sector level, residents are required to visit the shopping area provided at V4, creating all the more traffic problems. Absence of pedestrian pathways has further increased the vulnerability of people at the sector level. Increased level of traffic also adversely impacts the environment and ecology at the sector level, which goes contrary to the principles enunciated for planning the neighbourhoods. 4.4 Size Size of neighbourhood has great bearing on the planning of a safe communities. Large sized neighbourhoods have obvious limitations in planning for such communities. In case of Chandigarh size of sector has been placed at 262 Acres as against 160 Acres stipulated by the Perry. Larger size of sector has led to larger distance to be travelled by the community leading to use of mechanical options for travel. Further, adoption of higher density norms in planning of majority of the sectors has led to induction of more people, asking for more and higher level of amenities and services to make them self-contained and self-sufficient. This has led to making provision of number of high schools in sectors as against primary school suggested in the neighbourhood concept. This has led to induction of large student population and vehicles within the sector, creating multiple problems of safety and community functioning. Certain sectors have been provided with the higher level of healthcare and educational facilities, making the situation all the worst. Had the size and density been rationalised, sector would have promoted a better and safer community living. 4.5 Shopping Positioning of the commercial areas right at the centre of the sector has led to numerous problems of traffic and transportation and safety. Perry proposed positioning of the shopping area at one of the corners of the NH unit in order to keep the vehicular and outside traffic from entering the NH unit. Corbusier planning the sector is contrary to the basic principles of planning and positioning of commercial areas. Further, commercial area in the sector has been provided on one side of the sector leading to large number of sectors crossing the vehicular street. This has made sector highly unsafe for the residents living on other side of the shopping. Rather than locating shopping on one side and in the centre of sector, it would be desirable to provide convenient shopping at the sub-sector level to make the community safe.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

5. CONCLUSION AND EVALUATION Looking, critically and objectively, at the entire context of neighbourhood planning in the context of Chandigarh, it can be safely said that pattern of planning of sectors adopted has led to high degree of stratification of population and communities, with city emerging as the mosaic of total divide between north and south. City misses the larger goal of creating selfcontained and self-sufficient communities, safe from traffic within easy reach of all needs of material, mental and moral sustenance and growth, surrounded by nature in an intimate community and yet part of a real city. Communities appear to be in crisis- crisis of traffic, crisis of existence and crisis of identity. Detailed and in-depth study of sector in Chandigarh as NH unit can help in understanding the physical, social, economic and environmental implications besides efficacy and efficiency of NH planning as a tool of urban planning.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

CHANDIGARH EXPERIMENT WITH LOW COST HOUSING

Ar. J.K. GUPTA Ar. NISHANT RAI

PLANNING THE CAPITAL CITY OF CHANDIGARH: PROBLEMS, LESSONS AND PROSPECTS INTRODUCTION Housing, as a sector, is known for its criticality in promoting economy, generating employment and ensuring quality of life for any community, state and nation besides providing identity and security to individuals. Employing 10% (21 million) of the nations’ work force and contributing 6% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, housing is known to promote industrialization with more than 290 industries actively involved in producing products which go into making of built environment. Known for its physical, social, economic and environmental connotations besides role and importance in human living, UNO in its Global Strategy for Shelter has captured housing as a universal basic human right in terms of; “The right to adequate housing is universally recognized by the community of nations. All nations without exception, have some form of obligation in the shelter sector, as exemplified by their creation of ministries or housing agencies, by their allocation of funds to the housing sector and by their policies, programs and projects, Strategy further states that, “All citizens of all states, poor as they may be, have a right to expect their Governments to be concerned about their shelter needs and to accept a fundamental obligation to protect and improve houses and neighbourhoods, rather than damage or destroy them. Looking at the entire context of human living, Government of India came out with three National Housing Policies in the years 1988, 1994 and 2007, which focused on the agenda to provide ‘Housing for all.’ In addition, various housing related programs were undertaken during eleven Five Year Plans, to improve the housing and human habitat with particular focus on the poor. However, despite numerous attempts made by central and state agencies, problem of housing remains largely unresolved. The recent initiative of the Government of India through, Prime Minister Awas Yojna (PMAY) mandates that target of housing for all should be met by the year 2022, when India turns 75 after independence. Looking at the massive housing shortage, placed at 24.2 million dwelling units at the end of eleventh five-year plan with more than 99% shortage falling in the lower income categories of EWS and LIG, the task remains quite formidable and challenging, considering the fact that housing is primarily and essentially, highly resource and material intensive activity. Accordingly, it will be essential that innovative options and state of art technologies need to be evolved and put in place to make housing cost-effective, resource efficient and qualitative in order to achieve the objective of housing for all.

LOW COST HOUSING Low Cost Housing as an issue, option and strategy is assuming critical importance in achieving the global target of providing affordable shelter for all. Considering criticality of shelter as a major determinant of quality of life with majority of housing shortage falling in the EWS and LIG categories, low- cost housing appears to be the only option for creating,

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

augmenting and expanding the housing stock in the country. Considering the prevailing high cost of land, materials, labour etc., most of the housing stock remains unaffordable for majority of urban dwellers. Urban migrants, pushed out of rural areas due to poverty, find it hard to secure minimal shelter due to prevailing high land, labour and material cost, which makes housing unaffordable. Accordingly, it becomes important that housing costs are minimized, reduced and rationalized, to make it affordable and accessible to even poorest of the poor residents of any city.

HOUSING COST Low-cost options call for looking at the entire gamut of housing including identifying various components which make it unaffordable. Studies have shown that major determinants of housing cost include Cost of land; Cost of materials; Cost of labour/machinery; Cost of designing; Cost of structure; Cost of approvals; Cost of money (loan sets); Cost of services; Cost of contractor; Cost of transportation; Taxes, levies, duties ; Cost of site development; Cost of machinery; Construction technologies ; Cost of managing Construction; Cost due to wastage of materials; Cost of time for construction; Specification adopted etc. All these factors cumulatively add to make the housing cost. In order to minimize the impact of various factors, it is important that they are studied and analysed objectively. Achieving economy in housing is the most challenging task which Architects face while designing & constructing the low-cost housing. Creating low-cost housing is not a new concept. Cutting cost is not limited to only private sector. In fact, public sector is the major contributor to the creation of low-cost housing options. This concept has been followed on a large scale by various parastatal agencies while designing public and private housing. Numerous Development Authorities and Housing Boards, operating in the country, have also taken up the challenge of creating affordable shelter for slum dwellers, EWS & LIG categories. HUDCO has contributed substantially in the area of innovative building materials, building technologies, housing designs, etc to create low cost housing options in the country. Charging lower rates of interest and establishing Building Centres etc have also been used as mechanism for promoting low cost housing by HUDCO. However, the major focus has been on reducing the upfront/ initial cost of housing without taking into account their life-cycle cost involving operational and maintenance cost. Since buildings are known to have life spanning over 7- 8 decades, the operational and maintenance cost constitute as high as 90% of the life cycle cost as against only 10% which goes into making of the building. Thus, it becomes critical that if housing has to be made cost-effective in real sense of the term, we need to look at the lifecycle cost rather than the initial cost. In fact, we now need to graduate from cost-effective housing to cost-effective living in order to make housing affordable. In search for innovative options, paper tries to showcase various innovative strategies used in the capital city of Chandigarh to create cost-effective housing.

CHANDIGARH EXPERIMENT Known for its contribution and excellence, in the art and science of architecture, Chandigarh was conceived and conceptualized as the new capital city for the state of Punjab, which lost its capital city to Pakistan during partition of the country in 1947. Known for architectural

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

and planning excellence, Chandigarh is largely ignored for its contribution and innovations made in the parlance of cost-effective built environment known by the name and style as Chandigarh architecture. Considering the financial and technological constraints, Chandigarh has the distinction of making enormous contribution to the low-cost housing through innovative design solutions. Stringent budget and strict adherence to accommodation defined besides climate were the major determinants of Chandigarh Architecture, urban form and housing design, which made Chandigarh a low density and low-rise city with government housing forming bulk of construction. Economy in housing was achieved through the use of locally made inexpensive brick as the main material for construction; minimizing wood work and glazing, which were seven times more expensive than brick; keeping window sizes minimum; standardization of doors, windows and sanitary fittings besides using pre-cast roof battens and tiles for economizing on time, shuttering, labour. steel, concrete and using minimum machinery during construction. Since Chandigarh was built on a new site, greatest challenge in city development was to provide large housing stock for the government employees who were to be shifted to the new city. Accordingly, state government accorded higher priority to the construction of houses for its employees. In the initial program it was envisioned to house more than 20,000 people within 3 years of start of construction of the new capital. Initially 3208 dwelling units were to be constructed to which 4000 units were added in 1956 when PEPSU was merged into the state of Punjab. Out of 23,000 residential sites carved out in the first phase of development of the city, 30% residential sites were earmarked for the government housing which formed majority of the accommodation in the first two decades of city development.

HOUSING PROGRAM Housing program envisioned for the capital city comprised of 13 distinct types with Type 1 being the largest and Type 13 being the minimal house. Type 1 house was meant to accommodate the Chief Minister of Punjab whereas Type 13 was the smallest house accommodating the peons and officials drawing salary less than Rs. 50/- per month. Subsequently Type 14 house was also added (cheap house) to accommodate sweepers, washer-men and other low paid employees who were not included in earlier program. In the approved housing program, specification, site area, accommodation to be provided and cost of the house were already fixed /defined by the government. Based on these considerations, houses up to Type 6 were designed as detached two storeyed bungalows, Type 7 was designed as semi-detached duplex houses whereas rest ( Type 8-14) were designed as single/double storeyed terraced housing. While designing the housing program, commitment was to provide minimal house to even poorest of the poor comprising of 2 rooms, a private compound, an independent kitchen, bath, W.C. with piped water supply and water-borne sanitation. Considering the stringent norms of housing defined above, initial team of Architects working on the project struggled to evolve innovative design solutions meant to accommodate lowest income groups which constituted 80% of the total government housing. Besides designing state of art high category housing, Chandigarh today has emerged as the role model to showcase the mechanism to create low cost housing without compromising with the quality of construction, quality of housing and

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

quality of architecture. Infact low cost housing of Chandigarh has emerged as the major contribution of the new city to the architectural vocabulary of housing in India. With team of three committed foreign Architects including Pierre Jeanerette, Jane B. Drew and Maxwell Fry under the leadership of Le- Corbusier, taking charge of city planning, designing and construction, high degree of economy in the housing cost was achieved through; Innovative and efficient architectural design solutions; Structural simplicity; Functional efficiency; Economy in layout of housing clusters; Small and limited openings; Using local building materials ;Using improved building technologies; Adopting Pre-cast options for roofing; Using Brick jallis on large scale; Clustering of services; Terraced/row housing; Optimization of building heights; Exposing brick work; Minimising use of wood, glass, steel and concrete besides Sharing walls and clubbing of services. In order to showcase and detail out the salient features involving design, services and construction adopted in Chandigarh to promote cost-effective/ low cost housing, design/construction solutions followed in lowest category housing of category 12, 13 & 14 have been taken up as examples. Most of the features remain common in these housing but variation in designs have been used as the mechanism for cutting down the cost and making housing low cost in reality.

HOUSING- TYPE 12 Type 12 housing was meant to accommodate government employees drawing salary between Rs. 50-100 per month. Accordingly, these were meant to be low cost housing. These houses formed bulk of the housing stock created initially, considering large number of employees in this pay bracket. These houses were planned in two broad categories i.e single and double storeyed housing. Both these categories have been planned as row housing providing for a living room, 2 bed rooms besides kitchen and toilet. Bath & WC have been planned separately in order to cater to multiple use. All services including kitchen, bath & WC have been clubbed in the design for individual as well as adjoining houses in order to cut down the cost of services. Position of services has not been changed in upper floors in case of double storeyed houses for reasons of economy. Single storeyed houses have been designed in a number of variants including compact unit and in split design, where planning revolves around a courtyard. In all the houses, brick remains the major building materials with pre-cast battens and tiles creating the roof supported on parallel load bearing walls. Air, light and ventilation in the houses is ensured through perforations made in the brick wall and extensive use of brick jallis. Staircase is supported on shared structural walls and is meant to serve the adjoining houses in case of double storeyed houses. Windows remain small for reasons of economy and are properly shaded through an innovative system of sub-breakers to cut off the harsh sun. Cost-effectiveness in these houses has been the outcome of strategy involving-Adopting design solutions providing for optimum utilization of space with high degree of design efficiency; Using row housing as a strategy to minimize the area under walls; Using mechanism of common walls between adjoining houses to economize on space and cost; Using most economical building materials for construction. i.e bricks, locally available at that time ;Using modular system of design based on most optimum grid of 8’-3”; Using walls as the structural elements to support the roof; Using pre-cast battens and tiles for the roof (12”x 6’ x 2”).; Clubbing of services within house and of adjoining houses to minimize the cost of

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

services ; Extensively using brick jallis for perforation to ensure air, light and ventilation; Minimizing size of openings to economize on cost of wood and glass; Using standard battened doors with cross braces; Bringing large area under exposed brick work to minimize cost of maintenance; Variety in design achieved through recessed entrances, small square windows, projecting structural walls, exposed roof battens ;Using pre-cast gargoyles for draining rain water instead of cast iron rain water pipes; Variation in heights of building with maximum height of room placed at 9’-6”; Using simple floors made of plain cement; Maintaining high quality of construction using quality bricks ; Minimising use of steel ,concrete and shuttering.

FLOOR PLAN & SECTION OF HOUSING TYPE 12-JB, SECTOR 22

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

FLOOR PLAN & SECTION OF HOUSING TYPE 12-D, SECTOR 23

FRONT VIEW OF HOUSING TYPE 12-JB, SECTOR 23

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

HOUSING -TYPE 13 Type 13 was meant to be the minimal house to be provided in the earlier program in the category of government housing, to which Type 14 was added subsequently. The house was provided in two variants i.e single and double storey. Designed to accommodate employees with salary less than Rs. 50/- per month, houses were designed with focus on economy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Two rooms besides kitchen, bath and water closet constituted the total accommodation. Row housing was the pattern adopted with each house sharing its external walls with adjoining houses. Large courtyards catered to outdoor living. Considering the Indian customs, toilets of 4 houses were combined and placed at the end of the courtyard for reasons of economy. The bricks were projected to act as louvers and provide protection to the openings besides minimizing the impact of western sun by the shadows created by projecting bricks. In the double- storeyed variant of the houses, single stair-case was used to serve the upper units to economize on the cost, space and materials. Portion of the verandah and kitchen were kept at lower height to reduce the quantity of materials and cost of construction. The entire design was based on a grid of 8.3” which permitted pre-cast batten and roof to rest directly on the structural walls. Number and size of openings were kept minimum in order to cut down on cost of expensive wood and glass. Major openings were provided with brick jallis to replace the glass and wooden windows. Major features providing economy included: Adopting a cluster approach for designing and planning houses; Making houses compact with minimum space under circulation; Grouping houses on the pattern of row housing with common /shared walls; Replacing roads with paved streets for providing accessibility to individual houses; Rationalizing height of rooms with lower heights allocated to baths/WCs; Clubbing kitchens, baths and WCs for minimizing cost of services; Providing open to sky baths in case of single storeyed houses; Minimizing/rationalizing size/ number of windows to cut down the cost of wood; Using brick jallis to cover large openings for providing adequate light and ventilation; Restricting number of doors and using batten and brace type doors for reasons of economy; Making walls as structural elements to support the roof; Using cost-effective bricks as the key material in construction; Creating shading devices by using bricks in a variety of manners to cut down on lintel costs; Using pre-cast gargoyles for rain water drainage instead of cast iron pipes; Using differential wall heights considering actual requirement, usage, privacy etc; Using single staircase to serve number of houses in double storeyed houses; Using efficient structural grid of 8.3” with pre-cast battens and tile roof; Saving space and cost through staircase supported directly on load bearing walls; Promoting economy in services through clustering /repetition on different floors; Minimising use of steel and cement; Promoting standardization and pre-fabrication instead of in-situ construction.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

LAYOUT PLAN OF HOUSING TYPE 13-D, SECTOR 22

FLOOR PLAN & SECTION OF HOUSING TYPE 13-D, SECTOR 22

HOUSING - TYPE 14 Planned to accommodate all left out categories below the rank of peons, Type 14 was introduced subsequently to be lowest category of housing in the government sector. Focus of the designing was to achieve high degree of economy besides making housing cost- effective, without compromising with the quality of construction/services. Accommodation provided included norm of 2 rooms, made applicable for the first time in Chandigarh, besides providing separate independent toilets. Objective of low-cost housing and economy in this category of housing was also achieved through: Adopting a cluster approach for planning and designing; Making houses compact and space efficient with optimum area under rooms, walls and circulation; Shared common walls for economizing on space, material and labour; Adopting most efficient grid considering the most economical spans of pre-cast battens; Using walls as the structural elements; Sharing of services, i.e. toilets and baths of 4 houses to economize on service network; Adopting pre-cast technology of battens and tiles for

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

roofing; Supporting roof battens, directly on load bearing walls avoiding cost of shuttering etc.; Eliminating use of steel, concrete & R.C.C; Using locally available cost-effective brick as the major building material for construction; Limiting size/ number of openings and doors/windows to minimize the quantity of wood; Making extensive use of ethnic brick jallis in large openings for light and ventilation and avoiding expensive glass and wood; Restricting height of rooms (9’6”) and providing lower height for Bath/WC block (7’6”), for economizing on quantity of material/labour ; Replacing metalled roads with paved streets to minimize cost of external infrastructure; Creating multipurpose verandah for cooking/eating and other family needs; Using pre-cast gargoyles to drain off rain water instead of cast-iron pipes; Standardization of doors, windows and other structural elements and using cost effective specifications requiring minimum maintenance.

FLOOR PLAN & SECTION OF HOUSING TYPE 14-D, SECTOR 15

CONCLUSION Even after passage of more than six decades, when majority of these low-cost house were constructed, they still stand testimony to their quality and cost-effectiveness which have made them brand ambassador of city beautiful. These house have amply demonstrated that construction cost can be rationalized and scaled down without compromising with the quality of built environment by adopting innovative design solutions; making housing compact; using locally available building materials; using materials in the natural form; making innovative use of materials; evolving climate responsive design; avoiding costly materials; using innovative building technologies involving pre-cast and pre-fabrication; using ethnic brick jallis for spanning large openings; adopting efficient structural grid; rationalizing heights; standardizing/ mass production of components; clubbing and sharing of services/walls; adopting, cluster approach for grouping of houses; and economizing on external development etc. These concepts hold high degree of validity and potential even in the present context to achieve the cost rationalization and creating low- cost housing besides making housing for all a distinct reality.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

DEFINING ROLE OF ART IN PROMOTING CHANDIGARH ARCHITECTURE

Ar. J.K. GUPTA AR. CHITRANGDA SHARMA

DEFINING ROLE OF ART IN CHANDIGARH ARCHITECTURE

PROMOTING

ABSTRACT

In the parlance of human history, art and architecture are known to have high degree of convergence and inter-relationship to promote various forms of visual arts and quality-built environment besides creating iconic urban spaces. There has existed in the history thin line to define and differentiate between art and architecture. If art has been labelled as,’ expression of human creative skill and imagination in the visual form, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power; Architecture, as applied science, has its genesis in creating buildings known for their form, usefulness, strength and beauty. If a great piece of art is an object of joy and pleasure, a well designed and constructed building is not only useful for owner but also brings joy and happiness for the community and people who use it. Looking at the entire context of art and architecture, Don Rice, an American entertainer says,’ There are three forms of visual art- painting is an art to look at; sculpture is an art you can walk around and architecture is an art you can walk through.’ Prime differentiator of art and architecture is, that Architecture is known to have a practical aspect which art does not have. Architecture is primarily driven by context, economy, site, climate, material, form, technology, light and structural language whereas art has only visual and emotional connotations. Despite distinct barriers, art has been prime mover of architecture. All great master pieces in architecture built in the past, owe their creation to great artists. Art has been seen to be prime mover of architecture, as all eminent architects had great understanding and appreciation of art, which is clearly reflected in the buildings designed by them. Good artists are known to be good architects. Art as a creative science has leveraged architecture in numerous ways giving architecture a new theme, meaning and vocabulary. Chandigarh, a role model in the field of architecture and urban planning, designed by Mon Le-Corbusier and his team of great architects, have made extensive use of art as integral part of the designing various buildings including buildings in Capitol Complex, High Court, Assembly, College of Art and Architecture etc to promote their aesthetics and beauty. Paper looks through, define and detail out the elements of art used in few selected buildings, to make them state of art and universal buildings, locally and globally. Paper also detail out the various forms of art used, their context and the way they have impacted the architecture of the building where they are used.

INTRODUCTION Desire to make habitat, visually and physically, beautiful has always been dominant part of the human instinct, giving a distinct meaning to the built spaces created in the process. Accordingly, all kinds of arts, available at the human command, have been used and deployed to create state of art buildings. If art has been labelled as,’ expression of human creative skill and imagination in the visual form, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power; Architecture, has its genesis in creating buildings known for their form, usefulness, strength and beauty. Looking at the entire context of art and architecture, Architecture is primarily driven by context, form, function and climate whereas art has only visual and emotional connotations. Despite these barriers’ art, Architecture, sculpture, and painting once shared common canvas. Indeed, they were admirably intertwined at various points in history-in the ancient cultures of East and West, and in the European

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. It is only during relatively recent times in human civilization that the separation of art and architecture has taken place.

MODERNIST MOVEMENT AND ART The modernist movement, in the recent past, led to divorce between art and architecture because of the belief that anything which did not qualify on the altar of structural necessity or material functionalism was considered irrelevant and was accordingly rejected. This movement considered, shape of buildings and relationship between solids and voids created in the building envelop, as the piece of art work, necessitating the elimination of any artistic expression applied to the buildings. Separation of art and architecture has its origin and genesis when architectural discipline started journey of aligning itself with the fields of science and technology. In this process, functionality, rationalism and humanizing qualities were considered irrelevant and unnecessary and accordingly discarded. In addition, advent and domination of buildings as a commodity to be traded by real estate agents also led to leaving little room for expressionism and making art an integral part of the buildings. This led to elimination of paintings and sculptures from buildings. With principle of standardization and multiplication guiding the designing and construction of buildings, it became rare to find architecture, art, and sculpture united in the built form. This lack of art in architecture contributed to the large-scale visual poverty and impersonality experienced in most 20th century cities around the world. The inability of mainstream modernist architecture to establish a more humanized environment gave rise to the post-modern movement. The eclecticism of this movement attempted to counter the alienating abstractness of modernist architecture, among others by means of reintegrating imagery, ornament, color and various visual art and craft practices into the architectural design. Starting of formal system of education also led to divorce and widening the gap between art and architecture because in formal education, art and architecture were never considered on the same platform and supportive of each other. Interest in art needs to be encouraged among students of architecture, right from the beginning of their academic pursuit, by making it a critical component of course curricula. In addition, students of art should also be made to understand the context of application of art in architecture. In fact, it will be critical if the courses in art and architecture are run within the same institution under the same roof with high degree of shared learning and teaching. This mechanism would go a long way in not only promoting synergy between two professions but would also help in creating professionals which would improve the quality and context of built space.

CHANDIGARH EXPERIMENT Chandigarh, considered a successful experiment in the domain of architecture and city planning, has its genesis in the contribution made by team of architects led by Le-Corbusier, who were brought to India in 1951, to define, detail and script the destination of the capital city of Chandigarh, unfettered by the traditions of the past, after old capital city Lahore was lost to Pakistan during partition of India in 1947. Artist, painter, architect, city planner, sculptor, furniture designer, writer, thinker, publisher, amateur photographer and filmmaker, Le Corbusier, multifaceted personality of twentieth century; with almost forty books and hundreds of published essays to his credit; backed by four-decade of turbulent professional career in reshaping cities from South America to India; designing seventy five iconic buildings in a dozen countries; and working on over four JIT KUMAR GUPTA

hundred architectural projects, gave a new architectural vocabulary to the city built environment with the support and use of art, making it integral part of design. Corbusier use of colours and visual imagery was delightful with its enamels, bas-reliefs, tapestries and painted walls. Le-Corbusier, who represented a movement to integrate art and architecture once said: “You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build houses and palaces: that is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say: ‘This is beautiful.’- That is Architecture. In his effort to make buildings iconic in Chandigarh, Corbusier used various forms of art in the interior and on the exterior of buildings, considering the context, ambience and quality of spaces to be created. Capitol remains the major operational area where Corbusier used and showcased his understanding, skill, experience, expertise, knowledge and mastery of use of various forms of art to create and support new architectural vocabulary.

CAPITOL The Capitol Complex of Chandigarh, one among 17 buildings of the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier added to the World Heritage List in 2016, is an architectural wonder, incongruous to the era in which it was created. Conceptualized and built in the 1950s by Le Corbusier, it is a sprawling area that houses three buildings – the Legislative Assembly (or the Palace of Assembly), the Secretariat and the High Court. Seeming to spring from the pages of a popular Ayn Rand novel, the buildings are just the right amalgamation of eclectic and old-world grandeur that simply take one’s breath away. (Jane Pauline Hamilton). Capitol considered the, crowning glory, most valuable and adorable part of the capital city, comprises of key buildings forming pillars of democracy in terms of Secretariat, Assembly, High Court and Governor's Palace. These buildings were designed on individual basis to be placed in a huge park without any physical connect, based on the principles of urban design to form an urban complex. However, during the course of design, Corbusier realized that considering the huge size of park and large distances separating the Assembly and the High Court, there is a need to connect these buildings both visually and physically. This led to planning and designing of number of monuments including Open Hand, Martyr's Memorial, Geometric hill, Tower of Shades, 24 Solar hours and the Course of Sun between Solstices, to be placed in the vast open space besides playing with forms, using bright colours, having a enamelled door, creating water bodies for reflecting the glory of buildings, to give a new theme and vocabulary to the spaces. In the words of Watts, ’At the Capitol, art and architecture come together as one unified conception, each complementing the other. This is not surprising, for Corbusier was like a later-day 20th century's Leonardo da Vinci and not only merely an architect-urbanist. He was a painter, sculptor, writer, philosopher and a poet too’. In designing the Legislative Assembly and the High Court, Corbusier used his expertise as a sculptor giving unique shape to the

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

making of these architecture marvels. It was the artist in Corbusier that propelled him to plan, design and place the great sculpture in the shape of the Open Hand, in the heart of the Capital Complex to define the city agenda and message of,’Open to receive and Open to give’. Placing the capitol at the top of the city with beautiful Shivalik range of hills forming the majestic backdrop, was intended to synthesize the manmade environment with the nature’s glory in terms of colours, landscape, skylines etc. The complex was meant to create the illusion of the whole space of the Complex being adequately filled with built masses of “the monuments” and the edifices”. The material chosen for the construction of buildings in the complex was rugged concrete, left unfinished, with the imprint of the wood used to cast it clearly visible on its surface, to connect the buildings with the range of hills and to give the building an arguably more robust character. Concrete commanded its own texture, strength, color, aesthetics, appeal and utility with value addition made through specifically designed shuttering patterns, bas-reliefs and motifs. For giving vernacular theme to architecture of buildings and creating linkages with the Indian civilization, flora, fauna and eco-system, Corbusier used the motif ranging from seals, animals including bulls, cows, birds, fishes drawn from ancient Indian civilization and nearby rural settlements as integral part of the building interiors and exteriors. Use of bold and primary colors in the buildings is seen as another special feature of Capitol, through which Corbusier tried to integrate art with architecture. Colors provide distinct character not only to complex but also the buildings which adore them. The genesis of using bold colors in buildings has its roots in the theory Polycromie Architecturale developed by Corbusier, based on the analogy to musical harmonies. As per Giuseppina Scavuzzo, "These colors bear a strong relation to Nature; and introduce a new kind of link between inside and outside, using color as a space-defining element.” The colors have been applied strategically by Corbusier in order to provide distinct character and visibility to the buildings. In case of Court of Justice, these bold colors adore the three great pylons with pastel shades of green, yellow and pink salmon facing the assembly building, whereas in the case of Assembly, colors mark the great entrance to the building, specially created for the head of the state to enter the building on the special occasions.

PALACE OF ASSEMBLY Palace of Assembly remains the iconic building of the capital complex due to its peculiar form, unique shape and out of box design, largely propelled by the artistic instinct of the Le-Corbusier. Conceived as a free-standing structure, hyperbolic in form, enclosed within a rectilinear shell, spanned by entrance portico and band of offices on sides, Assembly building has been designed on the pattern of a sculpture. The building houses two distinct chambers comprising of large assembly chamber (Punjab assembly), and smaller council chamber (Haryana assembly). Large chamber lies under a massive hyperbolic tower, extending above the roofline with height extending 124ft at its highest point, and a diameter of 128ft at its base. The hyperbolic shell has an average thickness of 15 cm, constant throughout the surface for ensuring low cost and a minimising weight. Smaller chamber, conceptualised in a rectilinear frame, features a pyramidal roof. Two chambers are linked by a great foyer. The large chamber has its genesis in the cooling towers of thermal plants, Corbusier saw while flying over Ahmadabad. However, the tower housing large chamber does not terminate in a horizontal but in an oblique section, chamfered deliberately by Corbusier, considering his fascination with the Indian bulls. It has a metallic framework (aluminum) to promote Interplay of natural lighting, artificial lighting, ventilation and

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

acoustic. However, glory of the assembly is defined by the colors, furniture, tapestries and images which Corbusier used with great precision, to define the interiors and entrance to the building. Each work of art comprises of Corbusier signature-like arrangement of colours with symbols and motifs in contrasting shades. This includes an enamelled door painted by Corbusier himself, which appears at the entrance of the Assembly. The rugged shade of the exposed reinforced concrete used for construction coupled with bright primary colors, shapes and forms punctuated with skylight and window cut-outs of different shapes makes the Assembly building unique and colorful besides promoting ventilation and the illusion of height. The assembly chamber, with a seating capacity of 252 persons, is a study in color, form and space with the hyperbolic parabolic dome set within the three layers of pastel shades of green, yellow and pink, punctuated by sound-absorbing acoustic tiles and cloud-like shapes. The art in the interior of the large chamber has been structured in three distinct layers, each defining a specified theme, meaning and objective. First layer, meant to provide perfect acoustics required for the rational functioning of the assembly, is occupied by the sound-absorbing acoustic tiles laid over a red painted wall. The second layer, painted in pastel yellow, superimposed by numerous patches in different shapes giving an impression of floating clouds over the sky spanning the narrowing diameter of the dome and finally merging into the skylight, forming the third layer. The richness and brightness of colors continues with yellow carpets defining the floor and green upholstered chairs, specially designed by Corbusier team for seating the legislators. In the interior these abstract shapes have acoustical absorbers beneath them.

ASSEMBLY DOOR One of the greatest and finest pieces of art, defining the assembly building, is the huge centrally pivoted enamelled door placed on the south-east side facing the high court. The twenty-five feet square door is the personal gift of the Le Corbusier to the people of Punjab. Accordingly, it was designed; painted and got enamelled by him in France before it was transported to Chandigarh for installation. Door is placed in the assembly portico and opened only on ceremonial days. Enamelled panels on both sides, depict Corbusier famous signs and symbols including sun, bull, eagle, trees etc. Painting on the door has genesis in Corbusier pre-occupation with man's relationship with the cosmos. It depicts and defines the intimate relationship between lithosphere, hydrosphere and bio-sphere which dictates the total life on the planet earth and the role of JIT KUMAR GUPTA

sun and the atmosphere which shape the built environment and human living. The outer face of the door has been designed and painted in two distinct parts. The upper part symbolizes the cosmos, painted in bright red and yellow sky, depicting the twenty-four hour and three sixty-five-day solar movement defining solar /lunar cycle forming day & night and the different seasons. The lower half, painted largely in green, replete with bright yellow color, depicts the lithosphere and the bio-sphere, populated with human beings, plants, animals, birds, mammals, microbes and natural formations including rivers etc. Corbusier made sure to allocate one panel dedicated specially to the team which was assigned the task of designing and making the city a reality. The team is shown symbolically in the form of animals and birds, san any human figure, in order to make it integral part of painting. The door was installed on April 15, 1964 in the Assembly building, in a special dedication ceremony when Corbusier specifically came to attend, barely a year before his death. Assembly door is a living tribute to Corbusier skill in the field of synthesizing art and architecture.

TAPESTRIES Another form of art that was used extensively, intelligently and innovatively by Le-Corbusier in the buildings of the capital complex, was the art of weaving pictures and images into textiles used for covering walls and floors. This form of art called Tapestries, exhibited rich colours, textures, great skill and myriad techniques forming integral part of art history (Tapestries for Chandigarh). Out of 12 Tapestries used by Corbusier, three adore the walls of the Assembly buildings whereas rest nine pieces were use in the courtrooms of Palace of Justice. The success of the tapestries in High Court led to installation of three tapestries in the Assembly building. These tapestries were larger than those installed in the High Court, except the one installed in the courtroom of Chief justice. Tapestries installed in the two chambers measured 155 sqm each, whereas tapestry behind the ramp in the entrance in the basement measured 135 sqm. Installed in the year 1962, these tapestries varied from the one installed in the High court because of their brighter colour and woven as single seamless pieces. Choice and use of bright colours by Corbusier in tapestries in Assembly building was to create a harmony between interior and exterior of the building based on colour pattern used for the ceremonial enamel door. However, their design principles remained the same. All painting of Corbusier revolved around man and its relation with cosmos. Corbusier wanted the all human settlements and built environment created should be based on the trinity of Sun, Space and Verdure, in order to make this world sustainable and promoter and supporter of quality human living. Accordingly, this trinity encompassed the entire solar system, bio-sphere and the numerous eco-systems which regulate this world. Thus symbols, motifs including clouds, water, rivers, stars, reptiles, animals, birds, flora and fauna found prominent place in the Corbusier art and paintings which adored the buildings of Capitol. Thestapestries gave a new aura to the interiors, making them more bright and colourful against the dull colour and rugged texture of the concrete used for construction.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

PALACE OF JUSTICE High Court is other important building adoring the capitol where Corbusier used his instinct of gelling art with architecture. In the composition of the capitol complex, the High Court occupied a critical position because of its location. It was supposed to be a standalone building and was designed to create a balance on one side of the grouping, opposing the great mass of the secretariat combined with the sculptural variety of the assembly. To Mayer, the High Court was "really a great evocative work of sculpture, not in fact architecture." Le Corbusier once described design of the High Court as "a great architectural venture using very poor materials and a labour force quite unused to modern building techniques, with the tremendous obstacle of the sun and the necessity of satisfying Indian ideas and needs, rather than to impose Western ethics and aesthetics. The problem is accentuated by the ruling factor of the sun and rain, under which a new Indian way of life was to be created’. The architecture vocabulary of the High Court building can be defined in terms of rectilinear frame, capped by rhythmic arcade created by a parasol-like roof, with main facade towards the piazza, having eight courtrooms identically expressed on the main facade and separated from the larger high court, by a monumental columned entrance raising the height of the building. Necessity of shading the entire structure from the sun resulted in making the roof double with upper roof cantilevered out over the office block in the manner of a parasol shading the lower roof. The space between the two roofs was to enable air to move and keep the building cool. Evolution of the design of High Court by Corbusier led to the transition of building from a lightly framed pavilion, horizontal in dimension to a vertical expanding space. In the process, building moved towards an expression, which became increasingly massive, plastic, and abstract where excessive horizontality was countered by an increasing verticality. This made, what were originally narrow columns in the main entrance hall, three massive flattened piers leading inward and rising sixty feet from the ground to meet the heavy outward thrust of the roof, creating a visual drama to emerge as the focus of the building. Piers also personified as a grand entrance with its awesome scale to manifest the majesty of the law to all who entered the building. Overall unity in the building façade was forged through the concrete screen. Orientation of the high court was made such that the main facade faced northwest, to avoid direct sunlight until late in the day, long after the hours during which court is normally in session. When first completed, the gunnite-coated entrance piers of High Court were painted white for creating harmony with the concrete and to remind visitors of the pristine glory of the Greek temple columns. However, subsequent dissatisfaction of the Corbusier with the white colour of the entrance portico led to production of a new colour scheme in 1958, which provided for painting the columns and portico walls in bright contrasting colours. The scheme envisioned a new colour order involving inside wall to the left of the piers to be painted black, with the adjacent pillar painted green. The central pier was to be yellow, whereas right-hand pillar painted red, and the remaining portico wall was to be primary blue. The execution of new colour design was delayed, partly because new latex-based paint was required, besides additional funds have to be sanctioned because higher cost of new color scheme did not form part of original cost of the building. Completed finally in July, 1962, new color scheme substantially altered the character, image and appearance of the High Court building and made it more iconic. JIT KUMAR GUPTA

TAPESTRY Considering the fact that exposed concrete surfaces inside the courtrooms produced a problem in acoustics, providing an appropriate solution became a necessity for proper functioning of the courts. This led to Corbusier suggesting use of large tapestries as the appropriate solution to make court room acoustically excellent besides creating a distinct colorful aura in the otherwise monotonous atmosphere of the courtrooms. Large tapestries were accordingly proposed to cover the interior walls behind the judges' benches. A set of nine large pieces of tapestries were designed for the courtrooms of the High Court building with largest one for the court of the Chief Justice (144 sq. m.) and smaller ones, one each for eight of smaller courts (64 sq. m. each). These tapestries were designed and composed by Le Corbusier individually . Each tapestry had a different design, but the underlying principles of design remained common. They shared the common medium and fabric, which was largely wool mix, on which they were created and followed the pattern used in making traditional ‘durries’ in the villages of Punjab. Called as, "nomadic murals," Corbusier created Tapestries using Modular as a scale with common theme involving rectangular patches of colors in the background, adopted from Polycromie Architecturale, adorned with manmade and natural symbols and forces guiding mankind and eco-system (Watts). The colors used were bright and majority of color used was Red followed by Yellow, White and Blue which represented action, light, serenity and sky. In addition, large number of motifs and symbols were also made part of tapestry designs which included cosmos, natural and manmade objects including sun, sky, stars, clouds, lightening, meandering river, balance in justice, wheels, human footprints in terms of hands and feet, reptiles, flora and fauna etc. Looking at the other buildings and monuments in the capitol and the city, one can see the intricate and liberal use of art as integral part of architecture. Open hand monument, façade of the secretariat building, College of Architecture and Fine Arts, Chandigarh Museum, Gandhi Bhawan etc are few examples which amply integrate art and architecture to create quality-built environment in Chandigarh.

CONCLUSION Looking at the entire context, it can be visualized that art and architecture has high degree of co-relationship which needs to be understood, appreciated, valued and promoted to make profession of Architecture more meaningful for the society and community. Profession of Architecture can never do justice to nature and human living unless it has the support and involvement of art. If architecture is called the body, art rightly assumes the role of soul. Looking at buildings created by all master architects, one can see the application of art as an integral part of design. Majority of problems facing the profession of architecture has genesis in growing mismatch between art and architecture. The existing approach and ideology of architectural education and practice needs to be, objectively and critically revisited, in order to evolve appropriate solution and options for making value addition to the profession.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

ART AS DEFINER AND PROMOTER OF ARCHITECTURE

Ar. J.K. GUPTA AR. CHITRANGDA SHARMA

ART AS DEFINER ARCHITECTURE

AND

PROMOTER

ABSTRACT Promoting various built forms, creating quality-built environment and iconic urban spaces have its genesis in the synthesis of art and architecture. Art and Architecture are known to have high degree of convergence with a thin line defining and differentiating them. If architecture is known to be the body, art has been compared to be soul of the built environment. If art has been labeled as,’ expression of human creative skill and imagination in the visual form, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty and emotional power; Architecture, as applied science, has its genesis in creating buildings known for their form, usefulness, strength and beauty. If a great piece of art is an object of joy and pleasure, a well designed and constructed building is not only useful but also brings joy and happiness for the community and people who use it. Art and architecture are distinguished by the fact that Architecture is known to have a practical aspect which art does not have. Architecture is primarily and essentially driven by the context, economy, site, climate, material, form, technology, light and structural language whereas art has only visual and emotional connotations. Despite these barriers, art has been prime mover of architecture. All great master works created in architecture, owe their genesis and creation to great artists. All master architects had great understanding and appreciation of art, which is clearly reflected in the buildings designed by them. Good artists are known to be good architects. Art as a creative science has leveraged architecture in numerous ways giving architecture a new theme, context, meaning and vocabulary. Chandigarh, a role model in the field of architecture and urban planning, designed by Mon Le-Corbusier and his team of dedicated architects, have made extensive use of art as integral part of the designing various buildings comprising part of world heritage Capitol Complex i.e. High Court, Assembly etc, to promote their aesthetics and beauty. Paper tries to look through, define and detail out the elements of art used to make these buildings as state of art and universal buildings, locally and globally. Paper will also try to explore the various forms of art used, their context and impact on the quality of the architecture of the building where they are placed.

1. INTRODUCTION Architecture, mother of all arts, has been making use of different forms of art to create quality spaces for the use of human habitation and working. While every form of art may not be architecture but every form of architecture ought to be an art. Art in architecture besides visual, have spatial and notional connotations involving scale, proportions and massing. Art has been used in promoting architecture using three basic approaches; conceiving building itself as form of art; using art as the modulator of space and making art integral part of architecture. From time immemorial architecture has instinctively been overlaid with art. Right from the cave dwellings it has been human endeavor to integrate art in architecture. Art and architecture remain inseparable because using all kinds of arts; available at the human command to create state of art buildings has always been part of the human instinct to give a distinct meaning to the built spaces created. Architecture has its genesis in creating buildings known for their form, usefulness, strength and beauty. Art finds its place in architecture through structure, spaces or surfaces inspired from nature, material, engineering or even the philosophy. Although art remains subservient to the space created in the architecture but it JIT KUMAR GUPTA

provides great opportunity to humanize and make value addition to the space besides involving, interacting and engaging the end user into spatial narratives. Looking at the entire context of art and architecture, one can clearly observe, if architecture is driven by context, form, function and climate, art has its genesis in visual and emotional connotations. Despite these barriers, art and Architecture continue to share common canvas. They have been admirably integrated through different periods of history. Indian temples in the south are the great examples of showcasing how art can be leveraged to promote architecture and convey the essence of a culture and theme of the building. However, current approach to built environment involving structural necessity and material functionalism has led to separation of art and architecture where shape of buildings and relationship between solids and voids created in the building are considered as an art, necessitating the elimination of any artistic expression applied to the buildings. Infact aligning architecture with the fields of Science and technology and discarding functionality, rationalism and humanizing qualities has played crucial role in separating art from architecture. With commoditization, commercialization, standardization and multiplication guiding the designing and construction of buildings, little room is left for making art integral part of the buildings. Large scale visual poverty experienced in majority of the 20th century cities around the world has its genesis in the divorce between art and architecture. Formal system of education, which never put art and architecture on the same pedestal and supportive of each other, have also largely contributed to the ever-widening gap between art and architecture. Encouraging understanding the relevance of art in architecture and vice-versa in all institutions imparting education in art and architecture right from the beginning of their academic pursuit, by making them integral part of course curricula, would go a long way in creating synergies in the professions of art and architecture. Running courses in art and architecture within the same institution under the same roof will help in high degree of shared learning and teaching. Adopting this approach would go a long way in not only promoting synergy between two professions but would also help in training professionals which would improve the quality and context of built space.

2. CHANDIGARH Chandigarh, famous for its Architecture, planning and beauty, amply justifies its hard-earned title of ‘The City Beautiful’. City aptly justifies Michelangelo’s quote, “Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle”. Conceived, conceptualized and brought into reality by Le-Corbusier and his team of dedicated and committed architects, Chandigarh, after old capital city Lahore was lost to Pakistan during partition of India in 1947, tries to defines, details and scripts the destination of the capital city of Chandigarh, unfettered by the traditions of the past. Le Corbusier, multifaceted personality of twentieth century comprising of an artist, painter, architect, city planner, sculptor, furniture designer, writer, thinker, publisher, amateur photographer and filmmaker, with almost forty books and hundreds of published essays ; backed by four-decade of turbulent professional career in reshaping cities; designing seventy five iconic buildings in a dozen countries; and working on over four hundred architectural projects, gave a new theme and architectural vocabulary to the city built environment with the support and use of art, colour, tapestries enamels, bas-reliefs, painted walls and images embedded in

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

the structures. Corbusier used colors and visual imagery to represent a movement to integrate art and architecture. He said: “You employ stone, wood, and concrete, and with these materials you build houses and palaces: that is construction. Ingenuity is at work. But suddenly you touch my heart, you do me good. I am happy and I say: ‘This is beautiful.’That is Architecture. In search for appropriate solutions to make buildings iconic, Corbusier used various forms of art in the interior and exterior of buildings, considering the context, ambience and quality of spaces to be created. Capitol remains the area of focus where Corbusier used and showcased his understanding, skill, experience, expertise, knowledge and mastery of use of various forms of art to create and support a new and distinct architectural vocabulary.

3. CAPITOL Capitol is the center stage where Corbusier demonstrated its skill as an architect and an artist. Figuring among 17 World Heritage Listed buildings of the Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, Capitol Complex Chandigarh is an architectural wonder. In the words of Jane Pauline Hamilton, ‘Conceptualized and built in the 1950s by Le Corbusier, it is a sprawling area that houses three buildings – the Legislative Assembly (or the Palace of Assembly), the Secretariat and the High Court. Seeming to spring from the pages of a popular Ayn Rand novel, the buildings are just the right amalgamation of eclectic and old-world grandeur that simply take one’s breath away. Considering Capitol, the crowning glory, most valuable and adorable part of the city, with huge park and large distances separating the Assembly and the High Court, Corbusier felt that the need to connect these buildings, both visually and physically, playing with forms, using bright colors, having a enameled door, creating water bodies for reflecting the glory of buildings. In the words of Watts, ’At the Capitol, art and architecture come together as one unified conception, each complementing the other. This is not surprising, for Corbusier was like a later-day 20th century's Leonardo da Vinci and not only merely an architect-urbanist. He was a painter, sculptor, writer, philosopher and a poet too’. Designing Legislative Assembly and the High Court buildings, Corbusier used his basic instinct and expertise as a sculptor giving unique shape to the making of these architecture marvels. Artist in Corbusier propelled him to plan, design and place the great sculpture of Open Hand, as the crowning glory of the Capital Complex to create a mascot and message of,’Open to receive and Open to give’. Commanding texture, strength, colour, aesthetics, appeal and utility with value addition made through specifically designed shuttering patterns, bas-reliefs and motifs, rugged concrete, left unfinished was the material chosen for the construction of buildings in the complex, for connecting the buildings with Shivalik hills and to give them robust character. Corbusier used the motif ranging from seals, animals including bulls, cows, birds, fishes drawn from ancient Indian civilization and nearby rural settlements as integral part of the building interiors and exteriors. Use of bold and primary colours in the buildings is seen as another special feature of Capitol, through which Corbusier tried to integrate art with architecture.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

4. ARCHITECTURE AND TAPESTRIES Tapestry remains the most pre-dominant form of art used intelligently and innovatively by Le-Corbusier within the buildings of the capital complex to give a new theme to interior spaces. Tapestry is known as the art of weaving pictures and images into textiles used for covering walls and floors. Based on the choice of bright colours with images revolving around man and its relation with cosmos, Corbusier wanted to create harmony between interior and exterior of the buildings. Through Tapestries, Corbusier showcased his basic philosophy of creating human settlements based on the radiant city where the entire context was to meet the basic human requirements of living, working, culture of body and mind and circulation using the three great elements of nature involving sun, space and greenery. Accordingly, this trinity encompassed the entire solar system, bio-sphere and the numerous eco-systems which regulate this world. Thus symbols, motifs including clouds, water, rivers, stars, reptiles, animals, birds, flora and fauna found prominent place in the Corbusier art and paintings which adored the buildings of Capitol. ," Corbusier created Tapestries using Modular as a scale with common theme involving rectangular patches of colors in the background, adopted from Polycromie Architecturale, adorned with manmade and natural symbols and forces guiding mankind and eco-system (Watts). Sharing the common medium and wool mix as the fabric, these tapestries followed the pattern used in making traditional ‘durries’ in the villages of Punjab. These tapestries gave a new aura and theme to the interiors, making them brighter and more colorful against the dull color and rugged texture of the concrete used for construction. In addition, these tapestries made interior acoustically perfect by regulating the sound. In all 12 Tapestries were used by Corbusier out of which three are placed in the Assembly buildings whereas rest nine form part of court rooms of High Court. 4.1 Palace of Justice With exposed concrete surfaces inside the large volume courtrooms producing a visually dull feeling and creating acoustic problem, providing an appropriate solution to make courtroom acoustically sound and bright became a necessity for proper functioning of the courts. In search for appropriate cost-effective and innovative solutions, Corbusier suggested the use of large tapestries to make court room acoustically excellent besides creating a distinct colourful aura in the otherwise monotonous atmosphere of the courtrooms. Large tapestries were accordingly proposed to cover the interior walls behind the judges' seat. A set of nine large pieces of tapestries were designed for the courtrooms of the High Court building with largest one for the court of the Chief Justice (144 sq. m.) and smaller ones, one each for eight of smaller courts (64 sq. m. each). In all 650 meters of tapestry was designed and completed in five months by Indian craftsmen in Kashmir. All tapestries were designed and composed based on the design prepared by Le- Corbusier. With underlying principles remaining common, each tapestry had a different design. Called by Corbusier as the "nomadic murals, colours primarily used in majority were Red followed by Yellow, White and Blue which represented action, light, serenity and sky. In addition, large number of motifs and symbols were also embedded in the basic design and made part of tapestry designs. Tapestry designs included cosmos, natural and manmade objects including sun, sky, stars, clouds, lightening, meandering river, balance in justice, wheels, human footprints in terms of hands and feet, reptiles, flora and fauna etc as

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

the elements and themes of design. These tapestries provoked the delighted acquiescence of Mr. Nehru and the Governor of Punjab as well as the Chief Judge but these tapestries aroused doubts in the minds of some judges who declared that they were an outrage to the dignity of justice and caused two or three of them to be removed 4.2 Palace of Assembly Propelled by the success of the tapestries in High Court, three tapestries were designed and installed in the Assembly building. Tapestries in Assembly Buildings were larger than those installed in the High Court because of the larger space to be covered except the one installed in the courtroom of Chief justice. These Tapestries adorned the interiors of both the houses in the assembly besides the entrance. Tapestries installed in the two chambers measured 155 Sq.m each, whereas tapestry behind the ramp in the entrance in the basement measured 135 sq.m. Installed in the year 1962, these tapestries differed in colour and manufacturing from the one installed in the High court. With design principles remained the same, choice and use of bright colours by Corbusier in tapestries in Assembly building was based on the analogy to create a harmony between interior and exterior of the building based on colour pattern used for the ceremonial enamel door. 5.

ARCHITECTURE AND COLOURS

Colours are known to be providers of great contrast, distinct character and value addition to the buildings, architectural character and spaces. The idea of using bold colours in buildings of Chandigarh has its roots in the theory Polycromie Architecturale developed by Corbusier. Theory draws inspiration from musical harmonies. As per Giuseppina Scavuzzo, "These colours bear a strong relation to Nature; and introduce a new kind of link between inside and outside, using colour as a space-defining element.” While designing buildings, Corbusier has made strategic use of colours to provide distinct character and visibility to the buildings. In case of Court of Justice, these bold colours adore the three great pylons with pastel shades of green, yellow and pink salmon facing the assembly building, whereas in the case of Assembly, colours mark the great entrance to the building, specially created for the head of the state to enter the building on the special occasions. 5.1 Colour and Palace of Assembly Palace of Assembly remains the iconic building due to its peculiar form, unique shape and out of box design, largely propelled by the artistic instinct of the Le-Corbusier. The glory of the assembly is defined by the colors, furniture, tapestries and images which Corbusier used with great precision, to define the interiors and entrance to the building. Each work of art comprises of Corbusier signature-like arrangement of colors with symbols and motifs in contrasting shades. This includes an enameled door painted by Corbusier himself, which appears at the entrance of the Assembly. The rugged shade of the exposed reinforced concrete used for construction coupled with bright primary colors, shapes and forms punctuated with skylight and window cut-outs of different shapes makes the Assembly building unique and colorful besides promoting ventilation and the illusion of height.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

5.2 Color and the Door Nearly 25 feet square door, meant for providing entry from the core is pivoted in the middle of the Assembly portico, facing the High Court The outer face, a strong visual counterpoint to the vibrant colours of the High Court pylons, is divided into two equal parts. The upper part has landscape with the red and yellow sky above depicting the solar and the lunar cycles, the solstices, and the equinoxes manifesting Corbusier's pre-occupation with man's relationship with the cosmos. The lower half is populated with animals, natural formations, and other cryptic symbols distributed evenly over the entire surface. The background of the desert depicts the original order on earth and the green, symbolizes the "Garden of Eden" landscape. Amidst the greenery stands Corbusier’s abstracted human figure, the upright Modular Man. A river meanders on the left and as an abstracted ecosystem, there is a turtle, a bull, a fish, and, of course, the serpent. In the centre is the proverbial "Tree of Knowledge" flowering into the fruits of knowledge. Use of colours on the façade of door makes the entire space vibrant, lively and meaningful. Assembly door is a living tribute to Corbusier skill in the art and science of synthesizing art with architecture. 5.3 Colour and Assembly Chamber The assembly chamber, with a seating capacity of 252 persons, is a study in colour, form and space with the hyperbolic parabolic dome set within the three layers of pastel shades of green, yellow and pink, punctuated by sound-absorbing acoustic tiles and cloud-like shapes. The art in the interior of the large chamber has been structured in three distinct layers, each defining a specified theme, meaning and objective. First layer, dedicated to provide perfect acoustics required for the rational functioning of the house, is occupied by the sound-absorbing acoustic tiles laid over a red painted wall. The second layer, painted in pastel yellow, superimposed by numerous patches in different shapes to give an impression of floating clouds over the sky spanning the narrowing diameter of the dome and finally merging into the skylight, forming the third layer. The richness and brightness of colours continues with yellow carpets defining the floor and green upholstered chairs, specially designed by Corbusier team for seating the legislators. 5.4 Colour and Palace of Justice Marked with three massive flattened piers leading inward and rising sixty feet from the ground to meet the heavy outward thrust of the roof, personified as a grand entrance with its awesome scale to manifest the majesty of the law to all who entered the building, High Court emerges as most powerful statement adoring the capitol with Corbusier used his instinct of gelling art with architecture using colours as the medium. With columns and portico walls painted in bright contrasting colours, the colour scheme envisioned an order involving inside wall painted black, with adjacent pillar made green, central pier painted yellow, whereas right-hand pillar painted red, and remaining JIT KUMAR GUPTA

portico wall made primary blue. Completed in 1962, colour scheme provided a distinct aura, character, culture, image and appearance to the High Court.

6. EMBEDDED ART In addition to using colour, form and textures as form of art, Corbusier also used extensively the mechanism of embedded art. In this form of art, Corbusier made all the participants, living creatures and local flora and fauna as integral part of the building by casting them on walls, columns and beams within the concrete by creating reliefs. This he has done in the assembly and institutional buildings. For small bas – reliefs of animals, abstract designs and the modular figure found in the concrete column of the portico and other wall surfaces. Through this Corbusier has tried to recognize those who were having their habitat locally and made contribution to make city a distinct reality. In addition, he also tried to relate the cosmos with the built environment through these reliefs.

7. PUBLIC ART Public art is a powerful tool in reflecting the experience of the urban, provoking an engagement of urbanites with their environment, and in re-socializing public spaces. It involves creativity, anonymity, illegality, longevity and ephemerality, but also elements of performance, gentrification, social activism and place-making. It is a multifaceted practice of art that engages the spectator, weaving itself into the everyday. Chandigarh is known to be dull and drab city with brick, mortar and glass largely defining its architectural character. In order to improve the visibility of buildings and to make them distinct, unique and giving them a theme. 7.1 Wall at Govt. Hospital, Sector 16 Recently Chandigarh administration has started the concept of painting the outer walls of the buildings. First initiative in this regard has been taken for the outer wall of the General Hospital facing Madhya Marg which has been painted with great messages. Being a hospital wall, theme and message displayed on this wall is ‘getting healthy’ depicting yoga and cycling as the ways to a healthy life. In addition, public places are being provided with sculptures and murals and other works of art to improve the visibility and quality of urban spaces, Rock Garden constructed by Mr. Nek Chand out of the city waste is a great example of how art can be leveraged to make cities more attractive and livable. 7.2 Wall at City Centre, Sector 17 The Mural in sector -17 piazza reflecting Chandigarh in itself. Made of handmade color tiles, it is a three dimensional representing the elements of Chandigarh e.g. Its emblem, Sukhna Lake, Lush Green valleys, Capitol Complex, Round abouts, Rock Garden, Grid roads and sector 17 Fountain. JIT KUMAR GUPTA

8. CONCLUSION India is passing through an era of rapid urbanization with large addition of population making cities as their preferred place of living. With the addition in population, large built up space is being added to the cities. As per estimates made by the McKenzie Global Institute, India will need 700-900 million Sq. m of built space annually to meet the demand for living, working, industry, trade and commerce etc of the people coming to cities. Thus, large footprints of buildings are going to dot the urban settlements. Most of the built-up structures are being taken up as commercial ventures where focus is to make buildings only cost-effective. Quality of buildings and spaces being created in the process has the least priority. Most of the cities are passing through an era of crisis with bare buildings creating concrete jungles. In the process, quality of public spaces being created are of very poor quality. With the dominance of the vehicles, cities are fast losing its vital public spaces for creating parking and road widening. It is time to look at the issue objectively and critically, It is time for re-looking at the art and science of architecture to make it more meaningful and to create spaces which promotes better living, learning, healthcare etc. Architecture needs to be effectively integrated with art to make urban areas and built spaces more meaningful. Art and architecture need to be synthesized at the institutional, professional and practice level to make all architects and artists co-operate and collaborate in creating quality buildings. Course curricula need to be reviewed, revised and re-defined to make the education more meaningful. All schools of art should get involved in understanding the role and importance of art in architecture. All schools of architecture must have schools of art as part of the institution and the vice- versa so as to synthesize and integrate their role in making the art and science of designing buildings and spaces more rational and community oriented. Building bye-laws would also need a critical review so as to ensure that art is made integral part of planning, designing, construction and operation of buildings constructed for human habitation.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR PERI-URBAN AREAS

Ar. J.K. GUPTA

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR PERI-URBAN AREAS INTRODUCTION Urban limits continue to be defined under the municipal law without reference to the existing and future pattern growth and development. With political factors largely governing the definition of urban boundaries, the process remains slow and static. In large number of cases the urban limits remained static even over a span of 15-20 years despite the fact that during this period urban center increase by more than 30-50%, in terms of population and physical size. Accordingly, most of the new development continues to occur in the area outside the defined municipal boundaries which had become highly potential. Factors leveraging large growth taking place outside urban limits were; limited options available within the existing limits of urban centres, slow pace of development of urban land, legal restrictions on land development within urban centres, locational advantage, lesser restrictions on peri-urban land, absence of regulatory authority, lower land values and easy accessibility to the urban infrastructure and work centers. In the process, the growth and development of areas outside the urban limits assume importance and becomes synonymous with the growth and development of the mother city. Infact, in certain cases the momentum of growth outside urban limits is found to be of higher order due to numerous factors constraining the development within the city. Accordingly, development in the periphery of the urban areas assumes importance for rationalizing the growth of the urban centres of which peri-urban areas form an integral part. Unfortunately, in India, in most of the cases, peripheral areas are not being subjected to strict legal controls, despite the fact that these areas are witnessing rapid transformation. Considering the role and importance of the peri-urban areas, it becomes critical that development of these areas is objectively looked into and appropriate strategies are evolved to make them integral part of the city growth and developmental process. Such an approach would help in making urban areas more sustainable, livable and productive.

DEFINING PERI-URBAN AREAS In the Indian context, peri-urban areas have not found recognition in terms of their role and importance in rationalizing and promoting the planned growth of urban centers and making cities more humane, more productive and more sustainable. These areas have been left largely to be exploited by the speculators, real-estate developers and builders to create structures and sub-divide the land against all planning and developmental norms. However, in all developed countries, peri-urban areas are strictly regulated in terms of their definition and parameters of planning and development. Peri-urban area has been defined:

❖ As an area around an urban settlement which is distinctive in character having diverse and mixed land uses and residents. These are the areas generally located outside the municipal limits. ❖ In U.S.A. Peri-Urban areas is defined on the basis of numerous interlinked factors which include population density, employment in non-agricultural uses, industries and population mobility. 62 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

❖ Peri-urban areas are areas which are in transition from strictly rural to urban. These areas form the immediate urban-rural interface and may eventually fully evolve into being fully urban. Peri-urban are places where people are key components. Chandigarh--In the Indian scenario, efforts have been made to define the extent of the peri-urban areas. First attempt was made in the case of new capital city of Chandigarh under the provisions of Punjab New Capital.(Periphery) Control Act, 1952, where initially 8 km. stretch outside the project area was defined as “Periphery” to regulate the growth and development outside the limits of the new city, The objective was to put a check on the haphazard, unplanned and sub-standard growth besides making available land, free from all encumbrances, for future growth and expansion of the new city. The extent of periphery was subsequently increased to 16 kms, considering the pressure of development around the capital city. Punjab-- State of Punjab has also been pioneer in recognizing the role and importance of peri-urban areas in the context of planned urban development. In 1963, “The Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restrictions on Unregulated Development Act”, was put in place. The Act inter-alia provided for declaring area up to 8 kms around any city/town, any building of historical and architectural importance or any important institution, as Controlled area which would be subjected to distinct controls, rules and regulations evolved under a Development Plan prepared under the Act. It also provided for regulating development along all important roads and Bye-passes listed in the Act in order to rationalize the peri-urban growth along these roads, within and outside the municipal limits. The stretch proposed to be regulated varied from 30 meters along Scheduled Roads to 100 meters in case of Bye-passes. Haryana--State of Haryana has also attempted to define peri-urban areas under the Punjab Scheduled Roads Act and the Haryana Urban Areas, Act 1975. Under the Haryana Urban Areas Act, 5 km stretch outside the municipal limits and institutions could be declared as urban areas. Such areas are subjected to strict developmental controls defined in the Development Plan. Haryana model of development focuses on the need and importance of rational and planned development of the peri-urban areas whereas development of core urban areas/mother city is left to the municipal law where no provision exists for the preparation of the Development Plan. This model is based on the premise of using the potential of peri-urban areas which have little development but offer enormous options to acquire cheaper land and promote urban development on a massive scale by creating large residential, commercial colonies and townships. In all the above cases, distinct variations have been observed in the extent of Peri-Urban areas. In the case of Chandigarh, it is observed that the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952 does not specify any limit of such area. It was perhaps the vision of the first Capital Project Team, which included eminent Architects, Planners, Administrators and Engineers, who considered prudent that 8 km. would be sufficient to regulate the development around the new city. However, no study was carried out while defining the extent of the periphery of the city. Stipulations made in the “The Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas (Unregulated) Development Act,1963 with regard to defining the extent of peri-urban areas seem to have been largely influenced by pattern followed in Chandigarh. Haryana Urban Areas Act defines 5 km as the extent of peri-urban areas against 8 kms specified in the Chandigarh law. However, in all these cases, objective and well-defined 63 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

criteria to determine peri-urban areas are absent. Accordingly, considering the large implications of the peri-urban areas, it becomes critical that the extent of such areas should be properly delineated based on well-defined parameters. It would not be appropriate to limit the extent of peri-urban areas by defining it in the law itself because the extent of the peri-urban areas would vary with individual settlement. Accordingly, it will be more rational and appropriate, if instead of fixing the extent of area, proper methodology and objective criterion are laid down in the law, based on which the extent of Peri-Urban area should be defined.

DEVELOPMENT ISSUES Peri-urban areas, because of their close proximity to the mother city, are subjected to numerous development forces which result in changing their basic rural character. Due to absence of any regulatory authority, the development in the area is subjected to whims and fancies of the individuals. In the absence of any planning framework, most of the development is both haphazard and unplanned. The area suffers from lack /absence of basic infrastructure and services despite the fact, it houses large number of people. The extent of the peri-urban areas, have been found to have positive co-relation with the size of the mother city i.e. larger the city, larger would be the extent of peri-urban limits. In addition to development outside the municipal boundaries, area along major road network also witnesses linear/corridor pattern of development. Thus peri-urban areas have features which are distinct from those of urban and rural areas. It has development which is not compact and contiguous. Development to a large extent is interspersed with agricultural pockets. In the Indian context peri-urban areas, which are on a massive roll today are being subjected to large developmental forces and pressures. Infact they are the areas which are going to become urban over a period of time, when municipal limits are extended. They would be required to be provided with appropriate level of planning and developmental input to integrate them with the existing framework of the city and its services. Considering the pattern of development existing in the peri-urban areas, process becomes highly cumbersome and problematic and poses numerous challenges and problems of integration, with the result these areas continue to be neglected and suffer for considerable time. To minimize such eventualities, it becomes critical that peri-urban areas are clearly identified for each settlement and adequately looked after by a properly defined authority within a planning framework so that their integration with the city does not pose any problem subsequently. Peri- urban areas have been found to have significant ecological, bio-diversity, land form, natural character, landscape and cultural/ natural heritage values. For preserving these valuable gifts, it becomes all the more important that these areas are rationally and thoughtfully studied and planned with sensitivity. Since peri-urban development has serious repercussion for the mother city, it becomes all the more critical that a proper legal framework is put in place on priority to effectively and efficiently manage the growth and development of such areas. As per the report of the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner, environmental management and planning framework surrounding peri-urban areas is complex process, due to large number of agencies with varied range of functions involved in their management the investigation critically looks into the approaches adopted for environmental planning and management. The investigation highlights a range of issues that seem to be compromising the effectiveness of the environmental planning and management processes in the peri-urban areas which included: 64 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

• Limited capacity of the planning processes to identify and manage tensions and conflicts. • Poor leadership from national agencies on how to manage these areas. • Inconsistent local vision and leadership at times resulted in litigation. • Variably institutional capacity to promote the sustainable development of peri-urban areas, both intellectual and financial. •Relying on the district plans as primary tool for managing the sustainability of peri-urban areas •Weak accountability in the system • Poor quality of baseline resource information • Low capability to define and manage cumulative effects. • Poor monitoring of implementation and environmental outcomes.

SWOT ANALYSIS With a view to critically evaluate and understand the entire gamut of Peri-urban areas in terms of its strength and weaknesses, opportunities offered and threats posed for the planned development of urban areas, SWOT analysis has been carried out. The analysis would help in evolving future growth strategies for peri-urban areas based on making optimum use of its strength, overcoming weaknesses, making best use of the opportunities offered and minimizing the threat posed by the Peri-Urban areas. STRENGTH: Strength of the Peri-Urban areas can be enumerated in terms of: ● High growth potential for urban and industrial development. ● Existence of developmental triggers- large industrial/institutional units, major road/rail network. ● Existence of large number of godowns & wholesale markets. ● Existence of inefficient land market and inadequate supply of serviced land within the mother city. ● Prevailing high land prices within the core area. ● Existence of restricting legal framework, and irrational Development Control Regulations operating within the mother city. ● Better options for cheaper, spacious and affordable housing. ● Simpler and liberal process of approvals for development, conversion of land use and grant of building permissions. ● Easier availability of large quantum of land at cheaper rates. ● Easy accessibility to the mother city including its specialized infrastructure and services. ● Close proximity to work centers and centers of employment. ● Comparatively low cost of living. ● Absence of any toll, taxes, levies, fees etc. ● Availability of basic amenities and services at comparatively lower price.

65 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

WEAKNESSES: Major weaknesses of the Peri-urban areas can be defined in terms of: ● General absence of a well-defined legal framework for planning, development & management. ● Absence/multiplicity of planning and developmental agencies to regulate development within the area. ● Absence of well-defined planning framework to guide, rationalize and promote orderly growth of the area. ● Large scale conversion of agricultural land into non-agricultural uses due to easy procedures/absence of any legal framework. ● Unauthorized and haphazard sub-division of agricultural land into small parcels. ● Absence of building bye-laws or zoning regulations to rationalize use of land and control of built environment. ● High degree of land speculation due to comparatively lower land values and simple procedures of land conversion. ● Irrational/ non- conforming land use pattern. ● Dispersed pattern of development with absence of basic infrastructure and services. ● Absence of a rationalized traffic & transportation network with corridor pattern of development along the existing road network. ● Generally low-quality development and low-quality life ● Existence of slums/ low quality housing. ● Poor accessibility within the habitable areas. ● High degree of environmental pollution/ Degraded Environment. ● Absence of trunk services. OPPORTUNITIES: Numerous opportunities offered by Peri-Urban areas can be stated in terms of: ● Promoting planned development of urban centers ● Creating large affordable housing stock in close vicinity to the mother city ● Ensuring dispersed pattern of urban growth ● Creating efficient and cost-effective land market ● Integrating effectively growth, development and service network of urban and Peri-Urban areas ● Creating a pattern of development which is affordable, economical and user friendly. ● Minimizing growth of slums in the mother city ● Creating large opportunities for employment and economic activities ● Taking care of major ills and problems of Indian cities ● Minimizing haphazard, unplanned and unregulated development on the urban fringes ● Creating balance between rural and urban development THREATS: However, there are numerous threats posed by the Peri-Urban areas unless their planning, development and management is not made rational. These threats can be quantified in terms of:

66 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

● Continued large scale conversion of agricultural land into non-agricultural uses ● Continued unauthorized and haphazard sub-division of agricultural land into small parcels. ● Absence of building bye-laws or zoning regulations to rationalize use of land and control of built environment. ● Large scale land speculation due to comparatively lower land values and simple procedures of land conversion. ● Continued Irrational/ non- conforming land use pattern. ● Absence of basic infrastructure and services. ● Absence of a rationalized traffic & transportation network ● Low quality development and low-quality life prevailing in the area. ● Existence of slums/ low quality housing. ● Poor accessibility. ● High degree of environmental pollution/ Degraded Environment.

STRATEGY Looking at the existing pattern of growth and development of urban centres in India, it has been observed that “peri-urban” areas have profound influence and major implications for core urban areas in terms of their planning, development and management. Major drivers for such implications have been found to be absence of any legal framework, absence of any planning and development agency to define, promote, regulate and manage the pattern of development in the area. Considering the valuable contribution of the peri- urban areas in terms of providing day-to-day needs, employment, shelter, economy and sustainability to the mother city, their planned development assumes importance. Accordingly, strategies shall have to be formulated in order to ensure that peri-urban areas contribute effectively to the sustainability, growth and development of the mother city rather than becoming a parasite on its resources. Such a strategy should essentially revolve around;

CREATING RATIONAL LEGAL FRAME WORK It has been observed that planning legislation has profound implications for urban development because it defines the system of urban development, establishes the system of urban planning and regulation of land development. It also defines and delimits the role of urban planners and managers. All urban laws also define and provide for basic procedures which have to be followed in the plan preparation and plan approval before they are made operational. It also includes the penalties to be imposed in case of the violation of the provisions of the plan. Therefore, in all civilized and democratic societies, existence of a well-defined legal framework is a prerequisite to regulate the growth and development of urban centres. Unfortunately, in India very few states have dedicated legal framework which addresses the need of planned development in the peri-urban areas. Most of the laws are framed with a focus to take care of the planned development of the mother city in the shape of master plans or development plans. These laws do not recognize the peri- urban areas as the area requiring planned development. In the absence of this, these areas are not subjected to any planning and development mechanism. However, in certain cases, concept of planning areas, urbanisable areas are followed in the preparation of master plan but in most of the cases these areas are marked for uses other than urban and are outside the framework of implementation. Accordingly, it becomes essential that a rational legal framework must be put in place to effectively regulate the development outside the urban areas. Once legal 67 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

framework is put in place, proper management of peri-urban areas would be much simpler, effective and efficient.

DEFINING PERI- URBAN AREAS In order to ensure the planned growth of Peri-Urban areas, it will be critical to precisely define the extent of Peri- Urban areas for each city so that it can be taken care of in the planning and development process. It has also been observed that peri-urban is not a static but a dynamic concept, accordingly its extent varies with the extent of the mother city. Larger the mother city, greater has been found to be the extent of peri- urban area. Accordingly, it is important that these areas are delineated with care and sensitivity. A well-defined set of parameters will be required based on which peri-urban areas could be defined. These parameters could include population, population density, percentage of work force engaged in activities other than agriculture, areas of natural/ built heritage, pattern of economic and physical growth and development, economic potential of the area, proximity and accessibility/ connectivity with the mother city. Based on these parameters Peri-Urban areas for each city should be delineated. It should be made mandatory that for each urban settlement, its Peri-Urban limits should also be defined as integral part of urban area so that both areas become integrated, so far as their planning, development and management are concerned. Peri- Urban areas made Integral Part of Planning Process Despite the fact that pre-urban areas have important role and enormous potential to contribute to the rational growth and development of urban areas, they have not been duly recognized by planners. Accordingly, peri-urban areas have no recognition in the parlance of the planning process. In fact, most of the existing problems of urban areas have their genesis in the mismanagement of the peri –urban areas. Accordingly, for rationalizing and promoting planned development of the urban centres, it would be critical to make the peri- urban areas as integral part of city planning and development process. Considering their proximity and future growth and development of the city, these areas need to be planned as an extension of the mother city, so that the services/infrastructure /road net-work of both these areas are effectively integrated. Once this is done, achieving the objective of planned and integrated development of peri-urban areas would be much easier, simpler and quicker. Designating Agency for the Regulating Growth and Development Most of the growth of peri-urban areas in the Indian context has been found to be both haphazard and unplanned. Major cause for this malady can be attributed to the absence of any agency designated to regulate the growth in the area. Accordingly, it will be important that an appropriate agency must be designated to regulate the development in the peri-urban areas. It could be a regional level authority in the case of a regional plan which should be entrusted with the task of managing all identified peri-urban areas in the region. Task could also be entrusted to District Planning Committee /Metropolitan Planning Committees, provided these committees have necessary level of planning, development and management input. However, in case of peri-urban areas of an individual settlement, the task of management should invariably be entrusted to the city level agency. Multiplicity of agencies with overlapping areas of operation needs to be invariably avoided for minimizing conflicts, wastage, conserving and preserving resources and promoting focused planned development. For proper development, it should be ensured that local authority must prepare plans, allocate 68 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

funds for infrastructure development and deploy effective machinery for regulating development within the Peri-Urban areas Defining Development Controls/Building Bye-Laws In order in ensure that built environment of appropriate quality and order is created, it will be essential to put in place proper system of developmental control within the peri-urban areas. All building plans must conform to those regulation and controls and all plans should be got approved from competent authority before construction in the area is undertaken. Since peri-urban areas are future urban areas, accordingly, it will be important that bye-laws applicable in the city should also be extended to the peri-urban areas, so that construction in area is regulated on the pattern of the mother city. Regulating Sub- division of Land It has been observed that peri-urban areas are subjected to massive unplanned and haphazard sub-division of land which leads to large number of growth maladies in these areas. Accordingly, it becomes critical that unplanned sub-division of land in the area is effectively regulated. This would call for evolving appropriate layout plan, defining clearly the road network/amenities/services, defining shape and size of the individual parcels of land, laying down clearly set-back lines, ground coverage, height and FAR, so that growth and development of the area is orderly and rational. All sub-division of land should be subjected to a pre-defined planning framework and approval from the designated Authority so that haphazard growth is minimized. A well-defined framework containing appropriate planning and developmental norms for sub-division and provision of amenities would be essential and critical to achieve the objective. Regulating Conversion of Land Use In order to minimize land speculation and emergence of non-conforming land uses, conversion of land from agricultural to non-agricultural uses should be effectively and efficiently regulated. It should be made more objective and focused and processed in accordance with the provision of Master Plan. Proposals meeting provisions of master plan should only be approved. Levying Charges For permitting sub-division, change of land use and development within the peri-urban areas, it would be critical to levy charges for land conversion and provision of infrastructures. Both internal and external developmental charges should be levied in order to generate resources for providing trunk services in the area. Charges for change of land use from agricultural to non-agricultural land use on a pre-defined scale should be levied in order to raise resources for the rational development of the peri-urban areas. The charges should be on different scale considering the nature of converted land use, intensity of development and location of the converted land. The charges collected should be credited to a dedicated fund exclusively for development of Peri-Urban areas. No diversion of funds should be permitted in order to ensure its rational development.

69 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

Creating Appropriate Enforcement Machinery In order to rationalize the growth of peri-urban areas, it will be critical not only to put a proper planning framework, but equally important would be to create a well-equipped enforcement machinery in order to check any violation, haphazard & unplanned development, unauthorized sub-division of land, change of land use and creation of slums. Such machinery must include manpower of the appropriate order with enough authority, equipment and resources, to meet any contingency. Separate fast-track courts should be created to deal with cases of violation in the peri-urban areas in order to ensure their quick disposal. This would help in minimizing violation in the peri-urban areas. Redefining the urban Limits In order to ensure that peri-urban areas do not remain outside the ambit of growth & management and people living therein are not deprived of basic urban infrastructure/services/amenities, it would be critical that local authority limits are re-defined periodically based on the well-defined parameters so as to make peri-urban areas integral part of mother city. For this a detailed exercise must be undertaken for each urban settlement by the state Department of Town Planning in collaboration with the Department of Local Government to redefine the municipal boundaries. Infact, it would be critical for the state government to create a permanent machinery which should go into this issue on continued basis and ensure that no peri-urban area suffers mutilation and subjected to forces of unplanned development in the state. Once peri-urban areas are integrated with the mother city, most of the urban problems can have rational solution.

CONCLUSION Considering the critical role of peri-urban areas in the context of urban development, it would be important that these areas are properly defined, rationally planned and effectively managed in terms of their growth and development. Unfortunately, most of the peri-urban areas don’t find recognition in the parlance of existing planning and management system. Legal framework to regulate the area is conspicuous by its absence. Emergence of large number of peri-urban areas can be attributed to the policies and program enunciated by the government. Setting up of major projects in isolation and away from the cities invariably leads to emergence of such areas. Present policy of approving Special Economic Zones (SEZ), away from the existing urban centres without any supporting framework for planned development of peri-urban areas is going to lead to enormous conversion, subdivision of land and haphazard growth and development around SEZs. It would be important that the issue is looked at critically and an effective legal framework to regulate the development in these areas is put in place on priority. Infact, future livability, sustainability and productivity of Urban- India will largely depend and hinge upon, how professionally, effectively and efficiently we manage our peri-urban areas.

70 JIT KUMAR GUPTA

UNTOLD STORY OF CHANDIGARH MASTER PLAN

Ar. J.K. GUPTA

UNTOLD STORY OF CHANDIGARH MASTER PLAN INTRODUCTION •

•

• •

•

In this era of rapid and massive urbanization, urban land development and urban development process, have emerged critical areas of major concerns to all governments. Planning and Management of urban settlements have major implications on: economic development, social change, environmental sustainability, operational efficiency of any society and welfare of the community At the root of such development and administration, are human beings and their basic requirements of living, working, cobs and travel; land, its allocation, planning and management involving; sub-division and use of land Land-use planning emerges most powerful element in the process of urban development All civilized societies are known to have roots in a defined system of rules and regulations. Planned growth and development also requires a well-defined regime of law to support. Planning legislation has profound implications for urban development because:it defines system of urban government; establishes systems of urban planning & regulation of land development; delimits the role and power of urban planners & managers; defines basic procedure for plan preparation, approval and making them operational. Law is never a neutral instrument. Law has vital implications for society and cities for their functioning and development. Behind every law lies political and policy issues and not merely technical agenda. Indian legal framework for planning is primarily colonial. Existing legal system not rational to cope up with emerging problems of India because of its inadequacies of planning practices and planning systems, which are primarily and essentially have genesis in the colonial law. With urbanizations picking up, number of laws have been enacted to control, regulate & promote planned urban development at the state and national level. Urban development being state subject, states have enacted large number of laws. Most of the laws are subject specific. Each law has it; objectives; basic framework in terms of what is permitted and prohibited; management system and; operational system. Accordingly, there exist, multiplicity of laws; multiplicity of agencies created and multiplicity of rules and regulations framed to make these laws operational. Indian laws are characterized by high degree of bureaucratization with bureaucrats ruling the system. There is an urgent need to relook at legal framework to make it rational and closer to ground realities.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

74TH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ACT, 1992 •

• • •

Urban legal scenario underwent critical change due to the enactment of 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. Law for the first time in the history of independent India, gave constitutional recognition to Urban Local Bodies. It changed federal structure of the country from two to three tiers, by accepting urban local bodies as part of urban governance in the country. Amendment also for the first-time recognized subjects of; Urban planning, Town planning & Land use planning, District planning and Metropolitan planning. Provided for empowering the local authorities to take up the onus of planning, development and management of urban areas Provided for setting up District Planning Committees at District level; Metropolitan Area Planning Committee for Metropolitan Area; for preparing District Plans and Metropolitan Area Plans.

METHODOLOGY FOR PREPARING MASTER PLAN In the parlance of planning; various stages of preparation of Master Plan of any urban settlement includes: 1. Identification of the city for which master plan is to be prepared; notification of Local Planning Area and Planning Agency who would prepare the master plan. 2. Preparation of Existing Land Use Plan 3. Assessment and analysis of Local Planning Area in terms of ● Regional Setting ● Historical Evolution ● Demographic Studies ● Socio-Economic Studies ● Housing ● Slums & Poverty ● Trade and commerce ● Industries ● Traffic & Transportation ● Physical Infrastructure (Water Supply, Sewerage, Solid Waste Management ● Social Infrastructure (Educational, Medical, Recreational, Miscellaneous) ● Environment ● Heritage and Tourism ● Growth Pattern ● Land use ● Available studies and reports ● Ongoing and Proposed Projects 4. Involving Stakeholders through: ● Focussed Group Discussions and personal interviews ● Meeting with experts JIT KUMAR GUPTA

● Think Tank meetings ● NGOs; Private agencies; Public Agencies; state Departments ● Public Representatives, 5. Identifying Gaps, Issues and Problems through: ● Comparison with available norms and standards ● Spatial Distribution ● Quantitative and Qualitative analysis 6. Carrying out S.W.O.T analysis based upon; ● Studies made analysis carried out ● City Assessment ● Stakeholders’ Perception ● Identified problems and gaps ● Identifying major socio-economic drivers 7. Working out City requirements- for next 20 Years based on: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Population Projections Norms and Standards Broad Land use Requirements Defining Conceptual Framework through: Defining Vision for future growth and development Identifying broad objectives Laying down mission statements for critical areas Preparation of alternatives--Concept Plans Evolving Draft Master Plan – Involving; ● Proposed Land Use Plan ● Traffic & Transportation Plan along with Development Control Regulations (D.C.R) ● Based on Land Suitability Analysis involving; ● Existing land use, ● Critical areas, ● Growth divers, ● Areas to be preserved and conserved and promoted, ● Heritage areas and buildings- natural and manmade, ● Studies and assessment made Gaps and problems identified, ● Stakeholders’ perception ● Objectives, vision, Mission defined and framed future population growth ● Future infrastructure requirements ● Available land for development 8. Notifying Draft Master Plan for inviting Public and other agencies’ Objections and Suggestions; Considering each of those objections and suggestions

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

9. Finalizing Master Plan- Issuing Public notice including Phasing and Investment Plan 10. Evolving Zonal Plans based on Proposed Land Use, notifying for inviting suggestions and objections and finalising Zonal Plans after considering them

CHANDIGARH IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

1947- Partition of India for creating Pakistan and sub-division of Punjab into Eat and West Punjab 1947-Capital City of Lahore lost to Pakistan in partition of India 1948- Punjab Government approves the setting up of a new capital 1948- Site for new capital city Chandigarh selected in consultation with Government of India in March 1949- First team led by Albert Mayer and Mathew Nowiski- hired to plan the city 1949- First Master Plan along with details of superblocks prepared and finalized 1950- Death of Mathew Nowiski in a plane crash and hiring of Second team led by Le Corbusier 1951- Second Master Plan prepared based on the first Master Plan- Changing its form and structure 1952- The Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation Act), 1952, enacted for planning and development of new Capital city. 1952- The Capital of Punjab, Periphery Control Act, 1952 put in place—8 Kms of periphery notified 1952- Foundation stone of city was laid 1962-Army cantonment, Air Force Station and HMT established in periphery 1962 –Periphery extended from 8 kms to 16 Kms. Periphery controlled area plan put in place 1966– Re-organization of state of Punjab into Punjab and Haryana with hill areas going to Himachal Pradesh 1966- Chandigarh made UT and Capital of two states of Punjab and Haryana with total area of 114 Sq kms of area- City 70 sq kms + 44 sq kms of periphery 1966- Periphery got divided with Punjab holding-1021 sq kms; Haryana-295 sq kms and Chandigarh 44 sq kms out of total area of 1360 sqkms of periphery. Post 1966- New cities of Mohali (5500 acs) and Panchkula (5000 acs) created by states of Punjab/ Haryana in periphery 1975- High Powered Co-ordination Committee constituted by GOI under Chairmanship of Secretary Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Government of India with Chief Secretaries of states of Punjab and Haryana; Chief Commissioner Chandigarh and GOC-in- Chief Western Command, as the members 1977-Formulation of Chandigarh Urban Complex Plan involving Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula covering an area of 330 skm 1984- Chandigarh Interstate Regional Plan -2001 prepared by Town & Country Planning Organization of Government of India- 2431 sqkm-pop-25 lakh 1995- The Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 enacted by the state of Punjab

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

• • • • • •

1995- The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority was set up with the abolition of The Punjab Housing Development Board 1999- Preparation of Chandigarh Interstate Metropolitan Regional Plan prepared for 50 kms radius by Chandigarh Administration 2008- Notification of GMADA Regional Plan 2056- with area of 1021 sqkms Post 2008- Haryana added 1550 Acs to Panchkula development 2009 December- Expert Committee Constituted for Draft Master Plan for Chandigarh-2031 2016 July- Capitol Complex declared – World Heritage – by UNESCO in 40th Session at Insanbul

LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF CHANDIGARH • • • •

Laws defining the legal framework of planning and development of Chandigarh Capital City For City-The Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952 For the Periphery – The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952 The Punjab Capital (Development and Regulation) Building Rules,1952 enacted for regulating the buildings to be constructed in the new capital city providing for Zoning Plans and Development Controls.

THE CAPITAL OF PUNJAB (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) ACT, 1952: •

•

• •

• • • •

Statement of Objects and Reasons: --The construction of the New Capital of Punjab at Chandigarh is in progress. It is considered necessary to vest the State Government with legal authority to regulate the sale of building sites and to promulgate building rules on the lines of Municipal Bye-laws so long as a properly constituted local body does not take over the administration of the city. The Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Bill, 1952, seeks to carry out the above objects and to repeal the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952, which is a President's Act and is due to expire in April, 1953. The Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) Act, 1952; It extends to the City of Chandigarh which shall comprise the area of the site of the Capital of Punjab, as notified by the Government and to such areas as may be notified from time to time. Chandigarh" means the areas to which this Act extends; Law Provides for; S 3- Power of Government to Transfer of Land and Buildings S4—Power to issue directions in respect of erection of buildings---architectural features, number of residential units, regulating use of sites, maintaining heights and position of walls, fences and hedges; restricting use of site for purpose other than building S5—Bar to erect buildings in contravention of building rules S6- Power to require proper maintenance of site and buildings S7– Levy of fee or tax for amenities JIT KUMAR GUPTA

• • • •

S8—Power to resume and forfeiture of sites for breach of conditions of transfer S11-Preservation and planting trees-issue of Tree Preservation Order S12—Contol of Advertisements– issue of Advertisement Control Order S17-Registration of Architects, engineers and plumbers etc– competency to certify any plan or completion of building and engage in plumbing work unless registered and licensed by the Chief Administrator as per qualification prescribed in the first schedule

THE FIRST SCHEDULE 1. Fellow / Associate of Royal Institute of British Architects or an equivalent registration in any other foreign country. 2. Member / Associate member of the Institution of Engineers (India) 3. Member / Associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (England) or an equivalent registration in any other country. 4. Fellow /Associate of the Indian Institute of Architects 5. B. Sc.in Engineering of any Engineering University in India or abroad or Diploma in Civil Engineering Roorkee. 6. Diploma from J.J. School of Arts Bombay. 7. Diploma from School of Architecture, Delhi Polytechnic. 8. Diploma, degree or certificate from any other institution recognised by the Indian Institute of Architects or Institution of Engineers (India).

LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR AREA OUTSIDE CHANDIGARH THE PUNJAB NEW CAPITAL(PERIPHERY) CONTROL ACT, 1952 •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Objects and Reasons; Punjab government is constructing a new capital named Chandigarh. The Master Plan providing for the future extension of the capital which will extend over a much greater area than the area acquired so far, the construction of the first phase of capital. To ensure healthy and planned development of the new city it is necessary to prevent growth of slums and ramshackle construction on the land lying on the periphery of the new city. To achieve this object, it is necessary to have legal authority to regulate the use of the said land for the purposes other than the purpose for which it is used at present PROVISIONS; S3- Declaration of Controlled Area S4- Publication of plans for the Controlled Area S5- Restrictions in controlled Area S6- Application for permission and grant/refusal of permission S7- Appeal, S8- Compensation, S9- Arbitration for compensation S10- Savings, S11- Prohibition of use of land, S12- Offences and penalties, S15- Exemptions JIT KUMAR GUPTA

FIRST MASTER PLAN OF CHANDIGARH

MAP 1: ALBERT MAYER’S PLAN FOR CHANDIGARH

SECOND MASTER PLAN OF CHANDIGARH

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

CHANDIGARH PERIPHERY- BEFORE 1966

CHANDIGARH PERIPHERY- AFTER 1966

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

MAKING OF MASTER PLAN, CHANDIGARH, 2031 1. Punjab &Haryana High Court in CWP 4252 of 2008 –Gurbax Singh Gill vs Union of India & others directed: i)

ii) iii)

Preparation of the Master Plan for the remaining Periphery area in Chandigarh within the scope of ‘The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act,1952 as also the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments; Preparation of Regional Plan for the tri-city of Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula for guiding future growth in the periphery; Preventing any further implementation of ad-hoc projects in the periphery till the formulation of Master Plan.

JIT KUMAR GUPTA

2. Chandigarh Administration constituted the 11 members Expert Committee in December 2009 and expanded the Committee on May28, 2010 vide order no 684 -for preparation of Draft Master Plan of UT Chandigarh keeping in mind and adhering to the: • Decision of Co-ordination Committee headed by Ministry of Urban Development, GOI • Directions given in the orders of the High Court of the Punjab & Haryana High Court in the CWP 4252 OF 2008- Gurbax Singh Shergill vs Union of India & others 3. Expert Committee discussed the strategy/methodology and course of action for preparing the draft master plan 4. Plan preparation involved study of historical documents, ongoing policies and projects of the administration including: • Mass Rapid Transport Plan • Shifting of whole-sale markets • Slum Rehabilitation • Demand for Higher Floor Area Ratio • Re -densification of Phase-1 • Heritage Plan • Change of land use of Industrial Plots etc 5. Committee met more than 80 times, visited various sites in city and periphery and interacted with various stakeholders for feedback on the city, its problems, expectations and their vision for future Chandigarh Including: • Traders • Industrialists • Resident welfare organizations • Municipal Councilors • Representatives of Educational institutions • State Departments • NGOs • Village Panchayats 6. Expert Committee was also briefed by Administrator (Governor of Punjab) and Advisor to Administrator besides Chief Administrator. Expert Committee approached the various departments of Chandigarh Administration to share their problems, vision and proposals for meeting the immediate and future needs of the city related to their operational areas. 7. Meetings held with representatives of Government of India & State Governments of Punjab and Haryana 8. Presentation was made by RITES regarding Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Chandigarh Urban Complex and improving transport infrastructure in the city 9. Expert Committee deliberated and considered major issues including: • Preservation of original concept and basic character of city • Preserving environment, ecology and heritage of the city • Protecting Sukhna Lake, Wildlife Sanctuary and Lake catchment area JIT KUMAR GUPTA

• • • • • • • • • • •

Growth and development of Villages-within and outside the grid Informal residential and commercial development Future Development of Mohali and Panchkula Urban design/architectural controls Completing the Capitol complex Promoting Pedestrianisation/cycling including rationalization of traffic Revitalizing City Centre and sub-city centers High rise development planned in the north of capitol in Punjab Promoting environment, ecology and forest cover Improving economy, eco-tourism and mixed land use, infrastructure Regional issues -- solid waste management; drainage; sanitation; water supply • Demographical profile of the city- existing and future • Holding capacity of city based on existing and future development • Promoting Rain water harvesting • Tapping solar energy to make Chandigarh Solar city • Promoting zero drainage of storm water from large institutions • Providing additional housing and institutional area • Limitation of city area; traffic congestion; large urbanization in periphery 10. Draft Master Plan- 2031 prepared 11. Draft Master Plan notified by Chandigarh Administration on July 11, 2013 for inviting public objections and suggestions 12. In all 171 Suggestions/ objections were received and documented 13. Administrator UT Chandigarh constituted a ‘Board of Enquiry and Hearing’ vide order dated November 10,2013 to look into objections/, suggestions received and give recommendations within one month by giving public hearing for the objections received 14. Board comprised of 8 members, headed by Chairman Chandigarh Housing Board with Municipal Commissioner, Secretary IT, Chief Architect, Chief Engineer, Former Mayor, K S Sidhu (retd) IAS, Chief Planner TCPO/ his representative 15. Board invited 116 applicants for hearing. 101 appeared. Based on study and hearing carried out; Board after finalizing the report and recommendations, submitted the same to the Chandigarh Administration 16. Chief Architect, Chandigarh Administration finalized the Master Plan in consultation with the Chief administrator and Advisor and submitted to Administrator on September 6,2014 17. Master Plan 2031 was finalized and notified Conclusions •Chandigarh Master Plan does change the basic fabric of the first Master Plan and the extension made in the stage-II of the city. It is not the Chandigarh Master Plan, it is in fact, Chandigarh UT master plan, which extends beyond the defined boundaries of capital city. It considers the entire 114 sq kms of area of UT as the planning area for the JIT KUMAR GUPTA

purpose of preparing master plan. It extends the city boundaries to include areas initially acquired for the capital city and the entire 44 sq kms of periphery, involving Manimajra townships and all the rural settlements and the agriculture areas of the Chandigarh UT. Master Plan , 2031 tries to redefines the principles stated in the first master plan; project the population till 2031; explains the capacity of the city in terms of absorption of population and strategies to move excess population to the nearby settlements; divides the periphery area into distinct pockets and lays down the landuse and purpose of the development of all such pockets; brings out the role and importance of ecology and environment by safeguarding the Sukhna catchment area; recommends putting an end to the practice of change of land use in the industrial area; suggests completing the Capitol Complex; stopping construction and high-rise development in the North of Capitol complex; promoting heritage ; rationalizing traffic and transportation in the city etc. •Since Chandigarh has no legal framework for preparing Master Plan- the Master Plan-2031 may not stand testimony of law and will face problem in implementation. •Considering existing development and population scenario, it is vital that Chandigarh should be transformed from a Designed City to a Planned city •Chandigarh now deserves a legally supported and legally framed Comprehensive Development Plan and Regional Plan to rationalize it future growth and development •A Comprehensive Planning, Development and Management Legal framework in the form of a State of Art law needs to be immediately put in place for Chandigarh to replace and supplement the existing legal framework. •Comprehensive law must provide for integrated planning and development of city and its surrounding areas. •Since Periphery has lost its relevance due to large scale violation and urbanization, Periphery Control Act needs to be replaced by a Regional Planning law on the pattern followed for NCR to prepare and implement Regional Plan for identified Chandigarh Capital Inter-State Regional. •Inter-state Co-ordination Committee constituted by Government of India should be replaced by the Regional Planning Board comprising of partner states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, GOI and others •Chandigarh needs a dedicated Professional Authority to replace bureaucratic structure to regulate its future Growth and development on professional lines. •Role of Municipal Corporation Chandigarh would need redefinition, considering provisions of 74th Constitutional Amendment Act,1992 and specialized planning, development and management requirements of the city. Duality and contradictions emerging from the Municipal corporation need an objective study. New Model of city management and development needs to be worked and placed for the city considering the specialized status and importance of the city. •City needs to be preserved and promoted as a role model of planning and architecture in the country. •Strategy for planning should be based on viewing city in Regional context and development of the surrounding area of the based on the co-operation and collaboration of the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana. JIT KUMAR GUPTA

•Tried of Cities of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula needs to be considered as one unit for providing infrastructure and services including traffic and transportation; water supply; drainage; solid waste management; electricity; tele-communication; healthcare; education; entertainment; leisure; trade & commerce; industry; employment etc besides building bye-laws and levying service charges.

CHANDIGARH POPULATION- EXISTING AND PROJECTED