EXTENT AND SPATIAL PATTERN OF MIXED LAND USE FOR RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Abstract

Current challenges in urban settings insinuates the need for revamp of planning theory and practices so as to battle the challenges of pollution, inequity, poverty, sprawl, population growth, etc. The scarcity of land and more specifically urbanisable land is one of the most crucial issues in addressing such challenges. Making available such urban land has been a continuous challenge for land use planning devised by the planners for creating future cities. However, land use planning has largely been zoning dependant for a long time using the tool for spatial planning like land use and development control plans (LUDCP) and development control regulations (DCR). This method of land use planning has come under criticism over a period of time due to its socio-economic and spatial shortcomings, despite having certain advantages as well. To counter these shortcomings mixed land use (MLU) is often prescribed as a more favourable land use planning method by scholars and experts alike. In recent times the case of mixed land-use norms is being advocated to ameliorate the path to new urban development. According to the ‘New strategy of sustainable neighbourhood planning’ by the UN-Habitat, mixed land use forms one of the cardinal principles among five others where it dictates a 40% limit for mixing economic uses within a neighbourhood. Smart Growth Network also includes mixed land use planning as one of its ten principles for smart growth. In India, mixed land use has been an important thrust area in the recent Smart City Mission and AMRUT. Moreover, mixed land use regulations have been adopted by the planning bodies into the recently formulated master plans, such as the Delhi master plan 2021 and the Jaipur master plan 2021. However, the appropriate scale, extent of MLU has not been much clearly delineated in the contemporary planning leading to improper planning of MLU. Yet the significance of MLU is mandated in almost all major international planning agenda. Existing planning standards such as URDPFI is silent in prescribing any guidelines for mixed land use. The effective taxonomy, threshold or extent, and spatial pattern of MLU are missing from contemporary discourse on the topic. In this research, a comprehensive set of typology with their taxonomy of MLU has been developed and detailed framework to find the suitable extent and spatial pattern for MLU in residential area has been established. Hence, this research has provided a road map for framing comprehensive norms (for extent and pattern) based for Mixed Land Use in Indian context. This study developed three fundamental typologies, and its appropriate nomenclature to use in practice. MLU is classified in three ways of mixing characters as 1) tonal MLU (tMLU), 2) composite MLU (cMLU) and 3) zonal MLU (zMLU). The tMLU refers to mixing of different land use in ‘predominant’ land use at the plot or neighbourhood levels. For example, commercial (considered as a ‘tone’ used in colour scheme) is mixed in a predominantly residential or institutional neighbourhood or zone in a city. cMLU involves two or more land uses where there is ‘no predominance’. zMLU refers to a specifically planned land use zone that uses MLU as special purpose development tool. The typologies are indicated for appropriate practice codes. The study took the assessment of the effect of MLU in a residential Neighbourhood to determine an acceptable range. Based on such findings, a concept of essential mixing (EM) and deliberate mixing (DM) is developed. For this context, a range of 15%-20% was found suitable for EM, and 35% to 45% was found acceptable for DM. The mixing which 2 is prohibitive (PM) is also mentioned in this chapter. A conceptual model based on non perception based data of the critical indicators are also presented to validate this range and found similar. The study also includes the investigation on spatial pattern influenced by MLU types at two levels: Area level and plot level. The effects of adjacency, accumulation and clustering of similar shops are found as a major trend. This creates nodes and significantly changes the place. The main planning implication of this effect is to create localised serviced road, street vending places in the local roads with a high propensity of commercial as per the study. At the plot level, three patterns of mixing are found. The division of residential and commercial is found at the horizontal level (layered), vertical level (façade) or hybrid. Such a combination of different forms of mixing creates vibrancy with mix responses. However, it was found most of the people preferred commercial long main access road. Hence linearity is a major form which is emerging as significant findings even if the commercial is allowed for all the plots in the neighbourhood.