REVIEW OF URBAN PATTERNS TO PROMOTE VERTICAL

CITIES
LACHMAN KATARIA
Architect & Planner
La arch plan private limited, New Delhi, India
ldkataria@hotmail.com

* Organizing Committee HTTB 2010, Munich, Germany – abauthor@httb2010.com

ABSTRACT: Vertical cities are desperately needed in view of increasing population and
environmental imbalance due to deplete of natural resources. There is urgent need to think of
radical solutions to reinstate balance in economic and physical environment by controlling
population and global warming. While the solution to the former is best achieved by universal
education, latter is being arranged on various platforms with no tangible global agreements.
Meanwhile unchecked urban sprawl due to economic pressures, life style, political instability
and inhuman behavior added in the problem of the certain areas. The role of Urban Regional
Planners and other professionals cannot be less emphasized in the current situation. It is
imperative to introduce verticality to the city for lesser foot prints & more green areas. Vertical
cities will disallow unauthorized expansion both horizontals and vertically. Through splendid
town planning, sustainability of cities in the scope of vertical cities can be achieved.

1 INTROCDUCTION
1.1 The chorology of human settlements exposes different solutions in different stages of
development of human society such as cave complexes to medieval towns with organic &
inorganic growth patterns. It was in the beginning of 20th century that new approach to the
design of buildings & human settlements commenced by many masters who started with a
clean state and broke away from the prevailing ethos in architecture and town planning and
other who gave new shapes to the skyline of the cities. There have been thinkers & creators
who propagated new frontiers by designing unusual complexes of mixed use high rise
structures over the coasted waters. Examples of Eiffel towers in steel areas first Reinforced
Cement Concrete communication Tower in Stuttgart needs to be referred as pioneer
creations. The technological achievements in building tall structures have shown the way to
tackle contemporary urban problems caused by a balanced in many parts of the world.

2 SUSTAINABILITY
2.1 This phrase has been in use for many year, applicable to individuals, Society, Physical
environment, Investments, etc. much has been written and said about this phenomena at
various platforms like Seminars, Media rallies, Government policies, individually or
collectively via U.N. In spite of all the efforts, very little has been achieved to re-create
balanced environment among human, animal and plant life on earth. On the contrary,
human activities are adding to the imbalance caused due to depletion of natural resources,
and hyper activities of production and consumption, loss of ethical values has driven the
human behavior to the extreme and therefore Sustainability goals keep farther and farther.
There should be a major change in attitude to development from a „GREED‟ model to
„NEED‟ based model.
3 WORLD ORDER
3.1 Universal co-operation in respect of economic planning, environmental planning and
efficiency in the use of sources is already in action in the last few decades through the
voluntary establishment of regional economic communities in all continents. Global
problems are discussed in world forums such as WTO, World Bank, etc under the UN
Initiative. The results of such co-operation are not always successful, but the absence of
such forums could be disastrous for this planet. There is scope for further co-operation in
governance through democratic process and reforms in political motivations to induct
humane solutions along with strict implementation of decisions along with strict
implementation of decisions through Regulatory bodies.

Figure 1

4 NEED FOR MORE BIO GREEN SPACES

4.1 The phenomenon of indiscrete conversion of green areas to accommodate urban sprawl plus
the sharp rise in the world population exposes the danger zone of imbalance in
environmental and non-sustainability in the last century.
4.2 In 1972, an article in a Town Planning Journal named „EKISTICS‟ published in Greece that
worried about the consequences of food shortage due to clearance in Agricultural land and
increase in rising population levels.
4.3 The presence of CO2 layer in space, as exposed by scientists is instrumental in increasing
Global warming and is a serious warning to the global community to take urgent action in
reducing the emission of CO2 and at the same time provide more bio-green foliage and
surface to reduce the Global Warming.
4.4 Needless to emphasize on the urgent need to introduce new ideas, policies and technologies
to achieve the object of saving land and agriculture to sustain populations and reducing
global warming with the inputs from various individuals, professionals, scientists,
technologists, entrepreneurs, administrators, economic planners and the law-makers. It will
require sincere, honest and intensive efforts by leaders of all organizations to direct their
action to a singular goal of achieving a balanced and sustainable environment.
4.5 Some may argue that an individual cannot change the whole world, but if each individual
changed himself then the entire humanity will change. Let us make the beginning. Let us
start with a clean slate in our approach to achieve a balanced environment where the human,
animal and plant lives can co-exist and support each other to save our planet “EARTH”.
 Figure 2: Clean Slate

5 NEW APPROACH LEADS TO SOMETHING NEW

5.1 A painting exhibited in the famous Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan,
I was told by the curator, was the indicator of a clean beginning of the
trend in art of painting from Realism to Abstractism.
5.2 In architecture, Bauhaus propagates clean geometric forms of buildings
and planning by adopting straight lines and brake away from Baroque
and Renaissance styles.
5.3 In the last century, various architects & urban planners changed the skyline of urban areas
by using air space due to constraint of land and economic forces and development of non
sustainable satellite towns.
5.4 This century efforts are on to create vertical cities to counter urban sprawl and change the
urban & regional pattern of habitation.

Figure 3: City skyline & Vertical city

6 THE VERTICAL CITY

6.1 The above thoughts leads to a logical conclusion that the foot prints of buildings be reduced
and expansion directed towards air space to higher density on low ground coverage.
6.2 It is not intended to discuss problems & solutions for a sustainable urban area in this paper
since several other aspects of services like energy requirements, water supply, waste
disposal systems, structural elements, social matters, transportation & communication
solutions by respective co professionals to mention a few. This paper is confined to subjects
related to new urban settlements & forms as well as bringing changes to the existing urban
areas by introducing the concept of vertical city to achieve the most urgent goals as
discussed earlier.
6.3 Example of Bionic tower and recently completed „Burj Khalifa‟ brings more confidence in
adopting „Vertical city‟ concept.

7 REVIEW OF URBAN PATTERNS

7.1 The earliest patterns known date back to 2500 BC when the towns to the form of fortified
kingdom such as Mohenjo-Daro & Harappa towns in prehistoric India, Forbidden City in
China & Pharaoh‟s kingdom in Egypt then show grid pattern formation within fortified area.
 These were planned with ancient knowledge of building science with particular reference to
sun & wind directions & security considerations.
7.2 The contemporary town planning regulations and standards originated in the beginning of
the last century & were reviewed from time to time when there was need to do so. The
planners devised grid pattern followed by sector planning, radial planning, conurbation
developments, satellite town as anti magnets to megacities etc.
7.3 The rapid increase in population particular in 1st half of the last century gave rise to
economic pressure & resulted in the great migration of people to the towns & cities. This
greatly disturbed the equilibrium in the cities & therefore disturbed the planned patterns
broke the city limits or denseness of the central districts of the city. The growth of towns to
cities & further to megacities encroached upon the agricultural areas. The distance of travel
started increasing & the advent of combustion engines & various transport modes started to
chores the cities. The regional pattern started emerging in the country side with highways,
other roads & rail network like many other factors were responsible in the imbalance created
in many parts of the world specially in the developing countries.
7.4 The rapid increase in population in many urban areas has made many cities as non-
sustainable in terms of housing services. The car culture instead of saving time has increased
the time of travel thus increasing the emission of CO2. The transport planners have not been
able to solve grid locks in the city centers & so on.
7.5 In many countries the migration to towns has given rise to _____ in the town, all against the
planning regulations but accepted to exist, slum areas as large as a town itself is allowed to
stay on for years. The concerned authorities do not apply development controls. The local
political bosses have upper _____. This then is no organized development.

8 URGENT ACTIONS
8.1 We are now at a cross road to need to choose our path. Global warming and deletion of
natural resources such as agricultural land, forest, water and conventional energy sources
must be checked to avoid further imbalance in environment. We must choose a new
approach. The following measures need to be considered.
8.1.1 Establish new hierarchy of towns and cities for new development areas and formulate
new planning standards.
8.1.2 Prevent expansion of existing city limits.
8.1.3 Identify areas of redevelopment in existing urban areas.
8.1.4 Incorporate vertical city concept on the land so consolidated with a minimum area of
4,000,000sq.m.
8.1.5 Reduce foot prints in the design of vertical city as detailed thereafter.
8.1.6 Convert saved area into bio green areas & merge with agricultural area outside the city
limits.
8.1.7 Introduce urban farms within the city greens.
8.1.8 Use interlinked cluster of vertical cities.
8.1.9 Megacity urban renewal programme be gradually converted into several high rise
clusters, distributed & located at the distances where land permits & interlinked by mass
transport system.
8.1.10 The land so vacated, to merge with greens for used by specialized activities which
cannot be accommodated in the vertical cluster.
8.1.11 City clusters to be connected with underground trains.
8.1.12 Superfast intercity trains to go underground within the city limits& run over ground in
case of regional network.
8.1.13 Road areas to be reduced drastically to basically give increased space for commercial &
waste management vehicles and access to parking.
8.1.14 Footpaths & cycle tracks should be introduced for approach to the clusters.
8.1.15 Park & city forest to be located at walking distance from the clusters.
8.1.16 Maintain heritage buildings as part of urban renewal programme.
8.1.17 Locate industrial parks in satellite areas between regional cities & at short distance from
railway network and regional highways.
8.1.18 Waste management techniques be improved & laws enacted for strict applications.
8.1.19 Vertical movement technology to be updated to meet new situation.
8.1.20 Alternate renewable energy sources be empowered like solar farms, wind farms etc.
8.1.21 Energy saving devices be adopted such as automotive controls and use of fiber optics
more efficiently transmits signals etc.
8.1.22 Rain water harvesting techniques to be adopted for refreshing underground water
resources.
8.1.23 Recycling of waste materials and waste water.
8.1.24 Rehabilitation of slum areas.
8.1.25 Target for 100% literacy to be achieved.
8.1.26 Adequate administrative regulations & laws be enacted such as land acquisition, rent
counter security, financial incentives and other measures to encourage the
transformation of the balanced environment.

9 HIERARCHY OF VERTICAL CITIES – UTOPIAN CONCEPT

9.1 New planning standards assumptions
9.1.1 Population 100000 persons per vertical sub city
Family size 5 person per dwelling unit
No. of dwelling units 1000 per Hectare or 400/acre
Area of land 1,000,000 sq. meters
Or 100 hectares
Or 1 km x 1km
Or 1000 m x 1000m or 1,000,000 sq. m.
9.1.2 Proposed planning standards
Foot print of Sub city 5%
Foot print of other buildings 10%
Roads foot print 10%
Organized green 75%

Figure 4: Land use plan of Vertical city

9.1.3 A combination of 4 Sub city blocks shall form the tier iii city with population of
400,000 and designated area of 4 sq. km. This is the minimum base unit.
9.1.4 The tier ii vertical city shall be composed of 9 vertical cities with a population of
3,600,000 and a city limit of 36 sq. km.
9.1.5 Clan I city shall be composed of 25 units with a population of 10 million and
occupying and area of 100 sq. km.
9.1.6 The final category shall be mega city or large conurbations which need to be
bestowed by special considerations.
9.1.7 Regional pattern shall emerge with the combination of all the alone categories and
punctuated by the agricultural communities situated in farmlands & large
industrial complexes & interconnected by an integrated transportation systems
with enlightenment suitable to the countryside but keeping the functional
character of the overall system of connectivity.

Figure 5: Graphic representation of Utopian concept of Vertical sub city

Population – 100,000 Dwelling Units – 20,000 Floors – 182 Ht. – 1001m. Above GL
Figure 6: Vertical sub city layout (Utopian concept)
10 CONCLUSIONS
New approach to city planning by introducing Vertical City Concept is the answer to solve
the problem of imbalanced environment in the urban areas throughout the various regions
on planet earth. Global warming and reduction of green areas for food production and
deforestation, demographic changes are the major problems of this century to support life
on earth. Resultant problems of inadequate services to sustain urban areas need to be solved
with pioneering ideas in urban patterns, innovative technology, rational resource utilization,
equitable economic planning, universal education, active development controls, honest
governance and self less political co-operation. Above all, development must take place on
the basis of "NEED" model and not on "GREED" model. Minimize "foot prints" and
maximize "Green" land.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am grateful to all members of my staff who gave me logistical support in research and
presentation of this paper.

REFERENCES
Speer,A; Games, J; Jager, S; "A manifesto for sustainable cities, 2009;
Giradet, H; "Cities, people, planet, 2nd edition, 2008;
Institute of Town Planners, India;
38th Seminar JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, 2000)