CHANDIGARH

THEORY OF URBAN
DESIGN
CHANDIGARH
Chandigarh is a city and a union
territory in the northern part of
India that serves as the capital of
the states of Punjab and Haryana.
As a union territory, the city is ruled
directly by the Union Government
and is not part of either state.

Chandigarh Capital Region or

Greater Chandigarh is an area in
northern India, comprising territories
of the Union Territory of Chandigarh,
Indian state of Punjab(Mohali
District) and state of
Haryana(Panchkula district). The
HISTORY OF CHANDIGARH: SINCE PUNJAB WAS DIVIDED region consists of the cities of
INTO TWO PARTS, THE CAPITAL WAS LEFT IN PAKISTAN THERE Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali,
FORE PUNJAB IN INDIA REQUIRED NEW CAPITAL. Chandigarh, one Zirakpur and Kharar.
of the Union Territories of India is indebted to a Chandi temple and The city of Chandigarh
an adjoining fort for its name. The history of Chandigarh is really was one of the early planned cities
captivating. Chandi is a goddess of Hindus and Garh means fort. in the post independence India and
On the vicinity of todays hustling and bustling city of Chandigarh, is known internationally for its
one could easily find this ancient temple. However, the city of architecture and urban design. The
Chandigarh has a primitive story to tell, a story that was born master plan of the city was prepared

CONCEPT OF CITY
before the birth of the city. Chandigarh, as you will discover now, by Swiss French architect Le
is located at the foothills of Shibalik range of Himalayas. The place Corbusier.
was a large lake at the antediluvian ages. The fossils of marine
creatures and amphibians prove this geological theory. The more
fascinating, about 8000 years ago, when human civilization was in
its infancy, Chandigarh as place used to be inhabited by the
Harappans. It was decided to built a new Capital city called
Chandigarh about 240 kms. north of New Delhi on a gently sloping
SELECTION OF SITE
To select a suitable site, the Govt. of
Punjab appointed a Committee in 1948
under the Chairmanship of P.L Verma,
Chief Engineer to assess and evaluate the
existing towns in the State for setting up
the proposed capital of Punjab. However,
none was found suitable on the basis of
several reasons, such as military
vulnerability, shortage of drinking water,
inaccessibility, inability to cope in flux of
large number of refugees etc. The present
site was selected in 1948 taking into
account various attributes such as its
Central location in the state, proximity to
the national capital & availability of
sufficient water supply, fertile of soil,
gradient
PLANNER of land for natural drainage,
beautiful site with
An American Firm,the panorama
M/s. of blue
Mayer, Whittlessay
hills
and as backdrop & moderate climate.
Glass was commissioned in 1950 to prepare Planning of
the Chandigarh:
Master Plan for the new City. Albert Mayer The city of
and Mathew Novicki evolved a fan shaped Chandigarh is
Master Plan and worked out conceptual planned to human
sketches of the super block. The super block scale.
was designed as a self sufficient Headcapitol (place
neighborhood units placed along the of power)
CORBUSIER
IDEA OF LE

curvilinear roads and comprised of cluster Heart the city

type housing, markets and centrally located centre
open spaces. Novicki was tragically killed in Stomachthe
an air accident and Mayer decided to commercial area
discontinue. Thereafter, the work was Armsuniversity
assigned to a team of architects led by and Industrial zone
GEOGRAPHICAL & EMOGRAPHICAL PROFILE:
Area: 114 sq kms
Longitude: 76 47' 14E
Latitude: 30 44' 14N
Total Population (2011 census): 10.55 Lacs (97.25%
people live in urban regions)
Density of population /sqkm: 7,900
DIVISIONS OF SECTORS:
The key of modern urbanism is 'the Sector', which
was defined as a container of family life (24 solar
hours: night and day). Each sector was 800 meters by
1,200 meters, enclosed by roads allocated to fast-
mechanized transport and sealed to direct access
from the houses. The population would be
approximately from 5,000 to 20,000 inhabitants.
EACH SECTOR IS DESIGNATED BY NUMBER,THE
CAPITAL COMPLEX BEING NUMBER 1,WITH THE
REMAINING SECTORS NUMBERED CONSECUTIVELY
BEGINNING AT THE NORTH CORNER OF THE CITY
Chandigarh had 30 sectors IN Starting.
70% OF THE BUILDING WOULD BE PRIVATE IN ALL
THE SECTORS.
RESIDENTIAL PLOTS RANGING IN DIMENSIONS FROM
75 SQ. YARDS TO 5000 SQ YARDS.
ROAD NETWORK:
The roads of the city were classified into
seven categories, known as the system
of 7 Vs.
V-1 Fast roads connecting Chandigarh to
other towns;
V-2 Arterial roads;
V-3 Fast vehicular roads;
V-4 Free Flowing shopping streets;
V-5 Sector circulation roads;
V-6 Access roads to houses;
V-7 Footpaths and cycle tracks

Buses will ply only

on V-1, V-2, V-3 and
V-4 roads.
A wall shall seal
the V-3 roads from
the sectors.
Along V-2 central,
dual carriageways,
Chandigarh is well connected with the
Madhya Marg and
national capital by NH-21 which passes
Uttar Marg, where.
through the city. The four laning of the highway
Along V-2 beyond
and the construction of a number of flyovers
dual carriageway
and bypasses has made it a fast travel corridor
areas are .
reducing travel time considerably. The city is
No building shall
also well connected to the major towns in
be constructed
Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh by
 PRESENT STATUS OF ROAD NETWORK
Further, Le Corbusiers concept of the 7Vs has not
been fully
implemented. Detailed planning of the road
network/road sections of each category of road
was done in great detail by the original team
including road carriageways, pedestrian and cycle
tracks, tree plantation, and street lighting. Phased
development of the system was planned to enable
the infrastructure to keep pace with the growth of
the town.
Pedestrian pathways and cycle tracks
not
PLANfully
P2built
EXTENSION OF VERTICAL
The V7s and V8s intended exclusively for the
V3S TO THE
pedestrians and theINTER
cyclistsSTATE BORDERS
respectively crossing
road intersections by underpasses have not been
AGES OF ROAD
implemented NETWORK:
so far.

The pathways that have been laid are poorly

maintained and have trees, storm water drainage and
other,obstructions which compel pedestrians /cyclists
to move on roads thereby defeating the very concept
of dedicated space for them.

V8 :Cycle tracks through green spaces

Buses were to ply only along V2,V3 and
V4 roads. Each sector was to have only
four entry points from V3s no direct entry
to houses was permitted from these
HOUSING:
'The functions of living occupies primary place. Keeping in view the habits of he peoples, Le Corbusier
planned that every dwelling should have three elements of Sun, Space and greenery. The housing in the city
can be subdivided into two parts Government housing and Private Housing.

Government Housing Private House Controlled Development

The Govt. housing in the city was
divided into 13 categories,
ranging from the house for the
Chief Minister to the two room
house completer with sanitary
facilities, a kitchen, a verandah
and a courtyard for the lowest
paid employee. The socio
economic conditions of the city
restricted the height of most of
the residential buildings to two to
three storied structures.
The needs of various economic classes, plots of areas ranging from
114sq. mtrs. To 4500 sq. mtrs. were planned. The living habits of the
people are of outdoor type because of hot summers and hot and
humid rainy seasons comprising most part of the year. Keeping this
factor in view, Corbusier conceived a series of Architectural Controls
/ frame controls/ zoning regulations for each and every category of
houses in which it was mandatory to provide open to sky courtyard
both at he front and rear side of every house. These courts provided
light and ventilation to houses besides serving as private open to
sky spaces. A series of such houses were planned around
community level open space which served the purpose of holding
social and religious functions and outdoor activities and games by
children
COMMERCIAL AREAS IN CHANDIGARH: COMMERCIAL
Commercial areas in Chandigarh were planned to provide adequate, AREAS AS PER
organized retail and wholesale trading activity for the city residents. The ORIGINAL PLAN:
city has however emerged as a important commercial hub. Wholesale trade.
A concept of hierarchical distribution of commercial centers was City level shopping
introduced into the city plan as a departure from the organic centre.
Sub city level shopping
developments of the traditional towns. To provide a continuum of
centers.
commercial areas, the three major city level centers , planned as Commercial belts along
precincts were interconnected through linear commercial belts along the major avenues are as
major arteries. under.
Additional
Similarly, while neighborhood centers were Neighborhood Shopping
commercial areas
planned within the residential sectors, these centers were also planned Centers.
planned within the
to be connected through underpasses across intercepting V3s to form
sectoral
continuous neighborhood shopping streets running across the width of
grid:
the city in the East West direction. This concept has however not been Wholesale markets.
implemented. Commercial belts.
Convenient Shopping.
 CHANDIGARH
ECONOMIC

Sectoral Composition and Contribution

The Growth rate of GSDP of Chandigarh over the five
year period 20032008 has risen from 14.97% in 2003
04 to 17.5% in the 200708. During the year 200405
tertiary sector contributed nearly 77.14% of the GSDP
of the Union Territory followed by Secondary sector at
22.39% and primary sector at 0.47%. The majority of
the population are employees of any one of the three
government based in the city. Trade, Hotels &
restaurants was the chief contributor to the GSDP at
29.85 % of GDP followed by Real estate, ownership of
dwelling & business services at 21.39%, construction
industry 13.26%, Banking & finance at 10.6 % and Un
registered manufacturing at 6.21 % to the GSDP. Public
administration and other services jointly contributed
another 12.28 % to the Chandigarhs GSDP.

INDUSTRIES IN CHANDIGARH
Some of the important industrial products are
hosiery and knitting machine needles, wool tops,
engineering items, electric meters, auto parts,
tyre & tubes, crockery, bicycle and cycle parts,
house fitting items, electronic items, cables,
toiletries, wires, defense items, antibiotics,
biomedical equipment, food and beverage, and
hardware.

ADVANTAGE CHANDIGARH
272 acres of new land under SEZ ( by Dec
2009)
Farthest point from anywhere in Chandigarh is
only 9km
CHANDIGARH CHARACTERISTICS

COMMUNITIES
Slum population in Chandigarh is not much
heterogeneous in character because Hindus are in
majority besides very less population of Muslims
having migrated from U.P. and Bihar. A language
predominantly spoken in slums in Chandigarh is
Hindi. These people have migrated to Chandigarh in
search of job. These workers are mostly engaged
on construction work. The mason, fitter, electricians
and helpers are their main profession. Actually
there is demographic shift, the original professional
work just carpenter, mason etc. have migrated to
Gulf or European country where people from U.P.
and Bihar have shifted to Chandigarh to take lead in
construction work/activity, but Chandigarh
Administration and Municipal Corporation used to
make efforts from time to time to provide protected
water supply, common toilet block, sanitation etc. .

CHARACTERISTICS RELATED WITH ROAD

NETWORKING
Creation of by-pass around Chandigarh to
prevent unwanted through traffic.
Additional road connectivity with the
neighbouring towns of Punjab and Haryana.
Additional road connectivity with Panchkula.
Additional road connectivity with Mullanpur
Township.
 CAPITAL COMPLEX
NDMARKS IN CHANDIGARGH

OPEN HAND
PGI CHANDIGARH

ROCK GARDEN

PUNJAB UNIVERSITY

SECTOR 17 MARKET SUKHNA LAKE

PROBLEMS IN CHANDIGARH:
CHANDIGARH completes 50 years of its existence later this year. It has come along way since its formal
inauguration by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, on October 7, 1953. This may thus be a good
occasion to examine some of the major problems facing City Beautiful, its future prospects and to determine
how
far it has drifted from its original concept GEOGRAPHICAL &
With the passage of time, the socioeconomic conditions of a
citys residents change. The success of a planned city lies in EMOGRAPHICAL PROFILE:
the manner in which it adapts to changing times. Area: 114 sq kms
Chandigarh, which was initially planned for just five lakh Longitude: 76 47' 14E
people, has already accommodated almost double that Latitude: 30 44' 14N
number. And its population is still growing at a phenomenal Total Population (2011 census):
pace. As much as one third of its population lives in slums. 10.55 Lacs (97.25% people live in
This is something that was never anticipated by any planner urban regions)
of the city. Density of population /sqkm:
CHANDIGARH: Like its adjoining cities of Mohali, Chandigarh too could face problems finding
7,900
adequate space to dump its garbage. Municipal Corporation has pointed out to the administration
that there is requirement for additional 100 acres for expansion of dumping ground as the existing
facility can serve for only 2-3 years more. The issue has been taken up with Punjab as UT does not
have much vacant area left.
"But chances look bleak as it won't be possible to locate dumping ground of Chandigarh is some
other state. UT adviser has recommended that the dumping ground should be identified within the
city itself. State of the art technology can be used for better functioning," said an official.
In view of this, department of urban planning have identified a
site at the southern end of the city, close to the interstate
boundary. The site has been approved by the Master Plan
Committee.
Chandigarhs road network is under intense pressure today due to
increase in population, explosive growth in the number of private
vehicles which has increased the number of personalized vehicles,
partly due to the absence of an efficient and reliable public
transport
Water supply demand
system. Thereis are
increased.
limitations on the road space that can
be
Sanitation
providedproblem occurs
within the .
existing built up environment.
And slum development started.
PMENT IN CHANDIGARH
of Chandigarh was developed in 3 phases :
1 to 30 have been developed in Phase-I , it was completely developed in 1975.
1to 47 have been developed in Phase-II , for accommodating population of 5 lakhs in combined.
from 48 to 56 in Phase III has been taken up.
ANDIGARH MASTER PLAN 2031

The Master Plan of UT Chandigarh covers an area of

approximately 114 sq km. This includes the nearly fully
developed 70 sq km of the area planned by Le Corbusier
and his team and the 44 sq km of its 3% share of the 16 km
periphery controlled area.
This Master Plan is an attempt to provide a comprehensive
holistic vision document prepared after undertaking an
exhaustive stocktaking of the ground realities and enunciating
future growth and development strategies and directions for the
entire area under the jurisdiction of the Union Territory of
Chandigarh. The Master Plan area thus spreads across the
entire 114 sq km of the area of the Union Territory of
Chandigarh. The area also includes the census town of
Manimajra which has grown from a
small settlement having an ancient history to an area under
CITY CENTRE, SECTOR 17
Subdivision of shops and constant remodeling of interiors
PLANNING CONCEPT with rich
The main commercial and business hub of the city planned and to accommodate national and international
specifications
designed by Le Corbusier as the heart of the city has been centrally
brands
located at the junction of two major roads the Jan Marg
andand the of trades is witnessed.
change
Madhya Marg. The City Centre has distinct, institutional, commercial
and civic zones .
The commercial area offering the highest order of commercial activity,
the Bank Square, the Town Hall, and the State Library are located
towards the north and form the core area of the City Centre, while the
civic area with the Police Station and its housing, the Fire Station,
Parade Ground, Treasury, District Courts, Inter StateINSTITUTIONAL PLAZA NEAR THE BIRD FOUNTAIN
Bus Terminus,PERIPHERAL BLOCKS
Football Stadium, Exhibition Area is located towards the south of the
sector. Institutional/commercial belts have been planned along the
City Centre flanking the main roads wherein major hotels, banks,
local and central offices have come up.
The core area has been planned as a pedestrian paradise of
seamlessly interlinked spaces of varying scales offering a variety of
spatial experiences. The plaza is surrounded by four storied concrete
buildings that lend scale and also provide a buffer segregating
vehicular and pedestrian movement within the sector. THREE STOREYED ARCHITECTURAL
The Neelam Plaza is a vibrant hub of the city centre. The area
CONTROLLED BRICK BUILDINGS
FOUR STOREYED RCC BUILDING
Pulsates with activity and people especially during the weekly carnivals, and
seasonal fairs. The multidimensional use of the space is witnessed
through the outdoor exhibitions, street plays, awareness drives by
various social and cultural organizations of the city.
PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
The City Centre has not been fully realized as per the original plan.
The plaza near the State Library was meant to be the main Chowk of
the commercial hub however due to predominance of government
offices, the area gets deserted after office hoursNIGHT . During working
VIEW OF THE CITY CENTRE
hours also, the plaza and the double height public corridor of the
Town Hall is taken over by the spill over of office activity.
PROPOSALS OF THE CHANDIGARH MASTER
PLAN 2031

Commercial areas in Chandigarh need to keep pace

with the emerging changes in the economic fabric
and the future retailing trends and must be seen in
the regional context.
The future planning of the city has to acknowledge
Department of Urban Planning
these ongoing ,Chandigarh Administration
transformations and effectively respond to the Pedestrian connectivity
changes. The most The pedestrian connectivity from the
affected areas in this context are going to be the adjoining
major commercial sectors
centers in the city. .Organised pedestrian movement
Apprehensions have been expressed in certain circles between the
that in the metro nodes and the city centre.
days to come, online shopping trends will pickup and Adequate provision for long term and
the demand
GENERAL for
PROPOSALS FOR ALL SHOPPING short term
retail space
CENTRES IN THE may actually come down. However, no parking
substantial
CITY The City Centre is proposed to be
evidence
INTRODUCING of the same
NEW is available so
PLANNING far which may
CONCEPTS OF integrated into
impact future
SHOPPING CENTRES IN THE COMMERCIAL with the Green Corridor
planning.
AREAS YET TO BE DEVELOPED The construction of the secondNEELAM
There is also scope for making provisions for the vehicular bridge on THEATRE
The City Centre is slated for Heritage Grade I status
informal. the Jagat KC road has beenRESTRUCTUR
as per
PROPOSALS FOR CITY CENTRE, SECTOR
the initiated . ING OF THE
17
recommendations of the Expert Heritage Committee. Weeding out the governmentTHEATRE
offices IS
As such the IN THE
proposals for the City Centre are aimed at reinforcing OFFERING
the original (CONSTRUCTI
concept /and ensuring that all interventions are made ON YET
sensitively TO BE
giving due respect to the intended overall ambience INITIATED)
REDEVELOPMENT OF SPACE USAGE Two Iconic
IN buildings proposed on the two reserve pockets
SECTOR 17 ALONG JAN MARG along Madhya
Marg shall make a strong entry statement to the City Centre.
However these buildings should be sensitively designed in
consonance
Metro interchange node proposed at the with the special architecture expression of
Matka Chowk Sector 17 as conceived by Le Corbusier. One of the buildings
can be designed as the Paryatan Bhawan due to the close
proximity to the proposed major metro interchange node
which is expected to witness large visitor footfall on the
implementation of the metro .
PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE LAYOUT
PLAN OF SECTOR- 17
Future plan
Present status
CONSTRUCTION OF THE 11 STOREYED BUILDING
(cultural hub) However before undertaking this project, a detaile
thorough study of proper automobile access and ex
Construction of the 11 storeyed building will act as a trigger
to reactivate the State Library Piazza with various culturalas parking space should be studied.
and commercial activities like banking and working place Detailed heritage regulations shall specify the nat
for offices being integrated and further connected to extent of interventions that are to be permitted.
underground parking through a sub way shown in site plan The approval of Chandigarh Heritage Conservation
(below). Committee are to be taken prior to implementation
. new development /reconstruction
CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES OF URBAN DESIGN IMPACTING OF THE
ELEVEN STOREYED TOWER SECTOR 17

SKYLINE OF THE CITY CENTRE

WITH ELEVEN STOREYED
BUILDING
THE TOWER ACTS AS A
LANDMARK AND INVIGORATES
THE PLAZA

SKYLINE OF SECTOR 17
WITHOUT THE
ELEVEN STOREYED
BUILDING