The Pune Development plan, expected to be finalised soon, will be overseen and implemented by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
Pune is set to get a revamp with an extensive urban Development Plan (DP) that aims to improve liveability and governance while ensuring sustainable growth of the city. The ambitious plan includes city expansion with new zones, infrastructure development, townships, and logistics hub. With the target date set for 2041, the plan is wide-ranging and will entail a significant change for the city.
With the proposed DP, Pune will also become one of the rare cities in India that will see planned development, since most Indian cities have grown haphazardly with little thought to town planning. As a result, many Indian cities fail to provide adequate liveable conditions for a large section of the population. In addition, it often leads to unplanned expansions and encroachments, further increasing the burden on limited resources.
The Pune Development plan, expected to be finalised soon, will be overseen and implemented by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). Under the proposal, the plan will be completed in a time-bound phased manner. The integrated plan is driven by five goals – convenience (mobility), prudence (economic and employment growth), resilience (environment), efficiency (infrastructure) and self-sufficiency (housing and amenities).
City expansion
Covering 18 growth centres, the plan will also require the expansion of zonal lands, including new residential, commercial, logistics and sensitive zones. The expansion of zoned lands will allow a planned execution of the DP under zonal laws. It ensures that the expansion does not take place in a haphazard manner and is compliant with urban development and planning laws.
One of the key provisions of the proposed DP is the inclusion of villages, which includes peripheral areas. Falling under one of the country’s largest metropolitan regions, the Pune Metropolitan Region, it includes Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, the tehsils of Mulshi, Maval, Haveli and parts of Bhor, Shirur, Daund, Purandar, Khed, and Velhe talukas. Encompassing close to 23 villages so far, it will see a substantial expansion of urban areas.
The inclusion of these peripheral areas under the proposed DP is expected to accelerate the urbanisation in the region, through a detailed infrastructure plan that includes transit and economic development. This is expected to include public utilities such as roads, water supply, and sanitation as well as better connectivity through metro railways. The urbanisation of these areas will also provide a fillip to real estate prospects with developers expected to see more traction. Developers are already exploring acquisition of land parcels for development in these new locations that have been earmarked.
Phased development
The plan will be carried out in a phased manner, starting with a Metro transit system. With a projected INR 6,124 crore, the project will be handled by a Tata-Siemens joint-venture under a public-private partnership model. This will be followed up by an international exhibition centre. Later the plan will include model towns for which land acquisition has already started. In all, the Development Plan will include 10 metro rail lines, two ring roads, Pune-Nashik high-speed rail, a crescent railway, 26 townships, nine truck terminals, and 12 logistics hubs.
Affordable housing
Affordable housing has been one of the core focuses of urban development in recent years. With Pune emerging as a major IT hub, the city now attracts thousands of professionals, driving up demand for retail housing. The DP tackles this problem through the expansion of urban housing through Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and private developers. One of the proposed solutions lies in building more townships, including within the city area. While current regulations restrict such developments in the outskirts, the plan proposes township development within the Pune Municipal Corporation region.
The new unified Development Control Regulations also envisage a higher FSI, especially in slum redevelopment areas, allowing for more accommodation, a common demand in his segment. Coupled with high-rise buildings, the plan further provides for more accommodation across low-income and middle-income segments.
Logistics development
The new expansion plan includes warehousing and industrial zones. However, the expansion of the city limit will bring many of the current warehouses and industrial units to fall within the city limits and its higher tax bracket. This can lead to many such units moving to upcoming peripheral regions, leaving these large tracts of property for further redevelopment. With the high demand for retail housing and other leisure centres, the availability of this land can be fortuitous.
The ambitious Pune Development Plan is likely to be approved this year even as the PMRDA is working on land acquisition, reservation, and zoning. If approved, it is expected to open the doors to major investments as the city sees multi-layered infrastructure and residential development. It also holds huge potential in carrying out the phased redevelopment of a major Indian city, showing the way for overcrowded and under-planned urban areas across the nation.
(By Praveen Apte, MD, Pune, Savills India)