Towards a new-look Bangalore city

Towards a new-look Bangalore city
The city’s growth and booming economy have made change the only constant factor here. Poornima B V outlines what Master Plan 2015 envisages for the city


With the International Airport, the Metro Rail project, expressways, flyovers, skywalks and integrated townships on the anvil, the city will soon wear a new look, changing the way we live, the way we commute to work and the way we shop. The changing landscape of Bangalore will bring with it a sense of change of what was and what has been, paving the way for a fast-developing metropolis.
What will emerge, however, is a new Bangalore with a metro rail network that promises to drive the city ahead, an airport that has an 11-million passenger capacity and a high-speed corridor to the airport that promises to take you there in 15 minutes from the city centre.
The latest addition to this action plan is the Bangalore Development Authority's Comprehensive Development Plan - Master Plan 2015 - which talks of vertical growth in the city. This would translate into more high-rises within the city. On the one hand there are plans to drive growth and development to the city's outskirts to decongest the city centre. On the other, plans are in place to throw open space in the heart of the city and in residential areas with broad roads, to commercial activity. The idea is to have non-polluting, clean office spaces close to the place you live and also close to metro stations.
According to sources in the BDA, vertical growth is inevitable in order to sustain growth and development in the city, especially when you consider the fact that Bangalore's contribution to the State's GDP is the highest. Bangalore continues to be the most preferred destination today and is next only to London in terms of demand for commercial space, according to M N Vidyashankar, IT Secretary, Government of Karnataka.
Bangalore is 'number one' in IT and BT and can soon be the 'number one' city in nano technology too. There's an increased demand for space and vertical growth seems to be the only way out. The common man is the biggest beneficiary of all this, says Vidyashankar. There's a multiplier effect and this sector generates employment like no other, across all sections. There are 6,000 security guards in Electronic city alone, for example. "No other sector contributes to growth as mush as the IT sector does," he adds.
According to M K Shankaralinge Gowda, Chairman and Commissioner, Bangalore Development Authority, there will be availability of additional commercial space in the city. Additional land will also be available and there will be a spurt in group housing. The city is dynamic and controlled commercial activity in segregated areas will help sustain growth. According to him, the new areas that have been added to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) needed planned growth. Earlier, each CMC was operating without synchronisation. Bringing all these areas under one roof will go a long way in improving the quality of life here, he says.
If it's inevitable to go vertical, there are questions being raised about the green cover, water resources, and parking space. The BDA has put up certain norms to counter this. For one, rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory for any area above 2,400 sqft. A five percent rebate on property tax is offered as an incentive for residential property and two percent for non-residential buildings within the Bangalore Metropolitan Area (BMA) for the first five years, if rainwater harvesting is made an integral part of the building. Solar energy, solar lighting, solar water heating are recommended for all new developments and constructions.
For a layout not exceeding one hectare, (10,000 sq mts), allocation of area for parks and civic amenity (CA) sites have been exempted after collecting a fee as prescribed by the government (optional). Other uses are also permitted in basements after making provision for required car parking, but it will be considered for FAR (in case of three-star and above category hotels).
Provision has also been made to preserve forests, water bodies and drainage systems. A flexible zoning system has been introduced with mixed land use, taking the ground realities into consideration. There is enhancement of the floor area ratio (FAR) as well, upto a maximum of four, depending on the zone and road width. A FAR up to three has been fixed for roads over 30 metres wide.
All these regulations are in place to streamline the development of a new-look Bangalore.