CHANDIGARH: In a bold shift from its usual restrictive planning, the Chandigarh administration has announced major amendments to the development controls under Master Plan 2031. These changes permit higher density, taller buildings, and more design flexibility across various land-use categories.
The proposed modifications diverge sharply from current regulations, which prohibit increases in Floor Area Ratio (FAR), ground coverage, or building height for commercial and institutional projects to prevent infrastructure strain. The new guidelines indicate a clear movement towards vertical growth and enhanced land utilization.
Introducing Flexibility
Centrally to this reform is the standardization of maximum ground coverage to 40% across sectors, nearly doubling limits previously set at around 20% in certain categories. Officials indicate that this approach aims to provide architectural flexibility while ensuring structural safety, especially given Chandigarh’s placement in Seismic Zone-IV.
The most significant modifications apply to institutional areas in Sarangpur, Dhanas, and regions near Manimajra, which were previously restricted to low-rise, low-density guidelines. Proposed changes include increasing the FAR fivefold—from 0.5 to 2.5—and lifting height caps from a strict three-storey (36 feet) limit to a new maximum of 30 metres. Ground coverage will also rise from 20% to 40%, facilitating the construction of larger and taller structures.
Parking Adjustments
To accompany this densification, parking requirements are being enhanced. A standardized rule of 4 Equivalent Car Spaces (ECS) per 100 square metres of covered area has been introduced for high-density institutional projects, replacing older, less rigorous stipulations.
The amendments create a novel framework for group housing across different phases of development. In Phase-II sectors, ground coverage is set to allow up to 40%, with height and FAR stipulated by detailed zoning plans, requiring a minimum of four storeys. In Phase-III and peripheral sectors, FAR could increase to 3, with heights reaching 30 metres, enabling configurations like “stilt plus four” levels.
To alleviate parking congestion, the administration has also introduced differentiated stilt parking regulations. In Phase-II cooperative housing projects, stilt levels will not count towards height calculations to incentivize in-premise parking, while in Phase-III, they will be included in overall height limits.
The proposals further redefine open and community spaces within residential developments. Developers will be mandated to allocate 2.5% of the total FAR for community uses, along with reserving at least 15% of the site area for organized green areas with designated minimum dimensions.
Promoting Commercial Growth
In a notable policy change, fixed development standards for commercial entities—such as hotels, multiplexes, and marriage halls—will be eliminated. Instead of stringent FAR and site size regulations, these will now be dynamically managed through periodically updated building rules, allowing adaptation to market demands.
Education Sector Relaxations
Changes will also benefit the education sector. In the Educity project at Sarangpur, the FAR is proposed to rise from 1.5 to 2.5, with building heights also extended to 30 metres while maintaining a ground coverage of 40%. Schools and colleges will observe increased limits, permitting schools a FAR of 1.5 and colleges up to 2.0, alongside higher allowable heights.
Cultural and religious sites will see a tiered regulatory approach, with stricter limits upheld in Phase-I sectors to maintain the heritage character, while outer zones will allow increased FAR and building heights.
Looking ahead, the administration aims to reassess peripheral housing schemes with an emphasis on mixed land use and transit-oriented development. Several public utility services—including hospitals and police stations—will transition from fixed master plan controls to being governed by building bylaws.
Officials have asserted that the proposed amendments aim to facilitate “planned densification” while balancing infrastructure capacity and sustainability. If enacted, these changes could dramatically transform Chandigarh’s skyline, heralding a shift from its low-rise history to a more vertical urban landscape.
