Compact city- an option to make cities smart and sustainable

Compact cities offer distinct advantages in terms of;
-Promoting- Urban sustainability, livability and quality of life
--Makes city of -shorter distances for travelling,
- Reduced number of vehicles on roads -- lower energy consumption. -- less pollution, making city safe against crime
- Making cities more inclusive ,people centric. –
- Operationally efficient -- better utilization of infrastructure/ services. - makes cities land & resource efficient.
Promoting a culture of shared economy,.
Ensure more social interaction, making cities socially vibrant., community oriented
Compactness improves productivity, innovations .
Offer health benefits -making people more active ,healthy, productive --as they walk and cycle more

1. Compact Cities- as a
Strategy to Make Cities
Smart & Sustainable
Ar. J.K.GUPTA, Ar. J.K.GUPTA,
Email---- Email---- [email protected], Mob- 90410-26414, Mob- 90410-26414

2. Cities-
Global
Context

3. State of World’s CitiesState of World’s Cities
• UN Habitat Report 2009- defines cities in terms of --
•Cities contain both order and chaos.
•In them reside beauty and ugliness--virtue and vice.
• They can bring out best or worst in human kind.
• They are physical manifestation of history and culture
•They are incubators of innovations, industry, technology,
entrepreneurship and creativity.
• Cities are materialization of humanity’s noblest ideas,
ambitions and aspirations,
• but when not planned or governed properly, can be
repository of society’s ills.
•Cities drive national economies by creating wealth,
enhancing social development and providing employment
but-- they can also be breeding grounds
•--for poverty, exclusion and environmental degradation.

4. Cities and their ContextCities and their Context
•Cities have been part of human history.
•- Cities- known to command power and authority
•.Cities- known for both -- positivity and negativities
•Cities -- known for their dualities and contradictions
•Cities -- valued to be areas of concentration of population/
activities, infrastructures, services, healthcare, education
•Cities -- Engines of economic growth-
•Cities - generators of employment , wealth and prosperity,
•But Cities – also known for numerous negativities,
•Cities – large consumers of resources
•Cities – large consumers of energy
•Cities- generators of large waste
• Cities--- generating majority of Global carbon footprints-
•Cities -- Primarily responsible for global warming-

5. Cities and their ContextCities and their Context
•Cities- remain a manmade , mechanical habitat
•Cities- destroy natural habitat-anti-thesis to bio-diversity
•Cities- create worst living conditions for majority-
•Cities- home to large migrants
•Cities- home to large number of slums
•Cities- remain unsafe & in crisis- both natural & manmade
• Crisis-- of population, poverty, pollution
•Cities – ever evolving ,devolving, never static, never finite
•But Cities – shall continue to dominate humanity in future
•Cities- shall continue to drive nation’s prosperity& future
•Accordingly, Citie’s -operation, growth ,management need
rationalization/---Cities – need to be made more-- bio-
diverse; productive, effective, efficient, humane, livable,
inclusive, safe, Resilient, sustainable ,Happy & Healthy place
to live /work

6. Global Context of Cities- Global Context of Cities-
Cities Consume 3% of Global land- 148.9msqkmCities Consume 3% of Global land- 148.9msqkm
- House 55% of global population- 8248 million- Sept.2025 - House 55% of global population- 8248 million- Sept.2025

8. Carbon Emissions- Sectors , TransportCarbon Emissions- Sectors , Transport

9. •Urbanisation - Indian Context
•

10. Indian UrbanizationIndian Urbanization
• 250 million in 1919
•1210 million in 2011
•1410- million in 2023
• 2050- Indian population- 1600 mil. -- 50%
in Urban India.
•Metropolitan Centres -5 (1951)- -53 (2011)-
68(2031)
•Mega Cities-10 m plus- nil (1951)- 3 (2011) -
7 (2031)-9 (2051)– 5/44-2023
•During last 100 years, India witnessed—
--Urbanization level X 3 times
---Urban settlements X 4 times
---Total Population X 5 times
--Urban population X 15 times and
--Rural population X 3.5 times
-India- became most populated country on
this planet- April 2023- 1.41 billion

11. Indian UrbanizationIndian Urbanization
•Urban area important because ;
Areas of concentration of population,
Providers of large employment.
Areas of large investment.
Housing major infrastructure & services.
Promoters of higher order of productivity
Hub around which entire economy gravitates
•Major contributors to national wealth/GDP
1950-51 –GDP 29% ( urbanization - 17.29%)
1970-71- 37% (level of urbanization - 19.91%)
1990-91- 50% (level of urbanization - 25.72%)
2001-02- 60% (level of urbanization - 27.78%)
2011- 12- 65% (level of urbanization - 31.1%)
10 Largest cities - 8%pop -- produce 15%GDP
 53 Metro cities - 13 %pop --produce 33%GDP
100 Largest cities -16%pop -produce 43%GDP

12. Issues - in
Indian
Urbanisation

13. Urbanization-issuesUrbanization-issues
•Despite positivities- Urban centers also have negativities
Poorly planned, developed managed & governed.
Unable to meet challenges of urban dynamism
Characterized by Haphazard /Unplanned development.
Enormous growth of slums
•Poor quality of life
•House large polluting gases -- NO, O3, Co2,SO2 suspended
particulate
•-98% cities in low& middle countries / 56% in high income
economies do not meet air quality –WHO norms
•6 million people died in India-due to air pollution-2019-20
•Cities -- Remain unsafe
•Cities -- Remain water stressed
•Cities- Unable to meet basic needs of
•-Shelter
• --Services ,
• --Sanitation

14. Urbanization-issuesUrbanization-issues
•Cities--Have acute shortage of green spaces
•Cities-Remain prone to disasters- natural & manmade
•Cities- Create large heat island- temperature rise of 6-
8 degree during day & up to 10 C at night
•Perpetually Suffering from uncontrolled urban sprawl
•Problems of traffic /transportation
•Creating dichotomy between rich and poor
•Promoting exclusion
•Remain large consumer of energy / resources
•Remain unsustainable- Largely dependent on
hinterland for day –to- day needs
•Remain polluter of environment / destroyer of bio-
diversity/resource in-efficient
•Indian Urbanization rightly called :
Urbanization of Population
Urbanization of Poverty
Urbanization of Pollution

25. Global- Tree CountGlobal- Tree Count

26. Urbanization-issuesUrbanization-issues

27. Gensis of
Unsustainable
Urbanisation

28. India Faces Greatest Challenges -Land &WaterIndia Faces Greatest Challenges -Land &Water
•Land Resource;
•Total area of India- = 3,287,263 kms; Land
Area=2,973,193 km 2(1.996 %) - Ranked 7
th
in
area.
• Global land area = 148,940,000 km 2(29.8%)
•Population of India --1,463,288,551 (17.78 %) –
most populated nation in world
•Water Resource
• – 4% Global water
• Population/ land; 17.78% p = 1.996% A
•Animal population= 550 million
•17.78% p= 4% Global water
•35 million people lack access to safe water and
•678 million people lack access to a safe toilet

29. Reasons for Marginalized Urban Reasons for Marginalized Urban
SustainabilitySustainability
• -Ever increasing population –Limited availability of land
•--Large scale unregulated unplanned development
•Lack of Capacity, will , Resources ,Manpower, leadership
•- Limited availability of basic amenities/facilities/
infrastructures /services
• -Lack of open spaces - lack of vegetation
•- Ever increasing urban footprints--urban sprawl-
•--Large consumption of black energy & Resources,
• -Generation of large Waste-
•Poor public transport-Pollution, GHG emissions
•- Increasing Trip length/ demand- - More personalized cars
•-Metaling & Paving cities- Urban Heat Island- warming cities
•-Ever-increasing unsustainable building footprints-
•Consuming Large fossil fuels - for cooling/heating buildings

30. Sources of Unsustainable DevelopmentSources of Unsustainable Development
•Cities currently house > 55% of global
population,
•Generate - 70% of global GDP,
•Account for- 2/3rd - global energy consumption
Responsible for > 70% annual carbon emissions.
•Urban carbon footprints -- expected to grow
significantly by 2050, for reasons of;
• -- > 70% world’s population living in cities-
•- generating massive demand for;-- Housing,
health care, education, energy, mobility,
infrastructure, resources, consumption, waste,
GHG emissions , pollution etc.

31. Options for
Achieving
Urban Sustainability

32. Sustainable/Smart PlanningSustainable/Smart Planning
•For making cities – sustainable, livable & productive
•-urban planning concepts revolved around promoting:
Planned cities
Inclusive Cities
Intelligent Cities
Resilient Cities
Sustainable Cities
Green Cities
Smart Cities
•Looking at the solutions:
Garden City
Linear City
Industrial City
Vertical Cities
Compact Cities
Radiant Cities
•Urban Planning and Architecture needs to be leveraged-- to make cities
Smart, cleaner, greener & Sustainable,

33. Why India
need
Compact
Cities

35. Land Resource in India-Land Resource in India-
Total area of India- = 3,287,263 kms; Land
Area=2,973,193 km 2(1.996 %) - Ranked 7
th
in
area. Global land area = 148,940,000 km
2(29.8%)
•Population of India --1,463,288,551 (17.78 %) –
most populated nation in world

36. Opting for Urban
Compactness-
Definition & Origin

37. Compact City--Origin Compact City--Origin
Term
 
compact city  
- coined in 1973 by  two Mathematicians;
--George Dantzig
 & Thomas L. Saaty
Objective--- For making more efficient use of resources.
- Translated in
 
Urban Planning, by
 
Jane Jacobs
 
In her book
 --
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
 
(1961),
-
 
criticized modern
 
planning policies-which led to;
-- destroying many existing
 inner-city communities besides
•- attacking, planning principles
•-- inherited from
 
Garden city movement –
•Involving reduced residential density
•Jacob recommended- Four essential for
 
urban renewal:
•- Mixed uses,
•- Small walkable blocks- Pedestrianization
•- Mingling of building of all ages and types,&
•--a sufficiently dense concentration of people. - High Density –

38. Defining Compact CityDefining Compact City
•1. Compact city
 or city of short distances-- ;
•- is an urban model,
•-characterised by Quality environment ,
•- mixed use of land,
•- sustainability,
•-high residential density
•- land efficiency,
•walkability, safety & high degree of social interaction.
•2 A compact city--- is an urban planning concept that emphasizes ;;
•--high-density development,
•-- mixed land use,
•-- efficient public transportation
•-- sustainable, livable environments
•-- minimizing urban sprawl
Cities of Barcelona, Copenhagen, Tokyo-- exemplify compact city
principles,- through close integration of -residential , commercial
areas with robust public transport systems.

39. Defining Characteristics Defining Characteristics
•-- Compact city is characterized by;,
•Density -- Having high Residential Density
•Land use pattern -- planning based on Mixed land uses.
• Land - planning based on consuming minimum land
• Transportation-- Using Efficient public transport system
• Mobility– Encouraging walking & cycling,
• Energy -- having low energy consumption- high degree of energy
efficiency – using green energy
• Pollution – Minimum pollution.
• Interaction--providing opportunities for more social interaction
•Sustainability-- Ensuring more sustainable development
•Urban Sprawl – eliminates chances of
 urban sprawl 
• Cars -- Reducing dependent on car,
•Cost- Highly cost-effective for development
• Infrastructures – High degree of economy in infrastructure provision
• -City does not merely increase urban density
  across all parts .
•-- but Uses good planning to achieve
 
overall compact urban form:

41. Planning Compact CitiesPlanning Compact Cities
--Planning Compact cities- will need new order of planning &
land use pattern which will have ;
- Compact Urban form
-- Opting for principle of Mixed land use,
--- opting Higher densities
--- Ensuring Reducing area under traffic & transportation
•-- Optimising use of land by adopting—
• Using land --based on principle of 24x7X365;
•-Promoting multiple use of-Public amenities / services /
amenities/open spaces/ built area
•- Rationalising-- planning norms for amenities /services
•- Replacing Plotted development -- by flatted development
•- Redefining Building bye-laws & development controls
•-- permiting more built-up area-- using minimum land-FAR
•

42. PLANNING COMPACT CITIESPLANNING COMPACT CITIES
  Planning options for Planning options for making cities compact ; making cities compact ;
.. – promoting – promoting High-density developmentHigh-density development
--- Building -- Building inside not outsideinside not outside
--- Building -- Building vertical not horizontalvertical not horizontal
--- Building -- Building High not lowHigh not low
--- Building -- Building mix not puremix not pure
---Building --Building dense not shallowdense not shallow
---Building --Building accessibility not mobilityaccessibility not mobility
-- Building -- Building for people not for vehiclesfor people not for vehicles
-- optimizing -- optimizing available infrastructureavailable infrastructure..
-- adopting -- adopting Transit oriented development Transit oriented development
-- -- Raising Height Raising Height and and
-Rationalizing Rationalizing land uses and Building bye-lawsland uses and Building bye-laws
..

44. COMPACT CITYCOMPACT CITY

45. COMPACT CITYCOMPACT CITY

46. Transit Oriented DevelopmentTransit Oriented Development

47. Transit- Oriented Development Transit- Oriented Development

48. Curitiba's BRT corridors 
run along high-
 
run along high-
density developed areadensity developed area

55. VERTICAL CITY- PARISVERTICAL CITY- PARIS

56. Amazing Carbon Neutral City of Amazing Carbon Neutral City of
World –Musdar –Abu Dhabi-UAEWorld –Musdar –Abu Dhabi-UAE
 A city of 50,000population
 City of no cars , no waste
Planned to make use of cool sea winds
Using solar energy on rooftop
Narrow streets shading houses
Total recycling of waste/water
 working/ living area-- not farther than200
mts from transportation nodes.
Electric powered light rail on elevated
track -- for easy transport between
Musdar and Abu Dhabi.
•for Intra-city travel-- people use
personal rapid transit pods (PRT) run
on magnetic tracks using electric
power.
•Aim is to create:
Zero Carbon
Zero Waste
Zero Car city

57. Advantages of
Compact Cities

58. Compact City-AdvantagesCompact City-Advantages
•Compact cities offer distinct advantages in terms of;
•-Promoting- Urban sustainability, livability and quality of life
•--Makes city of -shorter distances for travelling,
•- Reduced number of vehicles on roads -- lower energy
consumption. -- less pollution, making city safe against crime
•- Making cities more inclusive ,people centric. –
•- Operationally efficient -- better utilization of infrastructure/
services. - makes cities land & resource efficient.
• Promoting a culture of shared economy,.
•Ensure more social interaction, making cities socially vibrant.,
community oriented
• Compactness improves productivity, innovations .
• Offer health benefits -making people more active ,healthy,
productive --as they walk and cycle more

59. Making Cities Safe Making Cities Safe

62. Challenges of
Compact Cities

63. Compact city-Challenges Compact city-Challenges
•Despite advantages, Compact City offer following
challenges ;
•-Challenges related to-- affordability,
•-Challenges related to- - environment, urban heat island.
•Challenges related to- -- traffic and transportation
•Challenges related to- - Increase in real estate prices
Accordingly, while promoting compactness- critical would be
to-
-- think / plan-- for housing affordability
--- Promoting inclusivity
-- Eliminating impact of compactness- on environment
--Minimising urban heat island effect.
-Providing and managing large green spaces-- pattern
adopted by Singapore.
-.

64. Options used
Globally for
making Cities
Compact

65. Global Practices for Making Existing Global Practices for Making Existing
Cities CompactCities Compact
•Opting for Brown Field Development
•Dedensification & -Intensification of Cities
•Optimum utilization of Existing Urban Land
•Optimum utilization of Vacant Urban Land
•Redefining Population Density- TOD
•Changing Typology of Housing- from plotted
to Flatted development
•Redefining Building Bye-laws, Development
Controls-Redefining Floor Area Ratio
•Upgrading Urban Infrastructures

66. Brown Field Development- Brown Field Development- Recycling Recycling
Land-Mumbai Textile Mills Land-Mumbai Textile Mills

67. Intensification of LandIntensification of Land

68. Intensification of Intensification of New York CityNew York City

69. Intensification of Intensification of Singapore citySingapore city
•.

70. COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE
VICTORIA HALL KOLKATA
•City planned for a population of 0.5
million to be realized in 2 stages.
Stage-I (S1)
Sector 1 to 30-- covering 3642 hectares
for 150000 population a low-density
development of 41.12 persons per
hectare(16ppa)with high order of
infrastructure / amenities. Land to be
allotted on free hold basis.
Stage-II (S2)
Sector 31 to 47- covering 2428 hectares
for 350000 population, a high- density
development of 144.15 persons per
hectare(56ppa) (3.5 times of stage 1).
Land to be allotted on lease hold.
•Stage-III (S3 )
•Re-densification of Stage-I -- to
accommodate population exceeding 0.5
million -without compromising with
quality of life.
S2
S1&S3

71. Densification of Cities-Using Vacant LandDensification of Cities-Using Vacant Land

72. Densification- Singapore Model Densification- Singapore Model

73. Changing pattern of Development- Changing pattern of Development-
Plotted Development Vs Plotted Development Vs Flatted Flatted
DevelopmentDevelopment

74. Increasing Population Density-Increasing Population Density-

75. Leveraging Transit Oriented Development - Leveraging Transit Oriented Development -
DelhiDelhi

76. Future Cities-Conceptual
Ultima Tower- 2Mile High Sky City
•Location: Any densely populated urban
environment
•-Date: 1991
•-Cost: $150,000,000,000
•Population: 1,000,000
•Exterior surface area of building: 150,000,000
sft
•Enclosed volume: 53,000,000,000 cubic feet
•Total enclosed acreage: 39,000 acres
•- 156 Chandigarh Sectors
•Elevator speed:-- 20 feet per second (13 miles
per hour)
•-- 9 minutes and 40 seconds to reach top floor
from ground floor.
•Dimensions: Height--10,560 feet;
•Diameter at the base--6000 feet;
•Number of stories--500;

77. Making Cities Compact -Remains Greatest Challenge To Making Cities Compact -Remains Greatest Challenge To
Planners, Architects, Professionals, Administrators Planners, Architects, Professionals, Administrators
managing Cities/Servicesmanaging Cities/Services