At crossroads over horizontal vs vertical debate

Its decision to stop developing projects horizontally and go vertical, however, will not be accepted without scepticism. While one argument is that it is an essential move, the other questions THE BDA’s ability to execute it.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, A Ravindra, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Urban Affairs, said: “There was no alternative. In fact, for some time now, we have been proposing to go vertical.”

With land becoming expensive and scarce, it is not feasible for the BDA to continue developing individual sites. He said: “One can see the kind of trouble the Authority faced in the last few layouts it proposed in terms of land acquisition and development,” he said.

Vertical development will reduce the burden on infrastructure needed every time a layout is formed. Every time the BDA develops a new layout, it invariably seems to be expanding the boundary of the City, which requires extension of pipelines, sewerage and sanitation lines, water supply lines, et al, Ravindra said. If the BDA goes vertical, a lot of money and manpower can be saved.

So it is only ideal that BDA tried developing 5,000 to 7,000 housing units on a 100-acre land as opposed to 1,500 sites, he said. It has been in practice for several decades in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, he explained.

Another expert said the BDA was already late in implementing the plan and that it must now concentrate on planning for the future through vertical development and not just try solving the problems on hand, like the Arkavati Layout.

Sudhira, an urban affairs expert, notes: “In the long run, horizontal development is a concern. According to data we have gathered from remote-sensing, the built-up area in Bangalore and the proportion of population growth do not match.”

While the built-up area in 1994 was 165 sq km, it grew to 180-185 sq km in 2000, 345 sq km in 2006, 384 sq km in 2009 and is expected to be 400 sq km in 2010-11. Noting that the per capita consumption of the built-up area, which is increasing steadily, is a concern as the City is running out of such area, with those who can afford owning more than one property, he said: “The BDA must build its capacity in developing more units in less time to meet the projected demand.”

The BDA must be able to build at least 1,000 units a month until we meet the needs and not 3,600-4,000 units in four to five years, Sudhira said. On the flip side, given that the BDA is known for lack of planning, vertical development could be a burden on infrastructure, he said.

“In the long run, if the BDA keeps going skywards without bothering much about the infrastructure, we will only have more people dependent on infrastructure meant for much less people,” he said.

Also, there is a concern over the quality of housing that the BDA can provide, which leaves a lot of potential buyers worried. Ravindra agrees, but expresses confidence that it can be sorted out.

It is important for the Authority not to just get carried away with the new idea, but to focus on planning and effective implementation.