Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the ratio of total built up area to total area of the plot. It is calculated by dividing total area of site with total built up area. The height of a building depends on the percentage of built up area.  

At present, the CDP allows maximum FAR of 4 in some pockets of Central Business Districts and all along the Metro rail alignment and surrounding areas of Metro rail stations, depending on the width of the road in front of a plot.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike decides on the maximum FAR of a building based on the rules stipulated in the CDP. The maximum FAR in all zones of the City, will be limited to only 2.

The government, in order to promote the TDR scheme, is planning to provide a maximum FAR of 4 to only those who opt for the scheme and part with their land for development projects, including road widening.

Detrimental to growth

According to official sources, limiting the maximum FAR only for the TDA scheme will be against the vertical growth concept adopted in the CDP, on the lines of international cities like Paris and London. As land has become scarce around Bangalore, planners who prepared the CDP found the horizontal growth of the city, difficult. In fact, the CDP says that vertical growth in the only future for Bangalore.

Sources said the TDR scheme has no takers in Bangalore. Only 90 people (property losers) have opted for the scheme so far. “The BBMP has planned to widen many roads in Bangalore. So it is planning to offer FAR of 4. However, only large builders can utilise FAR 4 by constructing multi-storied complexes,” officials pointed out.