<p>Bengaluru: Signalling a major shift in Bengaluru’s urban planning, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the city will move towards vertical development, with future plans of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) focusing primarily on high-rise growth due to constraints in land availability and planning hurdles.</p><p>Replying to a debate in the Assembly, Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said, “Going vertical is the need of the hour. We cannot keep expanding horizontally. The next BDA plans will be largely for vertical development, with only a small component of plotted layouts.”</p><p>He cited challenges linked to floor area ratio (FAR) and transferable development rights (TDR) policies, as well as land constraints for roads and metro expansion, as key reasons for the shift.</p><p>He noted that earlier layouts were developed through horizontal expansion, but that model is no longer sustainable.</p><p>Senior BJP leader S Suresh Kumar said Bengaluru is already saturated and suggested developing a “second Bengaluru” on the outskirts.</p><p>Shivakumar acknowledged that earlier proposals for satellite towns in Nandagudi and Bidadi — initiated during H D Kumaraswamy’s tenure — did not take off. “I cannot denotify that land now. There are hurdles. Given the situation, we have to focus on vertical development,” he said.</p><p>Shivakumar also noted that Hyderabad’s model of liberal FAR had led to uneven vertical growth.</p><p><strong>Defends TDR policy</strong></p><p>Defending the government’s TDR policy, Shivakumar termed it a “historic decision”, saying it brought uniformity across residential, commercial and revenue properties.</p><p>“Earlier, rates were not fair across categories. We have made them uniform. In future, we will also introduce a TDR exchange mechanism,” he said. However, Shivakumar flagged ongoing litigation, noting that a “bogus TDR lobby” has challenged reforms, including the premium TDR proposal, in the Supreme Court.</p><p>The deputy CM said large projects such as the Shivaram Karanth Layout have been hit by court cases despite significant investment. “We have spent ₹10,000 crore on Shivaram Karanth Layout, but we are unable to receive applications due to litigation,” he said, adding that the court has now permitted allotment to farmers.</p><p>During the discussion, BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan argued for increasing FAR, saying it would lead to self-contained live-work spaces.</p><p>“Higher FAR will encourage ‘live-work-play’ models and improve economic activity,” he said, pointing out that areas like Mahadevapura generate higher revenue due to mixed land use, unlike purely residential zones.</p><p>Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka suggested a calibrated approach, proposing that FAR be increased based on road width and infrastructure capacity. “Allow higher FAR along Metro corridors and the Peripheral Ring Road, but avoid overloading the central business district,” he said, stressing the need for planned growth.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Signalling a major shift in Bengaluru’s urban planning, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the city will move towards vertical development, with future plans of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) focusing primarily on high-rise growth due to constraints in land availability and planning hurdles.</p><p>Replying to a debate in the Assembly, Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, said, “Going vertical is the need of the hour. We cannot keep expanding horizontally. The next BDA plans will be largely for vertical development, with only a small component of plotted layouts.”</p><p>He cited challenges linked to floor area ratio (FAR) and transferable development rights (TDR) policies, as well as land constraints for roads and metro expansion, as key reasons for the shift.</p><p>He noted that earlier layouts were developed through horizontal expansion, but that model is no longer sustainable.</p><p>Senior BJP leader S Suresh Kumar said Bengaluru is already saturated and suggested developing a “second Bengaluru” on the outskirts.</p><p>Shivakumar acknowledged that earlier proposals for satellite towns in Nandagudi and Bidadi — initiated during H D Kumaraswamy’s tenure — did not take off. “I cannot denotify that land now. There are hurdles. Given the situation, we have to focus on vertical development,” he said.</p><p>Shivakumar also noted that Hyderabad’s model of liberal FAR had led to uneven vertical growth.</p><p><strong>Defends TDR policy</strong></p><p>Defending the government’s TDR policy, Shivakumar termed it a “historic decision”, saying it brought uniformity across residential, commercial and revenue properties.</p><p>“Earlier, rates were not fair across categories. We have made them uniform. In future, we will also introduce a TDR exchange mechanism,” he said. However, Shivakumar flagged ongoing litigation, noting that a “bogus TDR lobby” has challenged reforms, including the premium TDR proposal, in the Supreme Court.</p><p>The deputy CM said large projects such as the Shivaram Karanth Layout have been hit by court cases despite significant investment. “We have spent ₹10,000 crore on Shivaram Karanth Layout, but we are unable to receive applications due to litigation,” he said, adding that the court has now permitted allotment to farmers.</p><p>During the discussion, BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan argued for increasing FAR, saying it would lead to self-contained live-work spaces.</p><p>“Higher FAR will encourage ‘live-work-play’ models and improve economic activity,” he said, pointing out that areas like Mahadevapura generate higher revenue due to mixed land use, unlike purely residential zones.</p><p>Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka suggested a calibrated approach, proposing that FAR be increased based on road width and infrastructure capacity. “Allow higher FAR along Metro corridors and the Peripheral Ring Road, but avoid overloading the central business district,” he said, stressing the need for planned growth.</p>
