Andhra Pradesh is set to take up transit oriented development (TOD), a form of compact, pedestrian and non-motorised vehicle (NMV) friendly development that promotes mixed land use along the mass transit corridors in the urban areas.
The Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development has issued the ‘Andhra Pradesh Transit Oriented Development Policy, 2022’, based on the Union government’s National Transit Oriented Development Policy, with the objective of ensuring transit-supportive land uses, densification and mixed-income development around transit stations and corridors, connectivity and managing vehicular traffic and parking, creating pedestrian and NMV-oriented design, and densification of local road network, among others.
The TOD policy is a growth strategy to assist the cities in implementing the guiding principles of the land use element.
As per the strategy, new moderate and high-density housing as well as new public uses, and a majority of neighbourhood serving retail and commercial uses will be concentrated in mixed-use developments located at strategic points alongside the transit system, the G.O. issued by the MA&UD states.
“The policy is needed to increase ridership in the public transport system and make it a feasible mode of transport. There is an urgent need to address the issue of urban transport by the way of new urban planning and development philosophy of land use and transport integration, improving access of citizens to enhanced public transport facilities and financing the extension of urban infrastructure and public transport projects through land development,” the order says.
Guiding tool
The policy will be the guiding tool for all urban development and planning taken by the urban local bodies, government agencies, enforcement agencies, and transit agencies hereafter for the preparation or revision of development plans (DPs) under the municipal corporations, municipalities, nagar panchayats, and gram panchayats covered in Urban Development Authorities.
Meanwhile, the urban local bodies in the State have been asked to come up with action plans in a month to implement the TOD policy to improve the situation around major roads in the cities and towns.
Fewer parking lots
“We have to prepare an action plan after obtaining feedback from all the stakeholders, including people. The TOD concept is aimed at discouraging motorised vehicles and encouraging walking, public transportation and cycling,” says G.V.G.S.V. Prasad, City Planner, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.
Also, under the TOD concept, fewer parking spaces will be provided and users will be charged heftily in order to discourage them from using private motorised vehicles.
