Development Plan sees higher FSI and design policy
Ahmedabad- Apart from Ahmedabad, other major cities have also given nod for higher FSI levels and changed design plans by the state urban development department (UDD).
With affordable housing and transit oriented housing playing a key role in solving the housing issues, there has been a large scale redevelopment in major dilapidated areas in the city of Ahmadabad. With the higher FSI levels in Gujarat cities, there is a hope that the skyrocketing realty prices and the affordable housing shortfall will witness a change.
On the other hand, many senior experts insist that the state’s urban design policy is just a pre-requisite and that the higher FSI policy will just be an addition, without it becoming a strategy for further development.
Ahmadabad and Surat are the very few cities demanding for a maximum FSI limits of up to 4 and 5.4. However, in Vadodra, after a payment of the 40 percent if the prevailing jantri rates, the state government approved an FSI limit of 1.8 in the residential R1 zone and FSI of 2.5 in R2 residential zone.
Last month, the state government in Rajkot refused to grant a higher FSI in the city area B, spreading across 18 square kms. Also the BRTS corridor agreed for a 25 percent hike in FSI with 1.8 km along the BRTS corridor.
According to a senior official from the Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA), the allotment of the higher FSI will not do any good as the major issue is the cities’ plan to utilize the additional FSI. He stated that the current plan will only lead to the redevelopment of the major areas but will not focus on the urban design policy for the state.
There are various issues like the amount of space put under public domain, the city’s development plan and the manner the resources will be utilized along with the increased densification, which is to be addressed on priority.
Likewise another set of experts state that a higher FSI should be translated in creating an urban environment which caters easy accessibility to work and living places. Another issue would be giving the citizens the sense of proximity to the places they visit on an everyday basis. Perhaps, both Surat and Ahmadabad will require high density corridors in the coming years.
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Maharashtra govt to increase FSI
FSI rate increase impact on realty sector
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