The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has ignited a fresh debate on urban planning with its latest draft of the revised Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy. While intended to boost development around transit hubs, the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from experts and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), who warn it could lead to unplanned, chaotic growth across the national capital.
Core Concerns: Missing Safeguards and Automatic Approvals
Released for public feedback on November 22, 2025, the draft policy is open for suggestions for a period of 45 days. A primary point of contention is the removal of the mandatory Local Area Planning (LAP) provision. This approach previously ensured that infrastructure like roads, sewers, and drains would be scaled up in proportion to any population increase triggered by new development.
"If the number of people are going to increase in an area, there should also be a proportionate increase in the common infrastructure... That is called the LAP approach, which should be included in the policy," emphasized Jignesh Mehta, an urban planner and architect teaching at CEPT University.
Furthermore, the draft introduces an automatic approval mechanism. It states that a dedicated committee under the DDA Vice-Chairman must approve a project within 60 days, or it will be deemed approved. Critics argue this, combined with the scrapping of detailed area plans, paves the way for haphazard construction.
Key Changes: Fewer Rules, More Areas, Smaller Plots
The new draft marks a significant departure from the 2021 version. It no longer requires developers to submit an Influence Zone Plan (IZP), which detailed essential improvements like road widening, pedestrian facilities, and public spaces. Now, a landowner with the minimum required land in a TOD zone can automatically avail of a higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) without contributing to an integrated plan for the area.
Alarmingly, provisions for public green spaces, universal barrier-free access, and active frontages—all present in the 2021 policy—find no mention in the latest draft.
The policy's scope has also been dramatically expanded. Previously, TOD was not permitted in unauthorised colonies, land pooling zones, low-density villages, and the congested Walled City of Old Delhi. The new draft allows it, raising serious questions about the feasibility of vertical growth in already packed areas.
In a move welcomed by developers, the DDA has reduced the minimum plot size for such projects from 10,000 square metres to 2,000 square metres, allowing smaller landowners to participate.
Public Backlash and Expert Warnings
The policy's definition of a TOD zone—within 500 metres on either side of a metro corridor and within a 500-metre radius of RRTS and railway stations—has sparked outcry in densely populated neighbourhoods. RWAs in Greater Kailash-I have protested, noting that with multiple metro lines, this definition could swallow up to 85% of their colony.
Industry voices like Harsh Vardhan Bansal, Vice-Chair of CII Delhi, suggest refining the policy with a two-tier TOD zone structure and Transferable Development Rights (TDR).
Former DDA planning commissioner AK Jain highlighted a critical omission: "They are talking about everything but transit. There should have been a traffic management plan... Otherwise, they will become massive congestion points."
This draft is the latest in a series, with earlier versions released in 2015, 2019, and 2021. Despite identifying 12 TOD clusters over the past decade, construction has only begun at one site: the East Delhi Hub in Karkardooma, where the initial phase is slated for completion by mid-2026. Sources indicate the relaxations in the new draft aim to attract developer interest and finally kickstart projects. The DDA has not yet responded to the specific concerns raised about the new draft.
