Chandigarh Administration Unveils Major Land-Use Reforms for Modern Planning
The Chandigarh administration is gearing up to implement comprehensive reforms in the city's land-use norms, representing one of the most ambitious efforts in recent years to modernize the planning framework and enhance the efficient utilization of the Union Territory's constrained land resources. This initiative aims to transition the city from a rigid, prescriptive planning approach to a more flexible, demand-driven model through significant deregulation measures, collectively referred to as "Deregulation 2.0" by officials.
Shifting to a Flexible Land-Use Model
During a recent high-level meeting with central government officials, the UT administration provided updates on its ongoing work to overhaul land-utilization rules, including amendments to the city's master plan. These reforms, aligned with the Centre's broader reform agenda, are designed to streamline land use across various sectors while reducing regulatory obstacles that currently hinder growth and redevelopment.
A key proposal under consideration is the introduction of a "permitted until prohibited" principle across all zones. Under this model, activities in residential, commercial, and industrial areas would be generally allowed by default, except for those specified in a defined negative list. Officials believe this system will make land use more adaptable and responsive to actual demand, potentially facilitating mixed-use development in buildings. To implement this, changes may be required in relevant building bylaws and the existing master plan.
Expert Committee and Industrial Focus
To guide these reforms, the administration has established an expert committee led by the deputy commissioner. This panel is tasked with reviewing all currently permitted and restricted land-use activities across different zones, defining criteria for allowing previously restricted uses, and preparing recommendations for approval by the competent authority.
In industrial areas, the administration's focus is on "unlocking" land by reassessing and liberalizing the plot allotment policy. This effort aims to increase flexibility for industrial landholders and enable more productive use of existing plots.
Education Sector Reforms
Another significant set of proposals targets the education sector, where the administration is considering the elimination of minimum land requirements for establishing private K-12 schools. The review also includes possible removal of rigid infrastructure requirements, such as specific standards for playground size, laboratory space, building height, and built-up area.
Officials are exploring options to permit shared infrastructure—such as playgrounds and libraries, including digital libraries—and allow private schools to access nearby government or municipal facilities like playgrounds, gymnasiums, and multi-purpose halls on a payment basis. Relaxations in Floor Area Ratio (FAR), height limits, and setback norms are also under consideration to support vertical expansion of school buildings. Similar removal of minimum land requirements is being evaluated for private universities, with changes to be escalated to the Ministry of Education for relaxation, followed by a Chandigarh-specific notification.
Creating a Land Bank and Implementation
The UT plans to identify and create a land bank by mapping degraded forest areas and non-forest land parcels. This process will involve coordination with the Master Plan and Gati Shakti portal to identify suitable land, with relevant information shared for updating the PARIVESH portal. To support this work, a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) will be established within the forest department, with instructions for its setup to be issued along with preparation of terms of reference (ToR) and recruitment of necessary manpower.
A senior official stated that these reforms collectively represent an effort to modernize Chandigarh's planning system, reduce regulatory bottlenecks, and enhance the city's capacity to accommodate future growth within its limited land footprint. Implementation is proceeding in phases, with several measures expected to be rolled out in the coming months.
Key Elements of the Land-Use Reform Agenda
- Review current permitted and restricted land activities across zones
- Define criteria to allow previously restricted uses
- Create a roadmap for demand-driven, market-responsive planning (permitted until prohibited with negative lists)
- Allow vertical school expansion by relaxing FAR, height, and setback rules
- Promote shared school infrastructure (playgrounds, libraries, digital hubs)
- Permit private schools to use nearby government or municipal facilities (playgrounds, gyms, halls) on a payment basis
- Replace rigid norms (lab sizes, playground standards, etc.) with flexible, principle-based requirements
- Build a land bank by identifying degraded forest and non-forest parcels
