Master plan
Also called: Urban master plan · Topic: Human Settlements and Urbanisation in India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A master plan is a city's official long-term plan, usually for 20-25 years. It is a map plus rules that decide what each piece of land will be used for: roads, housing, markets, industry, parks, hospitals and schools. A development authority or a city government prepares it under the state's Town and Country Planning Act. It sets aside land early for future public facilities, so the city can grow in an orderly way instead of spreading without a plan. NITI Aayog's 2021 report found that 65% of India's 7,933 urban settlements (Census 2011) have no master plan.
Example
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) prepares the Master Plan for Delhi. The first one came out in 1962. It divided the city into zones for homes, offices, industry and green belts, and it reserved land for roads, district centres and public institutions.
Don't confuse with
- Regional plan: a regional plan covers a whole region of several cities and states, such as the National Capital Region set up under the NCR Planning Board Act 1985. A master plan covers only one city and its planning area.
- Smart Cities Mission: this is a central scheme launched in 2015 that paid for projects in selected areas of 100 cities. A master plan is a legal land-use plan for the whole city.