Chennai’s 3rd master plan meets global city aspiration

CHENNAI: The work-in-progress third master plan for Chennai, for the first time, includes an economic growth strategy covering the entire metropolitan area, as per a state government official.

Speaking at a CII infra summit with the theme ‘Making Chennai a world class destination’, here on Wednesday, he said “urban planning and development play a critical role in shaping Chennai’s future as it grows into a global city. The third master plan for Chennai is currently in preparation, and for the first time, it includes a comprehensive economic growth strategy covering the entire metropolitan area”

Noting that the plan focuses on addressing the special distribution of industries, housing, and amenities to ensure balanced growth and optimise the use of available land, Mishra said key infrastructure projects such as the Kilambakkam bus terminus, shoreline development, and lakefront development are part of this vision to enhance urban spaces and increase the city’s livability.

“One of the most ambitious proposals in the master plan is the compact city model, which aims to increase urban density using the floor space index tool,” he said, adding this model promoted the efficient use of core city areas while also addressing the need for expansion through the development of six new town plans.

Mishra also accepted a significant challenge remains in addressing Chennai’s housing supply and city growth. “Currently, the city produces only 22,000 to 23,000 dwelling units per year, far below cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore, which generate 80,000 units, and Mumbai, at 1.25 lakh units annually. To meet the demands of its growing population, Chennai must tackle the issues of housing shortages and rising costs of living,” he sought to point out.

As per him, potential solutions included unlocking land potential, using the floor space index tool, and providing processed land at cheaper rates to encourage development and improve the availability of affordable housing across the city.