Fix The Small-Format Housing Problem, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• A building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi, exposed critical failures in urban planning and regulation of small-format housing.
• The incident highlighted the severe shortage of affordable and safe accommodation for students, young professionals, and other vulnerable groups in Delhi-NCR.
• Regulations within the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD-2047) are identified as making legal small-format housing development unviable due to restrictive norms.
• A significant portion of Delhi's rental housing demand, particularly from migrants, is met by unplanned settlements, leading to unsafe living conditions.

Detailed Insights:

• Small-format housing encompasses units like studios, 1RK, 1BHK, and small 2BHK, catering to diverse demographics including students, nuclear families, and senior citizens.
• Students and young professionals require affordable housing close to educational institutions and workplaces to mitigate travel costs and inconvenience.
• Women often face heightened challenges in securing safe and respectable housing, frequently incurring higher costs due to security considerations.
• The Master Plan for Delhi (MPD-2047) acknowledges that 85% of the city's population belongs to low and mid-income segments, with 32.3% being migrants preferring rental housing.
• Current MPD-2047 norms for small-format housing specify a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 300, ground coverage of 40, and a minimum plot area of 2000 sqm, hindering legal development.
• The private sector is willing to develop small-format housing but requires regulatory reforms and fiscal incentives, such as higher ground coverage and easier land amalgamation.
• Previous attempts at plot amalgamation for group housing under older master plans resulted in high-cost luxury units, failing to address the affordable housing deficit.
• High land development costs, stringent Equivalent Car Space (ECS) norms, and density regulations contribute to the unviability of affordable small-format housing.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Small-format housing: Compact residential units (e.g., studios, 1RK, 1BHK) designed for individuals or small families, often shared.
• Floor Area Ratio (FAR): The ratio of a building's total floor area to the size of the plot it occupies, regulating construction density.
• Master Plan for Delhi (MPD-2047): A statutory document outlining the long-term spatial development strategy and land use policies for Delhi.
• Unauthorized Colonies: Residential areas developed without official planning permission, often lacking basic infrastructure and regulatory compliance.