DDA proposes changes to TOD policy in 2021 Delhi master plan

The DDA proposes changes to Delhi's Master Plan, easing TOD policies to boost high-density housing and transit accessibility while promoting sustainability.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has proposed amendments to the Master Plan of Delhi, 2021 (MPD-2021), liberalising the city’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy.

The minimum plot size for TOD eligibility has been slashed by 80%. (Photo for representation)

Officials said that 207 square kilometres (sqm) of land along a 500-metre belt on either side of transit corridors will be open for redevelopment of high-rise hubs and mixed-use nodes.

Additionally, the minimum plot size for TOD eligibility has been slashed by 80%, from 10,000 sqm to 2,000 sqm and developers will now be able to build at a significantly higher floor area ratio (FAR) of 400–500, up from the previous cap of 300, added officials.

The revamped policy establishes TOD as a central planning tool for high-density residential and commercial development around metro and RRTS corridors, DDA officials said.

The policy was driven over the last six months through extensive consultations between lieutenant governor VK Saxena and Union housing and urban affairs minister ML Khattar, they added.

“The aim is to bring homes, workplaces and civic amenities within the walking distance of transit stations to cut dependence on private vehicles and reduce pollution. The changes promise to reshape the capital’s skyline, expand housing supply and push residents towards mass transit in an unprecedented way,” DDA official added.

It further mandates that 65% of the permissible FAR be used to create smaller dwelling units of under 100 sqm of carpet area, a move aimed at easing Delhi’s chronic shortage of affordable housing. Another 10% of the land must be reserved as green area, while both horizontal and vertical mixes of uses will be permitted from shops and offices to studio apartments, officials added.

“Parking norms have been tightened with a cap of one Equivalent Car Space (ECS)per 100 sqm of FAR, and at least 30% of all parking in TOD plots will be opened for the public. Approvals will also be fast-tracked and consolidated into a single fee called TOD charges, pooled into a dedicated fund for area improvement,” the official added.

The policy, however, excludes ecologically and historically sensitive zones including Zone O, monument-protected areas, the Lutyens’, Civil Lines bungalow zones, and cantonment and defence areas.

If implemented effectively, the policy could steer Delhi closer to global cities defined by walkability, mass transit, and vertical living with high-rise corridors rising and falling across the urban landscape, officials added.