The Master Plan for Delhi 2041, initially due in 2021, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though significant construction projects across the city continued unabated.

This raises serious concerns about the urban development of capital without clear long-term spatial planning.

A master plan, designed as a long-term vision and technical blueprint for urban centres, typically spans 15-20 years and covers essential areas like housing, transportation, health, education, and livelihood.

It provides a strategic framework to manage resources, infrastructure, and land allocation based on forecasts and assessments.

These plans also manage the scale of urban development, from the streets and neighbourhoods to larger municipal regions, ensuring balanced growth and control over urban sprawl.

The absence of such guiding documents, especially in a fast-urbanising country like India, leaves cities vulnerable to chaotic growth, misallocation of resources, and insufficient infrastructure—worsening the quality of life in urban centres across the nation.

A City Beyond Boundaries: A History Of Complex Planning & Development

Delhi is a city that defies easy categorisation. Once a Union Territory, now a state, yet it has always been a vibrant metropolis at its core—a city with a rich tapestry of history, heritage, and culture.

Its shared boundaries and deep-rooted connections with five neighbouring states further complicate its unique position. 

These ties mean that work, economy, and culture flow seamlessly across state lines, making Delhi's identity as a "city" somewhat blurred and illusory.

The urban landscape is shaped by complex relationships, systems, and jurisdictions that transcend a single city's borders, reflecting the fluid dynamics between Delhi and its surrounding regions.

The planning of Delhi took a significant turn in 1912 with the formation of the Town Planning Committee, marking the beginning of the construction of New Delhi as the capital of British India.

Sir Edwin Lutyens was tasked with designing the city, leading to the iconic layout of wide boulevards, hexagonal intersections, and roundabouts, integrating landmarks like Jama Masjid and Safdarjung’s Tomb, inspired by the Garden City Movement.

Central to Lutyens' design was the Rajpath, stretching between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan, symbolising the authority of the British Empire.

By 1962, the first Master Plan for Delhi was introduced, shaping the development of the city well beyond its colonial past.

This plan aimed to decentralise employment, conserve areas with organic growth, and ensure infrastructure kept pace with development.

The plan proposed the development of six satellite towns around Delhi to manage the city’s expansion. 

Public and semi-public land use was focused in areas like the Central Secretariat, Old Secretariat, Indraprastha Estate, and Ramakrishnapuram.

The main industrial hubs, such as Najafgarh Road and Okhla Industrial Estate, were also developed to support the city’s economic growth.

Commercial centres in Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, and Sarojini Nagar became key areas of economic activity.

This comprehensive approach in 1962 laid the groundwork for modern Delhi, balancing heritage with a vision for future urban development.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) created two additional master plans based on the 1937 model, with delays of at least 5 to 10 years for each.

The first plan emerged in the 1980s, and the second in the early 2000s.

These subsequent plans have progressively deviated from the strong urban planning principles established in the 1962 plan, particularly concerning environment, work, housing, and gender.

Instead, they have deviated increasingly towards privatised development models.

The Curious Case Of The DDA

Delhi is already grappling with rampant, unplanned growth alongside ageing structures that are either repurposed for economic activities or left neglected.

These outdated spaces, often untouched by contemporary urban planning, contribute to sporadic gentrification across the city. 

While Delhi's rich history, culture, and heritage are often romanticised, much of its urban landscape remains rooted in old ways of living, awkwardly readjusted to fit into modern frameworks.

Areas like Paharganj and Tughlaqabad serve as vivid examples, where the collision of historic significance and haphazard development creates a mosaic of uncoordinated urban sprawl.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) plays a central role in shaping the city's future.

Despite the 74th Amendment Act, which mandates local elected representatives and bodies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to have greater control, the DDA—a parastatal authority—continues to lead city planning. 

And this isn’t just unique to Delhi; many cities in India have similar governance structures where parastatal agencies override local governance.

The twist here is that Delhi claims a special status, being the capital of the world’s largest democracy. It’s an ironic situation for a city that should ideally be setting an example for decentralising power.

(Please click here to read Part 2 of the series)