<p><em>The circular form of Connaught Place with its system of ring and radial roads has from the beginning, been an enigma, says <strong>Ranjit Sabikhi</strong></em><br><br>Connaught Place was designated as the major Central Business District of the Capital in the first Delhi Master Plan 1961. Commercial development had already started around Parliament Street and it was proposed that a major commercial area be developed around Connaught Place extending up to Keeling Road. This was designated as the Connaught Place Extension Area. In the early years following the 1961 Master Plan the demand for commercial space steadily grew, which was to be met by allowing high rise development with an FAR of 400. Within a few years a number of tall buildings were built, that aroused much critical comment and concern for the future. The sudden appearance of multistory structures in the heart of a low garden city caused considerable consternation. Doubts were expressed about the possible congestion and traffic problems that would result.<br><br>In 1972, at the behest of prime minister Indira Gandhi, a new professional group was assembled and designated the New Delhi Redevelopment Advisory Committee (NDRAC). The group was asked to review the ongoing development in Connaught Place and its Extension, and to prepare a new urban design proposal for the area. NDRAC's basic recommendation was to reduce the density of construction and to lower the FAR to 250, along with detailed guidelines for future development, which were a repeat of the 1961 Master Plan framework.<br><br>The Master Plan provided for setbacks on each plot on all four sides with maximum 35 per cent coverage on each floor, forcing all buildings upwards. This resulted in creating a series of isolated highrise buildings with no cohesion and no sense of urban character. The NDRAC insisted on the prescribed setbacks, in the mistaken belief that they were necessary to save the abundance of mature trees in the area. As it happens, even with the reduced FAR, the sheer enormity of actual construction, the massive paved areas, and extensive parking both at ground level and in basements below, killed off most of the trees. What we have instead of a green island with multi-story towers, is a series of unrelated tower blocks, set in a concrete wasteland, with no overall urban form or scale.<br> </p><table style="width: 640px;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/CP-plan.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 481px;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>One important recommendation which was not implemented was the provision of a continuous pedestrian walkway at first floor level linking all the multistory buildings together. All developers were asked to contribute to the cost of this walkway, and a charge was levied for the purpose by NDMC, at the time of sanctioning individual building plans. It is not clear why this was not actually built. If this proposal had been implemented it would have been a great boon to office goers today, providing a safe pedestrian movement system connecting all the buildings to the metro stations, and to Connaught Place.<br><br>If the proposed building regulations had been differently conceived reducing the front setback, eliminating side setbacks, and allowing a coverage of 50% or 60% per floor, an FAR of 400 could have been achieved within seven to eight floors only. This would have provided a larger floor plate at each level, and also resulted in a more coherent urban form, a form more in keeping with the basic garden city character of New Delhi. Integrated with the proposed continuous pedestrian walkway connecting the buildings at first floor level, this would have introduced an innovative forward looking solution effectively separating traffic, parking, and pedestrian movement, along with the possibility of introducing a variety of commercial and community activities at first floor level. It would have introduced a futuristic element to the urban design concept - a more advanced version of the downtown Fort area in Mumbai that had been successfully implemented many years earlier. It is indeed unfortunate that such a unique opportunity was overlooked and ignored.</p><table style="width: 640px;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/commercial-blocks-CP.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 455px;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The circular form of Connaught Place with its system of ring and radial roads has from the beginning, been an enigma. It has always been one large traffic roundabout with isolated curved blocks laid around it. With increased traffic and steadily increasing parking needs, the individual blocks have become more and more isolated, and the continuity of pedestrian movement along its arcade has been severely disrupted. The central park is also no longer easily accessible. The location of the Rajiv Gandhi Metro station below the central park has further complicated the issue. There have been several studies suggesting that the entire middle circle be reserved for pedestrians only, and be barred to vehicular traffic. One proposal was to lower the central circular road to basement level, which would allow for continuity of pedestrian movement at ground level, along with linkage of the arcades. Most attempts to change the existing situation were resisted by the shop owners, and no change was actually implemented. In the mean time the volume of traffic steadily increased, and the open space between the arcades and the central park was converted into a huge parking lot, messy, uncontrolled, and chaotic. Now with the metro system below the central park the option of lowering the central circular road to basement level has been closed for the foreseeable future.<br><br>The location of a central metro station in the heart of the city has however brought about improved accessibility, and introduced another dimension to the use of Connaught Place. Footfall has increased, and the space is now used by much larger numbers of people. On weekends the central circular road is almost completely taken over by pedestrians, and car movement becomes extremely restricted. Most of these visitors are not there for shopping, but on an outing for the entire family. They come by metro from all areas across the city, and during the winter months particularly, the crowd is unbelievable. They walk around the middle circle, sit and relax in the central park, and eat at the large number of mobile food stalls that park around the area. Because of the large area taken over by the car parks, and the limited width of the pedestrian footpaths, the crowd overflows across the road, despite the traffic.</p><table style="width: 640px;" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" align="center"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/food-stalls-cp_0.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 468px;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A realistic evaluation of this situation suggests, that it is time for a complete overhaul of this major urban space. This could be done by locating a number of multistory car parks on the periphery of Connaught Place and restricting the penetration of cars to the middle circular road, creating a completely pedestrian space beyond. This would bring about a complete transformation of this substantial landscaped area at the heart of the city. Servicing of this area could be done, by providing limited vehicular service access during the late evening and at night.<br><br>The large area freed by the removal of the car parks along with the area of the central circular road will form a large new pedestrian plaza that can accommodate a variety of different communal activities. No new structures would need to be constructed, but sensitive landscaping along with a series of temporary food outlets, awnings, and platforms for pavement shops, would animate the whole area. Impromptu music and theatre sessions, and different 'raahgir' type activities would create a dynamic new urban centre for the city. A slow moving ring railway could further help to convert this space into a significant destination area for all sections of society.<br><br>In the cleanup of the Connaught Place area prior to the Commonwealth Games in 2010 the NDMC did not undertake a comprehensive urban design study of the area to come up with a rational solution for traffic, parking, and movement systems. The provision of a safe and continuous pedestrian movement system, was not addressed. Instead an enormous expensive service tunnel running through the middle lane has been proposed. This is to carry all electrical, water supply, and sewerage services, and also a central chilled water system to serve the air conditioning needs of all the Connaught Place buildings. This service tunnel was to have been completed before the Games, but is still in the process of implementation causing extensive disruption. However this tunnel will certainly help to accommodate and update the network of services. As far as renovation is concerned NDMC has merely undertaken a facelift, by repainting the building facades. The fact that this still constitutes a major civic space in the capital certainly justifies total urban redevelopment of the area and its adjoining commercial concentration.</p>
