The Chandigarh administration has proposed major changes to the city’s Master Plan to make better use of limited land as the population continues to grow rapidly. The plan suggests higher-density development, taller buildings, and more flexibility in building design.This marks a clear shift from existing rules, which currently do not allow any increase in Floor Area Ratio (FAR), ground coverage, or building height for commercial and institutional projects, in order to avoid pressure on infrastructure.The revised plan has been sent for approval to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The administration is also looking to update the Master Plan 2031 as part of a wider push by the central government to improve the ease of doing business in India.Here are the proposals:Construction of Institutional pockets in Sarangpur, Dhanas, and areas near Manimajra has been proposed with an increase in ground coverage to 40% from 20%. A fivefold increase in FAR, from 0.5 to 2.5 has also been proposed along with a change in 36 ft. height restriction to 30m (98 ft. approx).Relaxation in parking restriction has been suggested, including a construction of 4 Equivalent Car Spaces (ECS) per 100 square metres of covered area for high-density institutional developments. The administration has introduced differentiated stilt parking rules: In Phase-II cooperative housing schemes, no height restriction will be applied to stilt parking lots, but in Phase-III rules will be applied.Community places have also gained a spot in the suggested changes with a mandatory allocation of 2.5% of the total FAR for their construction. Also, 15% of the site area must be reserved for organised green spaces.An earlier plan to build 700 flats on Chandigarh Housing Board land was shot down in 2022 because the site falls along a migratory bird route. Now the administration has come back with a revised proposal with around 400 residential plots instead of apartment blocks. The shift from flats to plotted development is essentially a workaround to address the wildlife body's concerns while still making use of the land.Introducing flexibility for the construction of commercial places such as hotels, malls, multiplexes etc., the plan proposes removal of restricted development parameters. Instead, these will now be governed through building rules updated from time to time.For Manimajra, the administration is proposing to allow more construction on residential land under the municipal corporation. Buildings of up to five floors will be permitted, with parking on the ground level. The plan covers a stretch of 7.7 acres and revisits old disagreements over how much construction should be allowed in the area and how it should be laid out.FAR of the educity Project at Srangpur has been proposed to increase 1.5 to 2.5, with building heights raised to 30 metres. Also, Religious and cultural buildings will be treated differently depending on where they are in the city. In the older, heritage parts of Chandigarh, strict rules will stay in place to protect the area's original character. But in the newer outer sectors, these buildings will be allowed to go taller and use more of their plot for construction.The city was originally designed for 5 lakh people, but now it is home to more than 12 lakh residents, more than double its intended capacity. This has created a serious crunch: land is scarce and rents are under pressure. Updating the master plan is seen as a way to bring the city's rules in line with ground reality.Ready to Make a Smarter Property Decision? Build Your Legacy with TOI Homes.