The Maharashtra government has revealed that it will abandon the earlier Development Plan (DP) for the Pune Metropolitan Region and instead adopt a Town Planning (TP) Scheme to guide the structured growth of what is being termed as “New Pune”.
This transition signals a shift towards more sustainable, climate-responsive, and inclusive city development models. At a recent urban dialogue held in Pune, senior officials confirmed that the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) will prioritise building a grid of arterial roads with a minimum width of twelve metres, laying the groundwork for a climate-resilient and congestion-free city. This step comes in direct response to growing concerns that the erstwhile plans—with narrower six- and nine-metre roads—could not support the rapid urbanisation and mobility demands anticipated in the coming decades.
The decision to cancel the previously proposed DP and pivot to TP schemes marks a strategic planning choice, aligning with modern urban development principles as seen in Ahmedabad and Lucknow. While the DP approach often becomes rigid over time, town planning schemes offer the flexibility to balance infrastructure delivery, land pooling, and equitable development—key priorities for a city already grappling with unplanned sprawl and resource pressure. According to senior officials involved in the process, the objective is not merely physical expansion, but the creation of a smart, resilient city ecosystem with pre-integrated water supply, sanitation, mobility corridors, and decentralised waste and sewage management systems. The vision for New Pune also includes embedding environmental protections from the outset, rather than treating them as afterthoughts in the development cycle.
Urban planning experts have welcomed the move, noting that the TP model allows for a more equitable redistribution of land, ensuring that landowners, developers, and public agencies each retain a fair stake while contributing towards city-building infrastructure. It also enables phased implementation, allowing authorities to adapt to emerging climate, population, and economic challenges over time. The administration has reportedly been directed to immediately initiate land surveys and road network design, ensuring that future land use patterns are supported by wide, accessible roads and multi-modal transport systems. The emphasis on twelve-metre-wide roadways—almost double the size proposed in the previous DP—points to a conscious attempt to pre-empt traffic congestion and promote non-motorised transport like cycling and walking in an increasingly warming city.
Officials from the Urban Development Department also underscored the need for comprehensive planning that integrates essential civic infrastructure. These include sustainable water supply networks, modern sewage systems, pollution control mechanisms, and solid waste management practices that are compatible with net-zero carbon goals. They indicated that these factors will be given equal, if not greater, importance in the planning phase to avoid the infrastructural bottlenecks that older areas of Pune are currently facing. Echoing concerns raised by environmental groups, officials questioned whether previous measures such as Biodiversity Park (BDP) reservations or hill slope protections had genuinely advanced environmental protection or merely served as tick-box policy tools. There is growing consensus that future planning must go beyond symbolic gestures and embed ecological resilience into zoning codes, building norms, and land use policy.
The vision for New Pune aims to create not just another city extension, but a climate-conscious urban zone where the carbon footprint is minimised through effective land use, sustainable mobility, decentralised services, and equitable access to amenities. The Town Planning Scheme is seen as a strategic instrument to execute this vision by ensuring systematic development rather than ad hoc real estate-led growth. Urban governance experts note that this shift could also enhance transparency and citizen participation in planning decisions, especially if digital platforms and inclusive consultations are introduced during TP implementation. With Pune emerging as a key economic node, its expansion must be synchronised with green infrastructure mandates, resource security, and equitable housing solutions.
The implementation of this new strategy will also serve as a litmus test for the state’s commitment to climate resilience and inclusive growth. If executed with long-term vision and community participation, New Pune could become a model for future Indian cities navigating the complexities of rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, and infrastructure stress. While planning frameworks are still being formalised, the clarity with which the state has signalled its intent to overhaul traditional models in favour of TP schemes indicates a transformative approach to urbanisation—one that could pave the way for more equitable, eco-friendly, and human-centric cities across India.
