The decision, taken at AUDA’s 309th board meeting held on December 17, allows Transit Oriented Zone incentives such as a higher Floor Space Index (FSI) of up to 4.0 and reduced parking requirements to be applied even on stretches where Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridors are not physically present. The proposal will now be forwarded to the state government for final approval.
A Transit Oriented Zone is a strategic urban planning mechanism designed to encourage compact, vertical, and mixed-use development along mass transit corridors, including Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and BRT systems. Under TOZ norms, buildings ranging from 70 metres to 100 metres in height may be permitted, depending on plot size and design parameters, potentially transforming the skyline along these corridors.
Roads Covered Under the Proposal
Under the plan, land falling within a 200-metre buffer on both sides of selected roads will be designated as TOZ. The identified corridors include:
- Bopal village–Ghuma village
- Science City Circle–Sola Bridge
- Sola Bridge–Gota Crossroads up to Vasantnagar Township (SG Road stretch)
- Bopal village–SOBO Centre
- Iscon Circle via Ujala Circle–Vishala Junction
- Subhash Bridge–Airport Road
- Visat Circle–Vishwakarma College Road
- Zundal Circle–Amba Township
- Naroda Patiya via Devi Cinema–Hanspura Ring Road Junction
- Sarangpur Gate via Kalupur Gate, Chokha Bazaar and Civil Hospital up to Airport Road
As per TOZ regulations, new construction projects within these zones will be eligible for enhanced development rights and relaxed parking norms.
Planning Rationale and Regulatory Basis
AUDA clarified that the Ahmedabad City Development Plan 2021, approved in December 2014, originally proposed TOZs within 200 metres of BRTS and MRT corridors, permitting an FSI of 4.0. Currently, 82 Local Area Plans fall within existing TOZ areas, with development approvals jointly reviewed by AUDA and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
The move follows an August 21 communication from AMC, which highlighted that several BRTS routes were extended after 2014. Citing provisions under the Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (CGDCR) 2017, AUDA noted that TOZ benefits can be extended when transit routes are modified, subject to state approval.
Currently, higher FSI benefits are already being implemented along the Metro Corridor Phase 2 route, and the new proposal aims to align other major corridors with updated transit planning realities.
In terms of area coverage, 2,859 hectares fall along the Science City Circle–Sola Bridge stretch where BRTS stations exist without a dedicated corridor, 77 hectares cover the Bopal–Ghuma road with a fully operational BRTS corridor, and 1,668 hectares include roads where BRTS routes are proposed but corridors are yet to be developed.
This expansion of TOZ benefits is expected to have a significant impact on urban density, real estate development, and transit-oriented growth patterns across Ahmedabad, reinforcing the city’s long-term planning vision for integrated transport and land use.
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