What are the best-planned cities in India?
What is a planned city?
A planned city is one that has been carefully designed since it came into existence. Unlike other cities, a planned city does not just grow slowly over time. This is something that is modeled on a pattern. The construction of planned cities is based on certain geometric shapes. The simplest type of plan is to make a criss-cross on the roads that cross each other at right angles.
The idea of town planning has been evident since ancient times. This practice was less famous in the war period. Despite, after independence, factors such as economy, architecture, and industrial development maintained. This began a revolutionary era and Indians became more concerned about town planning.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing Possible Options
Proximity to Family and Friends
Choose a location that allows you to get away from the madness of a big city, yet stay close to your friends and family so that you can meet them without having to drive long distances.
Living Standard
Considering the changeable economic scenario, you should look at a city that satisfies all the basic needs in a budget that is affordable within your current means. Some important aspects to consider are good food, healthcare, school, job opportunities, home help, etc.
Public Utilities
While access to clean water and uninterrupted electricity supply are the primary concerns, other aspects such as city planning, law and order situation, availability of public transport, parks and open spaces for recreation, schools, etc. will not only improve the quality of your life but it also reduces the cost of living.
Some Best-planned Cities in India
Chandigarh, Haryana
The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city after India’s independence in 1947 and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design. It is also known as the wealthiest city in India. It is a union territory that serves as the capital of Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh was designed by Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect, and urban planner. The city is divided into 56 zones at 800 meters by 800 meters with all modern amenities.
Chandigarh is now on its way to becoming a “smart city”.It is neatly planned and divided into sectors that are well connected to each other. The numerous malls, multiplexes, and public parks, combined with good healthcare facilities and world-class educational institutions make Chandigarh a good choice for the family’s living needs. It boasts of good infrastructure. It has a low-cost multi-modal transport system and is well connected with the rest of northern India.
Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex was declared as World Heritage in July 2016 by UNESCO at the 40th session of the World Heritage Conference held in Istanbul and in 2016, it was declared the second cleanest city in India under the Swachh Bharat Survey.
The Capitol complex consists of three architectural masterpieces: the “Secretariat”, the “High Court” and the “Legislative Assembly”, separated by large piazzas. In the middle of the Capitol complex, The Open Hand has a huge metal sculpture, the official symbol of Chandigarh, which shows the city’s proof of “given in the open, open to receive”.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Located in the northern part of Gujarat and is the state capital. The city has been planned and Architect by H.K. Mewara and his assistant Prakash M Apte. The capital of Gujarat which is situated on the western bank of the Sabarmati River is a beautifully planned city like Chandigarh. Gandhinagar is also considered the “greenest” city in the world. As this place has many parks and gardens which make the place green. The city does not face traffic congestion as it has service lanes on most roads. In addition, individual sectors are labeled for residential, commercial, educational purposes, and the IT industry.
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
The city is located at the southern end of Jharkhand, India’s first planned industrial city, founded by the late Jamsetji Tata. He urged to establish a city that has all the luxuries and conveniences that a city can provide. Jamshedpur is commonly known as “Tatanagar”. It is also known as the steel city. The first steel company was established in Jamshedpur and the city was built around that steel plant without a municipal corporation. Jamshedpur has top roads, which provide good roads, clean water, a clean environment, and uninterrupted electricity to its residents. The presence of popular educational establishments, health care, and entertainment facilities puts Tata’s Jamshedpur in the list of top planned cities in the world. Most areas of the city are well-planned with public holiday spots such as Jubilee Park, Dalma Hills, good roads, dense forest, clean water, uninterrupted electricity, and wildlife sanctuary. Another added benefit of this city is that it is established, built, developed, and nurtured by the Tata group and continues to date. 
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Jaipur is next on the list. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and the first planned city of India.
Jaipur is also known as the ‘Pink City’ of India and is home to some of the most fascinating historical monuments including the famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort.
The city is planned according to Vastu Shastra with three entrances towards east, west, and north. The roads are pre-modernized and divided into six areas as 34 km. The urban quarters are further subdivided by a network of divided roads.
Rajarhat, West Bengal
Rajarhat is also a well-developed and satellite city located at the north-eastern end of Kolkata. It is located on the outskirts of the planned New Town in Kolkata. It was first developed in 1990 under the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mr. Jyoti Basu. The layout of Rajarhat is planned in the following ways:
New Town Area 1 consists of malls and shopping complexes, residential and commercial plots, and a central business district (CBD).
While New Town Area 2 is planned to be the main central district that includes IT Parks by DLF and Unitech. In addition, there is an eco-park and a large apartment complex is also planned.
New Town Area 3 is a mini township by itself and has high residential projects.
For recreational purposes, many recreation and leisure areas such as Nikko Park, Aquatica, and Nalban already exist.
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Noida, short for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, is a planned city [4] located in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a satellite city of Delhi and a part of the National Capital Region of India.
The city came into existence in India in 1976 and till now, it has been ranked as one of the best cities to live in in India. The city is divided into areas similar to Chandigarh’s distribution and has dedicated areas for education, healthcare, IT, banking and finance, media, and sports/entertainment destinations, etc.
At the “Best City Awards” organized by ABP News in 2015, Noida was ranked as the best city in Uttar Pradesh and the best city in housing all over India. Roads in Noida are lined with trees and are considered the greenest city in India, with around 50% green cover, the tallest city of any city in India. It is a major destination for the Indian entertainment industry, with many films, television series, news channels, and other media filmed here. It has excellent Metro connectivity to NCR.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Located on the banks of the river Vaigai, Madurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of the Madurai district and the 3rd largest city of Tamil Nadu and the 44th most populous city in Pandya Nadu, India.
It is built around the Meenakshi Amman Temple, which serves as the geographical and ritual center of the ancient city of Madurai. The city was designed according to the principles laid down by the Shilpa Shastras related to urban planning.
The city has several historical monuments, the most prominent being the Meenakshi Temple and the Tirumalai Nayak Palace. Madurai is an important industrial and educational center of South Tamil Nadu. The city is home to various automobile, rubber, chemical, and granite manufacturing industries. It also has important government educational institutions such as Madurai Medical College, Homoeopathic Medical College, Madurai Law College, Agricultural College, and Research Institute.
National Highways NH 7, NH 45B, NH 208, and NH 49 pass through Madurai. The state highways passing through the city are SH-33, SH-72, SH-72A, SH-73, and SH-73A connecting various parts of the Madurai district. Madurai is one of the seven circles of the Tamil Nadu State Highway Network.
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Navi Mumbai, also known by its former name New Bombay, is the largest planned city in India, located on the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, Maharashtra, in the Konkan division. For the personal development of Panvel Mega City, the city is divided into two parts, North Navi Mumbai and South Navi Mumbai, covering the area from Kharghar to Uran. Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) was formed by the state government on 17 December 1991 to maintain some of the developed nodes of Navi Mumbai.
It is located in two districts, Thane Bhaag and Raigad. The city has been ranked 12th out of 73 cities surveyed for cleanliness and hygiene as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by the Union Urban Development Ministry (MoUD) and Quality Council of India (QCI).
Navi Mumbai is home to various educational institutions offering courses in many streams including engineering, medical science, interior designing, and hotel management. Various multinational corporations such as Siemens, McDonald’s, Morningstar, Inc., Baker Hughes, Bureau Veritas, Baserba, Reliance, Accenture, and Larsen & Toubro have their head offices/branches across the city, making it an active trading center. Navi Mumbai has many recreational facilities such as Golf Course, Central Park, and Pandavakra Waterfalls, Kharghar, Parsik Hill near CBD Belapur, etc.
The city has a good public transport system with NMMT, the transport wing of NMMC, the bus passengers service, the Mumbai suburban railway train passengers service, and a large fleet of auto rickshaws for intra-nodal disputes.
Image & data source: Wikipedia
