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THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SECTOR

THE SECTOR CONSTITUTES THE ‘PLANNING UNIT’ OF CHANDIGARH. IT IS MEANT TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT IN MEETING
THE DAY TO DAY NEEDS OF LIFE WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE WHICH MAKES EACH SECTOR COMPREHENSIBLE AS A UNIT.
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IT’S DIMENSIONS ARE 1200 M X 800 M OR 250 ACRES. EACH SECTOR IS SURROUNDED BY V2 0R V3. NO BUILDINGS OF A SECTOR
OPEN ON THEM.

ACCESS FROM THE SURROUNDING ROADS IS AVAILABLE ONLY AT FOUR CONTROLLED POINTS WHICH ROUGHLY MARK THE MIDDLE OF EACH SIDE . NORTHERN SECTOR HAS LESS
DENSITY THAN SOUTHERN SECTORS.

• ALL SECTORS ARE FURTHER UNDER ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL,

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WHICH CONSISTOF FRAME CONTROL, MATERIAL CONTROL, ELEVATION CONTROL ETC. ALSOTHERE IS HIERARCHY OF ROAD SYSTEM (7VS). LANDSCAPE IS
ANOTHER FEATURE INCORPORATED IN INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
THE ROAD AND SECTOR SYSTEM ALMOST COMPLETELY SEPARATES VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
THE SECTORS ARE INTERCONNECTED BY THE SHOPPING STREET RUNNINGACROSS, AND BY PARK BELTS, LENGTHWISE. THE PEDESTRIAN CAN THUSTRAVERSE THE CI
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TY IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WITHOUT WALKING ON THE MAJOR TRAFFIC STREETSINSIDE THE SECTORS, PROTECTED FROM FAST TRAFFIC ARE THE V4, V5, V6 AND V7,WHICH
PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE HOUSES,SHOPPING CENTER, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS ETC.

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THE GOVT. HOUSING IN THE CITY WAS DIVIDED INTO 13 CATEGORIES,
RANGING FROM THE HOUSE FOR THE CHIEF MINISTER TO THE TWO-
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ROOM HOUSE COMPLETER WITH SANITARY FACILITIES, A KITCHEN, A
VERANDAH AND A COURTYARD FOR THE LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEE. THE
SOCIO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THE CITY RESTRICTED THE HEIGHT
OF MOST OF THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS TO TWO TO THREE
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STOREYED STRUCTURES.
IN VIEW OF THE NEEDS OF VARIOUS ECONOMIC CLASSES, PLOTS OF
AREAS RANGING FROM 114SQ. MTRS. TO 4500 SQ. MTRS. WERE
PLANNED. THE LIVING HABITS OF THE PEOPLE ARE OF OUTDOOR TYPE
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BECAUSE OF HOT SUMMERS AND HOT AND HUMID RAINY SEASONS
COMPRISING MOST PART OF THE YEAR.

KEEPING THIS FACTOR IN VIEW, CORBUSIER CONCEIVED A SERIES OF

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ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS / FRAME CONTROLS/ ZONING
REGULATIONS FOR EACH AND EVERY CATEGORY OF HOUSES IN WHICH
IT WAS MANDATORY TO PROVIDE OPEN TO SKY COURTYARD BOTH AT
HE FRONT AND REAR SIDE OF EVERY HOUSE. THESE COURTS PROVIDED
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LIGHT AND VENTILATION TO HOUSES BESIDES SERVING AS PRIVATE
OPEN-TO-SKY SPACES. A SERIES OF SUCH HOUSES WERE PLANNED
AROUND COMMUNITY LEVEL OPEN SPACE WHICH SERVED THE PURPOSE
OF HOLDING SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES AND GAMES BY CHILDREN.
LET US ENTER IT FROM NORTH SIDE V5 . BEFORE WE PROCEED IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW THAT ACROSS THEV2 MARK ON THIS SIDE IS THE ISBT.
SINCE THERE IS A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC CROSSING AT THIS P[OINT AND UNDERGROUND CIRCULATION ROAD V5. PASSAGE HAS BEEN BUILT
CONNECTING THE TWO SIDES OF ROAD. AS ONE WOULD BE FAMILIAR BY NOW THIS THE POINT OF ENTRY TO SECOR 22 BY ITS

AS TO THE FORK OF V5 THE OUTLINE OF A SCHOOL IS VISIBLE.MOVING ALONG ONE SEES CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE STREET AND IN THE OPEN SPACES.
WOMEN PERCHED ON THE RAILINGS AND GOSSIPING,ELDERLY PEOPLE HANGING AROUND IN GROUPS.WE REACH
ON ENTERING THE SECOND QUADRANT OF THE SECTOR , A PANORAMA OF A DIFFERENT SORT PRESENCE ITSELF. ON
EITHER SIDE OF THE
ROAD THERE ARE ARTISANS OR CRAFTSMENS MAKING BAMBOO CURTAINS
STRADDLING THIS ACTIVITY IS THE SHASTRI MARKET. THIS MARKET HOUSES A NUMBER OF REDI AND
KHOKAS ESTABLISHMENT WHICH HAD SPRUNG UP TO KEEP THE EARLY RESIDENCE OF THE CITY SUPPLIED WITH
ESSENTIAL GOODS .
THIS MARKET CONSISTS OF VERY SMALL BOOTHS AND NARROW LANES VERY REMINISCANT OF THE TRADOITIONAL
INDIAN BAZAARS.
THIS PLACE IS POPULAR AND CROWDED AND ALIVE WITH THE NOISES OF BARGAINING AND HAGGLING.

ON ENTERING THE SECOND QUADRANT OF THE SECTOR , A PANORAMA OF A DIFFERENT SORT PRESENCE ITSELF. ON EITHER SIDE OF THE
ROAD THERE ARE ARTISANS OR CRAFTSMENS MAKING BAMBOO CURTAINS
STRADDLING THIS ACTIVITY IS THE SHASTRI MARKET. THIS MARKET HOUSES A NUMBER OF REDI AND KHOKAS
ESTABLISHMENT WHICH HAD SPRUNG UP TO KEEP THE EARLY RESIDENCE OF THE CITY SUPPLIED WITH ESSENTIAL GOODS .
THIS MARKET CONSISTS OF VERY SMALL BOOTHS AND NARROW LANES VERY REMINISCANT OF THE TRADOITIONAL INDIAN BAZAARS.
THIS PLACE IS POPULAR AND CROWDED AND ALIVE WITH THE NOISES OF BARGAINING AND HAGGLING.

THE THIRD QUADRANT Of THE SECTOR IS MARKED OUT BY A LARGE TRIANGULAR OPEN SPACE FULL OF CHILDREN AND OTHERS DOING SOME
OF THE THINGS.THROUGH THIS SECTOR RAN THE OLD ROPAR ROAD WITH ITS SHEESHAM AND NEW TREES THIS ALLIGNMENT OF THE ROAD DID NOT FIT INTO THE
NEW LAYOUT BUTTHE TREES COULD NOT BE SACRIFICED.

THE LAST QUADRANT PRESENTS A RATHER RESTRAINT AMBIENCE BECAUSE IT IS ALL GOVERNMENT HOUSING.THERE IS NOT
MUCH INFORMALACTIVITY. BUT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSING OF THE SECTOR REQUIRES SPECIAL MENTION . OF THE 13 TYPES
OF HOUSES CATEGORISED ACCORDING TO THE SALARIES THAT THE OCCUPANTS DREW FIVE TYPES WERE ACCOMODATED I
N THIS SECTOR. OF THESE TYPE 9 WAS THE HIGHEST. THE THREE FOREIGN ARCHITECTS WERE GIVEN THE CHARGE TO PREPARE
THE LAYOUTS AND THE TYPICAL DESIGNS FOR EACH CATEGORY. THUS THERE WAS MORE THAN 1 DESIG FOR EACH CATEGORY OF HOUSES .
 EXTENT OF CITY, DISTRIBUTION OF MAJOR FUNCTIONS & ACCENTS IN URBAN MATRIX (CAPITOL, CITY CENTRE) DETERMINED BY PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
OF SITE.
REGULAR MATRIX OF GENERIC, 800 X 1200 METERS ‘SECTOR’ + HIERARCHICAL CIRCULATION OF 7VS
CONNECTING THESE ACCENTS, WERE V2S -JAN MARG, THE CEREMONIAL APPROACH TO THE CAPITOL, AND, MADHYA MARG
CUTS
ACROSS THE CITY, CONNECTING THE RAILWAY STATION AND THE INDUSTRIAL AREA TO THE UNIVERSITYR

THE ‘SECTOR’ WAS A SELF-SUFFICIENT, INTROVERTED UNIT, MAKING CONTACT WITH SURROUNDING FAST TRAFFIC V3S AT FOUR SPECIFIED POINTS
MEANDERING BAAAR
SPECIFIED POINTS. MEANDERING BAZAAR STREETS (V4S), RUNNING NORTHWESTSOUTHEAST, STRING THEM TOGETHER

COMPREHENSIVE PLANTATION SCHEME DEVISED TO ESTABLISH APPROPRIATE PATTERNS OF GREENERY. V2S AND V3S CONSIDERED AS ARTERIES FOR
FAST MOVING TRAFFIC --PATTERN WAS PLANNED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH VARYING SUN CONDITIONS. V4S INTENDED TO CONVEY AN INDIVIDUAL QUALITY OF URBAN LIVELINESS. TO GIVE A SEPARATE
CHARACTER TO THESE STREETS, EACH V4 WOULD BE PLANTED WITH A DIFFERENT COLOR OF FLOWERING TREES, AS WELL AS WITH OTHER TREES.

SUB CITY CENTRES OF SECTOR 34 AND 43 WERE PLANNED TO SERVE THE 2ND PHASE SOUTHERN SECTORS. THESE CENTRES WILL NOW
ALSO SERVE THE 3RD PHASE RESIDENTIAL SECTORS DUE TO CLOSE PROXIMITY. BOTH THE SUB CITYCENTRESAREONLY
PARTIALLYDEVELOPED

SUBCITY CENTRE SECTOR34

- PLANNED IN 116 ACRES, ONLY 62 ACRES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. THEUNDEVELOPEDAREAISOF54ACRES. - PRESENT PLANNING OF THE
SUB CITY CENTRE, THOUGH A CONVENTIONAL INTERPLAY OF LINEAR BLOCKS, LACKS FOCUS AND IDENTITY WHICH IS USUALLY
ASSOCIATED WITH COLLECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. - THERE IS NO SYNERGY WITH THE NEIGHBORING SECTORS OR
WITH THE ADJOININGRESIDENTIALAREAS. - THESUB-CITYCENTREDOESNOTGIVEANIMPRESSION THATONEISINA
COMMERCIALHUBOFTHECITY.THEDESIREDVIBRANCYANDAMBIENCE EXPECTED OUT OF A SUB CITY CENTRE IS LACKING.
PREDOMINANCE OF OFFICE SPACE LENDS AN IMPRESSION OF AN INSTITUTIONAL AREA IN THE
MINDSOFTHERESIDENTSRATHERTHANTHATOFASHOPPINGAREA. - THESECTOR34COMMERCIALAREA,PRESENTSBYANDLARGE,APICTURE
OFNEGLECTANDCHAOS. INCOMPLETEBUILDINGSOFTHESTATELIBRARY/ NEHRU CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ART AND THE UNDEVELOPED
PLAZA ANDPLOTSADJOININGTHEV3ANDV4ROADSPRESENTANUNATTRACTIVE APPEARANCE. - THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS DO NOT
LEND CREDIBILITY TO THE BUILT FORM AND UNBRIDLED GROWTH OF UGLY SIGNBOARDS DEFACING LARGE PROPORTIONS OF THE
FRONT FACADES AND ENCROACHMENTS ON PUBLIC VERANDAHSCREATEVISUALDISARRAY. - ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE OPEN SPACES AND
LACK OF FREEDOM FOR PEDESTRIANTOWALKACROSSWITHOUT FEAROFBEINGRUNOVERMAKES
THEAREAUNATTRACTIVE.INTHEABSENCEOFLARGEPEDESTRIANCENTRAL CORE, THE AREA OF FOCUS REMAINS DILUTED AS PEDESTRIAN
PATHS/PIAZZAARENON-CONTIGUOUS.
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