Violations of land use and building regulations: evidence from a case study in Bangalore, India

Abstract

Land use and building controls inherited from colonial tradition guide the implementation of urban development plans in developing countries. Current planning research argues that regulatory structures like land use, zoning, and building regulations are inappropriate given existing socio-economic, cultural, and institutional contexts in developing countries (Dowall 1992, Mehta et.al 1989, Njoh 1995, UNCHS 1980). However, little research has been conducted to establish how the violations of building and land use regulations affect the evolution of urban landscapes in developing countries. This research contends that the combination between inappropriate land use regulations and institutional weaknesses of planning agencies results in a high rate of violations of land use and building regulations. These violations are deemed as having a significant impact on Indian urban development. In order to empirically test these theoretical claims, the study uses a residential neighborhood in Bangalore, India. The case study analyzes six different building and land use requirements that are applicable to all the neighborhood plots. The research examined whether the pattern of violations observed was consistent with the theoretical argument presented in the research. To this end, the method compared data collected in field surveys with regulated requirements and information from architects and planners in Bangalore and found that: -Violations of land use regulations indicated a strong economic motivation -Violations of set back requirements suggested socio-cultural and economic motivations -Interviews suggested that violations were facilitated by institutional failures and inefficiencies. Findings from this research will help urban planners in Bangalore tailor regulatory and non-regulatory development controls that are in keeping with citizens’ economic, socio-cultural, and institutional goals and realistic projections of compliance.