Final version of crowd-sources inputs on the draft Trivandrum Master Plan assembled by a diverse team of industry experts in June 2013.

1. This
document
compiles
key
inputs
from
a
number
of
authors
and
reviewers
in
response
to
the
draft
Trivandrum
Master
Plan
document
prepared
by
the
Department
of
Town
Planning
and
made
available
for
review
in
May
2013
J u n e
2 0 1 3
Trivandrum
Master
Plan
Draft
Recommendations and Amendments

2. Introduction
The
draft
Master
Plan
for
Trivandrum
is
a
very
comprehensive
and
commendable
effort
that
is
the
fruit
of
a
very
long
and
intensive
effort
led
by
the
Town
Planning
Department.
It’s
indeed
impressive
that
a
task
that
has
been
too
daunting
for
last
25
days
has
been
completed
in
such
short
order
and
with
the
active
engagement
of
so
many
stakeholders.
Key
aspects
such
as
the
proposal
to
have
development
centric
zoning
and
density
guidelines,
the
comprehensiveness
of
the
data
gathered
in
sectors
like
transportation
and
urban
infrastructure,
and
the
attention
paid
to
the
new
drivers
of
Trivandrum’s
economy
such
as
the
technology,
private
services,
education,
medical
services,
tourism
and
logistics
industries.
The
draft
Master
Plan
is
a
truly
forward
looking
document
and
serves
as
a
solid
grounding
to
plan
the
development
of
the
State
Capital
in
the
years
to
come.
However,
a
number
of
areas
exist
where
improvements/amendments
will
enable
the
final
Master
Plan
to
be
the
basis
for
the
transformation
of
Trivandrum
into
a
true
global
city
in
the
next
decade.
Areas
of
Improvement
Rather
than
evaluate
the
draft
point-­‐by-­‐point
and
page-­‐by-­‐page,
it
is
most
practical
and
most
constructive
to
suggest
broad
stroke
improvements
in
key
areas
which
will
result
in
truly
transformative
and
large-­‐scale
impact
on
Trivandrum.
Accordingly,
inputs
are
suggested
in
five
key
areas
within
the
overall
master
plan
draft.
Scope
of
Master
Plan
Land
Use
and
Density
Urban
Transit
and
Infrastructure
Socio-­‐Economic
Development
Strategy
and
Organizations
Within
each
focus
areas,
specific
inputs
are
enumerated
in
brief
together
with
the
underlying
reasons
for
recommending
those
changes.
Section
1
-­‐
Scope
of
Master
Plan
• The
current
draft
confines
its
recommendations
and
plans
to
the
Trivandrum
Corporation
area
in
most
part.
Even
after
its
recent
expansion,
the
Corporation
forms
but
one
part
of
the
larger
Trivandrum
Metropolitan
Region
which
encompasses
a
significant
portion
of
the
Trivandrum
District
• Key
developments
such
as
Technocity
–
which
will
see
the
development
of
over
2
Crore
sq.ft.
of
commercial
space,
employee
over
100,000
IT

3. professionals,
involve
an
investment
in
excess
of
Rs
10,000
Crores
and
make
very
significant
contributions
to
the
economy
of
the
district
and
State
–
is
located
outside
the
current
geographical
scope
of
the
master
plan
as
are
areas
such
as
Nedumangad
which
host
strategic
institutions
such
as
the
IISER
and
IIST
as
well
as
the
Balaramapuram-­‐Neyyatinkara
axis
which
is
a
nearly
continuous,
high
density
stretch
of
urbanization
which
extends
South
from
the
Corporation
area
till
the
border
with
Tamil
Nadu
• Therefore,
it
is
recommended
that
the
scope
of
the
master
plan
be
extended
till
Attingal
in
the
North,
Nedumangad
and
the
foothills
of
the
Western
Ghats
in
the
East
and
till
Neyyatinkara/Parassala
in
the
South,
and
encompassing
all
the
areas,
already
urbanized
or
otherwise,
between
the
border
of
the
Corporation
and
these
peripheral
urban
centers
• However,
this
does
not
mean
abandoning
the
current
draft,
rather
it
means
integrating
the
master
plan
with
the
individual
development
plans
(most
of
which
already
exist)
of
the
outlying
towns
and
then
creating
adequate
infrastructural,
zoning
and
planning
linkages
across
the
Trivandrum
Metropolitan
Area.
This
need
not
be
a
sequential
process
and
the
integration
of
the
peripheral
towns
can
be
done
while
the
core
master
plan
is
being
finalized
and
even
as
its
initial
stages
are
being
rolled
out
• As
mentioned
above,
a
formal
Trivandrum
Metropolitan
Area
(TMA)
has
to
be
established
by
due
process
by
the
State
Government.
The
master
plan
must
act
as
both
define
this
area
and
set
the
direction
for
development
within
it.
• Tentatively
the
TMA
will
encompass
400-­‐500
Sq.km
out
of
the
approximately
2000
Sq.km
in
the
district
and
about
2.0-­‐2.5
Million
of
the
3.3
Million
people
in
the
district
• Eventually
this
will
be
extended
along
the
NH-­‐66
and
the
M.C.Road
to
the
district
border,
also
bringing
smaller
but
important
cities
like
Varkala
under
its
scope.
Perhaps
it
may
be
best
to
create
the
TMA
with
all
these
areas
within
its
scope
and
to
roll
out
the
master
plan
to
the
outer
areas
in
2-­‐3
phases
over
the
next
3-­‐5
years.
• More
than
just
extending
the
geographic
scope
of
the
master
plan,
it
is
essential
to
extend
its
strategic
scope
as
well.
This
means
that
the
master
plan
should
also
include
the
mechanisms
and
organizations
needed
to
ensure
its
proper
and
timely
implementation.
This
will
be
dealt
with
in
later
sections.
Section
2
-­‐
Land
Use
and
Density
• The
current
draft
recommends
density
based
on
a
concentric
model,
extending
outwards
from
the
CBD.
The
operative
logic
is
to
maintain
the
current
density
of
the
CBD,
to
encourage
density
in
the
Outer
City
and
to
discourage
development
in
the
periphery
of
the
Corporation.
• As
mentioned
in
the
previous
section,
the
Trivandrum
Corporation
area
is
not
the
appropriate
basis
for
a
30-­‐year
master
plan
as
urbanization
has

4. already
far
outgrown
it.
Therefore,
it
is
counter-­‐intuitive
to
restrict
density
within
the
Corporation
area
because
its
peripheral
areas
are
well
within
the
bounds
of
the
larger
Metropolitan
area
described
in
Section
1.
• Rather
it
makes
sense
to
restrict
density
below
that
specified
in
the
KMBR
only
where
there
are
established
green
areas
or
other
ecologically
sensitive
zones
such
as
water
bodies,
water-­‐sheds
and
wet
lands,
or
if
there
is
active
agricultural
activities
at
the
present
time.
However,
commercial
agriculture
at
any
significant
scale
is
an
impractical
activity
within
a
densely
developed
urban
area
and
is
best
practiced
on
the
peripheries
of
the
metro
area,
not
within
the
Corporation
area
• In
terms
of
providing
increased
density
–
over
and
above
KMBR,
it
is
best
that
this
be
focused
in
relation
to
transportation
availability
and
economic
activity.
• Increasing
density
in
a
purely
concentric
fashion
will
ignore
the
practical
issues,
such
as
the
paucity
of
wide
roads
even
within
many
parts
of
the
core
urban
area
that
are
necessary
to
support
high
density
or
the
fact
that
focusing
density
around
economic
hub
encourages
the
Work-­‐Live-­‐Play
lifestyle
paradigm
which
helps
to
minimize
commuting
(and
the
consequent
vehicular
use
and
pollution)
by
co-­‐locating
all
the
aspects
of
life.
• It
is
recommended
that
density
incentives
be
provided
to
areas
located
along
primary
transportation
axes
such
as
the
NH-­‐66
(Attingal
to
Vizhinjam),
old
NH-­‐66
(between
Kazhakkoottam
and
Kaliyikkavila),
M.C.
Road
and
other
4/6
lane
roads
within
the
metro
regions,
as
well
as
along
the
proposed
route
of
the
mass
transit
system
(not
just
the
current
alignment
but
along
the
entire
network
as
proposed
in
Section
3).
The
latter
promotes
Transit-­‐Oriented
Development
(TOD)
and
will
help
improve
the
viability
and
effectiveness
of
the
MRTS
network.
These
density
incentives
may
be
up
to
1.5-­‐2
times
the
FAR
prescribed
in
KMBR
for
each
use
but
must
be
accompanied
by
stringent
parking
requirements.
• Similar
density
incentives
may
be
granted
to
developments
in
the
vicinity
of
(a
2
Km
radius)
of
key
economic
hubs
such
as
Technopark
(Phases
I
–
3),
Technocity,
Vizhinjam
port
project
and
the
educational
cluster
around
the
IIST,
IISER
and
VSSC
in
the
eastern
quadrant
of
the
city.
• In
all
areas
of
the
metro
area,
density
incentives
may
be
selectively
granted
to
mixed-­‐use
projects
that
encourage
compact
urban
development
rather
than
single
use
development
that
encourages
urban
sprawl,
which
is
undesirable
from
many
perspectives.
• The
proposal
to
encourage
certain
uses
within
each
zone
is
very
pragmatic
but
mixed
use
has
to
be
encouraged
in
every
zone
as
mentioned
above,
except
perhaps
in
very
specific
use
areas
such
as
within
the
logistics
zone
surrounding
the
deep-­‐water
port
or
within
the
medical
services
area.
• It
is
important
to
identify
low-­‐density
areas
within
the
metro
area
to
create
a
potential
land
bank
for
future
development.
Specific
attention
should
be
paid
to
large
swathes
of
Government-­‐owned
land
that
include
disused/under-­‐used
plantations
in
the
north
and
east
of
the
metro
area.

5. Zoning
restrictions
in
these
areas
should
limit
small-­‐scale
development
and
encourage
large-­‐scale
developments
in
the
Public
Private
Partnership
(PPP)
model.
• The
predictions
for
population
growth
may
be
revisited
to
include
the
proposed
development
activities
within
the
metro
region
such
as
Technocity.
Vizhinjam
and
educational
institutions.
The
current
study
predicts
only
an
increase
of
46,000
persons
over
20
years
within
the
region
whereas
the
Technocity
project
by
itself
is
envisaged
to
employ
more
than
100,000
employees.
Section
3
-­‐
Urban
Transit
and
Infrastructure
• The
research
done
on
the
transportation
patterns
and
demand
within
the
city
is
very
comprehensive
and
should
serve
as
the
basis
for
a
truly
transformative
and,
not
just
incremental,
development
of
the
metro
area’s
transportation
infrastructure
• Most
elements
of
the
inner
and
first
intermediate
ring
roads
mentioned
in
the
study
have
already
been
taken
up
under
the
soon-­‐to-­‐be-­‐completed
TCRIP
project
• The
first
and
second
intermediate
ring
roads,
as
well
as
the
outer
ring
road,
lie
within
the
bounds
of
the
Trivandrum
Corporation
and
hence
are
misnomers
within
the
context
of
the
metro
area.
• Hence
the
roads
may
be
re-­‐designated
as
follows:
o Inner
ring
road
as
Core
CBD
orbital
o First
intermediate
ring
road
as
CBD
ring
road
o Second
intermediate
ring
road
as
First
intermediate
ring
road
o Outer
ring
road
as
Second
intermediate
ring
road
• All
currently
developed
stretches
of
the
above
roads
are
to
be
developed
as
4/6
lane
stretches
(as
per
appropriate
traffic
estimates
till
2033),
with
wide
medians,
sidewalks,
utility
ducts
and
drainage,
well-­‐designed
and
signaled
junctions,
bus
bays,
landscaping
and
lighting.
These
roads
may
be
collectively
developed
as
TCRIP
Phase
II
with
assistance
from
KFRB
and
JNNURM
Phase
II.
• The
following
roads
to
be
laid
out:
o First
Outer
Ring
Road:
Kaniyapuram-­‐Pothencode-­‐Vembayam-­‐
Karakulam-­‐Vilappilsala-­‐Balaramapuram-­‐Vizhinjam
o Second
Outer
Ring
Road:
Attingal
–
Nedumangad
-­‐
Kattakada
–
Neyyatinkara
-­‐
Poovar
• These
roads
may
be
developed
as
6-­‐lane
roads
with
wide
medians,
sidewalks,
utility
ducts
and
drainage,
well-­‐designed
and
signaled
junctions,
bus
bays,
landscaping
and
lighting.
• Grade
separators
may
be
planned
at
all
key
intersections
and
power,
water
and
sewer
lines
should
be
developed
co-­‐axially
and
simultaneously
with
these
roads.
These
roads
may
be
taken
up
with

6. assistance
from
NHAI,
as
outer
ring
roads
are
eligible
for
support
under
NHDP
Phase
VII
(Trivandrum
was
chosen
along
with
Vizag
for
pilot
studies).
• It
may
be
noted
that
the
former
“NH
47
Bypass”
is
now
the
NH-­‐66
and
that
the
former
alignment
of
the
NH-­‐47
through
the
city
has
ceased
to
be
a
national
highway.
• Many
intersections
such
as
Ulloor,
Vellayambalam,
Sreekaryam,
Pattom,
Pettah,
Chackai,
Kazhakkoottam,
Peroorkada,
Karamana,
Vazhuthacaud,
Jagathy
and
so
on
have
exceed
their
current
capacities
even
after
the
introduction
of
signals
and
significant
junction
improvements.
The
large-­‐
scale
introduction
of
grade
separators
has
to
be
an
integral
part
of
the
master
plan
• All
intersections
where
traffic
volumes
have
already
exceeded
the
threshold
for
signaled
intersections
or
will
exceed
the
thresholds
by
2033
should
be
taken
up
for
immediate
development
of
grade
separators.
Key
intersections
include
Ulloor,
Medical
College,
Pattom,
Vellayambalam,
Vazhuthacaud,
Pettah,
Kazhakkoottam,
Attakulangara,
Peroorkada,
Anamugham
(over
NH-­‐66),
Chackai,
Eanchakkal,
Thiruvallam
and
so
on.
Since
many
of
these
will
lie
on
the
alignment
of
the
currently
planned
MRTS
route
as
well
as
on
future
routes,
these
need
to
be
planned
right
now
and
their
execution
incorporated
into
the
development
of
the
ring
roads
mentioned
above.
These
can
also
be
made
part
of
TCRIP
Phase
II.
• The
scientific
origin-­‐destination
studies
referred
to
in
the
master
plan
clearly
indicate
that
there
are
multiple
key
movement
axes
in
the
metro
area
running
not
just
north-­‐south
but
also
east-­‐west
and
radially
out
to
surrounding
satellite
cities
such
as
Nedumangad
and
Attingal.
• Thus
a
single
mass
transit
route
will
not
suffice
for
a
metro
area
the
size
of
Trivandrum
with
well
over
700,000
daily
trips.
• The
master
plan
must
incorporate
a
comprehensive
mass
transit
network
that
serves
the
entire
metro
area.
• This
will
be
based
around
a
multi-­‐route
mass
transit
system
(viz
the
monorail)
but
also
incorporate
other
modes
of
transport
such
as
commuter
rail,
water
transport
and
buses.
• The
monorail
system
must
be
quickly
expanded
with
at
least
the
following
two
additional
routes
(indicative
diagram
at
the
end
of
the
document):
o Route
2:
Kazhakkoottam
–
Aakulam
–
Airport
(Chackai)
–
Pettah
–
Palayam
–
Vellayambalam
–
Peroorkada
–
Nedumangad
(It
could
terminate
at
Peroorkada
in
Phase
I).
o Route
3:
Vizhinjam
–
Kovalam
–
Eanchakkal
–
Airport
–
Kochuveli
–
Veli
–
Aakulam
–
KIMS
-­‐
Medical
College
–
Pattom
–
Kowdiar
–
Peroorkada
–
Civil
Station
–
Manathala
–
Vembayam
(Upto
to
Peroorkada
in
Phase
I).
• An
alternate
set
of
alignments
could
be:
o Route
2:
Kazhakkoottam
–
Vizhinjam
along
the
NH-­‐66
alignment
(first
phase
could
be
up
to
the
International
Airport)

7. o Route
3:
Thiruvallom
–
Manacaud
–
East
Fort
–
Thampanoor
–
Thycaud
–
Vazhuthacaud
–
Vellayambalam
–
Peroorkada
–
Nedumangad
o Route
4:
Airport
–
Palayam
–
Vazhuthacaud
–
Poojapura
–
Peyad
(Upto
Poojapura
in
Phase
I)
• Since
connecting
stations
between
the
currently
planned
route
(Technocity
–
Killipalam
with
extension
to
Neyyatinkara)
and
the
above
ones
have
to
be
planned
in
advance,
it
makes
eminent
sense
to
complete
this
planning
right
now
itself.
Such
stations
would
include
Kazhakkoottam,
Pattom
and
Palayam.
• Bus
Rapid
Transit
System
(BRTS)
can
be
considered
as
an
alternative
to
LRTS
for
connecting
activity
nodes.
It
needs
about
the
same
RoW
width
as
LRTS
and
is
usually
less
expensive
and
more
flexible.
• The
multi-­‐modal
mobility
hub
located
in
Aakulam,
between
the
NH-­‐66
and
the
Kochuveli
Rail
Terminal
is
a
visionary
idea
and
can
incorporate
road,
rail,
air,
water
and
mass
transit
(Route
2
as
proposed
above)
modes
of
transit.
It
may
also
be
a
great
location
for
transit-­‐oriented
development.
• Commuter
rail
services
(using
MEMUs
and
double
decker
trains)
need
to
be
greatly
expanded
on
the
Nagercoil-­‐Kollam
rail
corridor.
The
addition
of
two
new
lines
will
be
necessary
to
decongest
and
expand
the
capacity
of
the
currently
over-­‐congested
mainline
railway
system.
• The
proposed
new
rail
line
via
Nedumangad
–
Thenmala
to
link
with
the
Kollam
–
Shencottah
line
is
another
possible
commuter
axis.
• Nemon
Railway
Station
has
to
be
developed
as
an
operations/logistics
center
with
the
immediate
acquisition
of
land
to
permit
shifting
of
the
majority
of
train
operations
(maintenance
and
shunting)
activities
from
Trivandrum
Central
as
well
as
container
train
operations
as
proposed
in
the
May
2013
master
plan
for
the
Vizhinjam
project.
• The
area
between
Chackai
and
Eanchakkal,
on
the
west
bank
of
the
Parvathy
Puthanar
has
to
be
specifically
zoned
for
uses
related
to
the
International
Airport.
• An
integrated
water
supply
system
to
cover
the
entire
metro
area
has
to
be
established.
This
needs
to
be
immediately
rolled
out
to
cover
the
newly
added
areas
of
the
corporation
but
also
to
the
outlying
areas
of
the
metro
areas,
with
new
systems
in
areas
currently
not
covered
and
by
linking
together
existing
stand-­‐alone
systems.
The
current
300
MLD
capacity
of
the
city’s
water
system
has
to
be
progressively
increased
to
500-­‐600
MLD
within
the
next
5
years.
This
will
involve
setting
up
additional
processing
capacity
and
also
tapping
new
water
sources
such
as
the
Neyyar
and
Peppara
dams.
• In
addition
to
these
major
reservoirs,
the
possibility
of
extending
the
water
supply
scheme
(related
to
the
Vizhinjam
port
project)
implemented
using
the
Vellayani
Lake
should
be
considered
while
taking
steps
to
maximize
its
storage
capacity
in
an
eco-­‐friendly
manner.
Minor
and
micro
water
supply
projects
using
water
from
the
Karamana,
Killi,
Neyyar
and
Vamanapuram

8. rivers
can
also
be
considered
together
with
a
comprehensive
scheme
to
restore
and
protect
their
banks.
• The
sewage
network
has
to
be
extended
to
the
entire
Corporation
area
and
then
progressively
out
to
the
rest
of
the
metro
area.
It
will
be
very
pragmatic
to
integrate
the
laying
of
sewage
collection
lines
with
the
construction
of
the
roads
and
mass
transit
as
proposed
above.
• Since
the
area
between
Aakulam
and
Technocity
is
witnessing
the
greatest
volume
of
new
commercial
and
residential
development
as
well
as
the
highest
density
of
uses,
this
zone
may
be
prioritized
for
laying
new
lines.
Most
of
the
large
new
buildings
in
the
area
currently
have
their
own
STPs,
but
a
centralized
system
is
both
more
efficient
and
cost-­‐effective.
• Considering
even
a
water
return
volume
of
50%,
the
city
will
need
at
least
250
MLD
of
sewage
processing
capacity
in
a
few
years,
with
the
current
STP
at
Muttathara
having
a
capacity
of
only
107
MLD.
A
second
STP
of
150
MLD
capacity
(two
phases
of
100
and
50
MLD)
is
therefore
proposed
within
the
Veli-­‐Kazhakkottam
Industrial
Estate.
• Centralized
solid
waste
management
is
a
necessity
considering
economies
of
scale
and
the
practical
difficulties
of
managing
dozens
of
de-­‐centralized
plants.
Plants
that
can
convert
organic
waste
into
fuel/energy
through
non-­‐polluting
anaerobic
processing
should
be
considered.
• One
solution
may
be
to
have
the
plant
located
near
Technocity/Technopark
so
that
the
energy
produced
can
be
used
for
power
and/or
chilling
in
the
sprawling
commercial
facilities
via
a
district
energy/micro-­‐grid
system.
• Possibility
of
industrial
scale
recovery
of
recyclable
materials
like
metals,
plastic
and
glass
should
be
actively
considered.
• In
the
case
of
non-­‐recoverable,
non-­‐organic
materials,
an
engineered
landfill
built
into
a
disused
quarry
or
clay
mine,
is
the
best
proposition.
• Large
scale
multi-­‐level
car
parks
(MLCPs)
should
be
developed
on
the
BOT/BOOT/BOO
basis
along
key
transportation
axes
and
in
activity
hubs,
starting
with
M.G.
Road/old
NH
47
(Kesavadasapuram
to
Karamana),
Thampanoor,
Medical
College,
Secretariat,
Technopark
and
Kochuveli.
• In
the
next
10-­‐15
years,
power
consumption
in
the
metro
area
is
likely
to
reach
the
2500
Kwh/person/year
level
seen
as
a
global
average
(and
already
in
emerging
markets
such
as
China).
This
will
necessitate
about
1000
MW
of
generation
capacity
to
meet
the
needs
of
the
metro
area
and
very
likely
much
more
if
we
take
the
increasing
scale
of
commercial
and
industrial
activities
into
account.
A
gas
turbine
power
plant,
fueled
by
natural
gas
from
an
LNG
import
terminal
built
at
Vizhinjam
will
be
the
ideal
choice
to
meet
this
need.
The
power
plant
can
be
developed
in
two
phases
of
1000
MW
each
and
the
excess
power
exported
to
the
rest
of
Kerala/India.
• Vizhinjam
is
the
best-­‐suited
port
in
India
for
LNG
import
because
of
its
proximity
to
gas
sources
such
as
Australia,
Indonesia,
East
Africa,
the
US
and
Russia,
as
well
as
its
deep
draft.
A
LNG
terminal
at
Vizhinjam
can
be
leveraged
for
a
metro
area
wide
gas
distribution
network
as
well
as

9. conversion
of
vehicles
to
cleaner
CNG,
starting
with
government
and
public
transport
vehicles.
• The
availability
of
gas
will
also
promote
the
development
of
micro-­‐grids
which
are
localized,
interconnected
loads
such
as
buildings
within
a
campus
that
share
power
generation
and
chilling
capacity.
This
arrangement
is
very
cost-­‐effective,
efficient
and
resilient
(in
case
of
grid
failure).
• In
addition
to
mandating
and
providing
incentives
for
the
installation
of
eco-­‐
friendly
features
such
as
solar
arrays
and
rain
water
harvesting
systems
on
all
buildings,
the
sustainable
design
and
IGBC
LEED
certification
of
all
large
government
and
commercial
buildings
should
be
made
mandatory.
Section
4
–
Socio-­‐Economic
Development
• Construction
of
a
world-­‐class
convention
and
trade
center
(4000
seat
capacity
in
Phase
I;
expandable
to
10,000
in
Phase
II)
has
to
be
immediately
initiated
in
the
already
allocated
45-­‐acre
parcel
on
the
banks
of
the
Aakulam
Lake.
Considering
it
as
one
of
four
vital
economic
drivers
(the
others
being
the
cruise
terminal
at
Vizhinjam,
airport
expansion
and
medical
tourism
development)
for
the
tourist
industry,
the
government
must
take
an
active
role
in
funding
and
developing
the
facility.
Worldwide,
major
convention
centers
are
either
fully
or
partly
funded
by
the
public
sector,
with
the
cost
being
recovered
through
usage
charges
and
through
a
tax/cess
levied
on
hotels
in
the
city.
• Vizhinjam
is
a
world-­‐class
logistics
gateway
facility
but
if
sufficient
area
cannot
be
found
for
a
world-­‐class
logistics
zone
attached
to
the
port,
much
of
the
benefit
to
the
local
economy
will
be
lost
as
these
activities
will
happen
elsewhere,
most
likely
in
the
neighboring
districts
of
southern
Tamilnadu.
This
will
also
make
the
port
less
attractive
compared
to
others
such
as
Ennore
or
Mundra
that
have
sprawling
backup
facilities.
Such
a
zone
requires
at
least
500
acres
of
land.
It
can
be
a
port-­‐based
SEZ
even
if
it
is
not
directly
at
the
port
but
has
road/rail
connectivity
to
it
because
of
impending
changes
in
the
SEZ
act.
A
strategic
parcel
with
low
population
density
and
favorable
terrain
(preferably
a
large,
disused
Government
or
private
plantation),
with
direct
access
to
the
NH-­‐66
and/or
main
rail
line
may
be
identified
and
set
apart
for
this
project.
• The
concentration
of
aerospace
and
defense
related
industries
and
institutions
in
Trivandrum
(VSSC/ISRO,
Brahmos
Aerospace,
IIST
and
Southern
Air
Command)
make
it
an
ideal
location
to
establish
an
aerospace/defense
manufacturing
facility,
potentially
including
an
SEZ.
Trivandrum
is
best
positioned
after
Bangalore
in
this
industry.
Brahmos
has
been
looking
for
at
least
50
acres
of
land
for
expansion.
A
dedicated
100-­‐150
acre
facility
may
be
established
in
the
North
of
the
metro
area
and/or
close
to
the
logistics
zone
proposed
above.
Such
a
facility
to
attract
high-­‐value
manufacturing
business
from
ISRO,
Brahmos,
HAL
and
other

10. public
and
private
agencies,
including
work
for
the
new
civilian
airliner
as
well
as
for
the
incoming
Raphael
and
fifth-­‐generation
fighter
projects.
• A
Knowledge
City
project
has
been
proposed
in
Trivandrum
in
May
2012.
It
will
be
advantageous
to
plan
the
project
as
a
high
density
development
in
close
conjunction
with
the
existing
knowledge
cluster
around
Technopark
which
includes
not
just
Technopark
and
Technocity
but
also
the
University
of
Kerala,
College
of
Engineering
Trivandrum,
VSSC,
CTCRI
and
so
on.
Proposed
locations
include
Technopark
Phase
III
and
Technocity.
• A
key
economic
development
initiative
would
be
the
creation
of
a
strategic
land
bank
within
the
metro
area
so
that
future
developments
can
be
easily
accommodated
as
they
arise.
Large,
under-­‐used,
thinly
populated
parcels
must
be
identified
and
either
immediately
acquired
(while
land
prices
are
low)
or
selectively
zoned
to
restrict
unplanned
development
and
to
restrict
non-­‐economic
development
uses
(such
as
residential
construction).
• Fire
Fighting
System
to
be
strengthened
and
decentralized.
Additional
fire-­‐stations
of
sufficient
strength
in
equipment
and
staff
to
be
established
in
fast
growing
areas
of
the
city
such
as
Kazhakkoottam,
Vizhinjam
and
Nedumangad.
More
modern
equipment
including
at
least
2-­‐3
hydraulic
platforms
(at
least
one
to
deployed
in
Kazhakkoottam/Technopark
fire
station
due
to
the
density
of
massive
commercial
buildings
and
residential
high-­‐rises
in
the
area),
rescue
tenders
and
high-­‐capacity
recovery
trucks
to
be
procured
immediately
and
fire
hydrants
to
be
re-­‐introduced
in
the
city.
All
major
commercial
and
activity
hubs
to
be
equipped
with
fire
hydrants.
• The
city
police
force
should
be
expanded
by
integrating
the
entire
metro
area
under
a
single
command,
led
by
an
officer
of
the
rank
of
Inspector
General
of
Police.
A
combined
operations
center
should
be
established
to
coordinate
operations
by
the
metro
police
force,
district
police,
CRPF,
BSF,
Army,
Air
Force,
Navy,
Coast
Guard
and
the
CISF,
all
of
which
have
significant
presence
in
the
city.
• Taxi
service
to
be
improved
by
providing
permits
to
various
categories
of
taxi
service,
ranging
from
budget
to
luxury
type
of
quality
vehicles.
• Existing
Public
Parks,
Playgrounds
and
Sports
Fields
to
be
upgraded
and
new
ones
should
be
established
at
different
locations
of
the
proposed
Metro
area.
Modern
sports
and
games
equipment
to
be
installed.
• Existing
ponds
and
irrigation
tanks
to
be
protected
and
developed
as
public
spaces.
• Irrigation
system
of
public
spaces
and
road
landscaping
should
be
automated.
This
would
save
valuable
water
resources
and
reduce
safety
hazards
of
manually
irrigating
the
streetscape
/
public
realm.
• Wetlands
can
be
protected
and
developed
by
creating
a
land
bank
for
such
parcels
into
which
voluntary
contributions
could
result
in
TDR
on
dry
land.

11. Section
5
-­‐
Strategy
and
Organizations
• The
development
master
plan
must
go
beyond
just
describing
what
and
when
development
should
be
done.
The
plan
should
also
lay
out
clearly
how
(strategy)
it
will
come
about
and
who
(organization)
will
implement
it.
• The
plan
as
currently
proposed,
lays
out
many
implementation
methodologies,
including
land
use
zoning
and
development
controls,
which
are
standard
urban
design
intervention
strategies.
• An
interesting
strategy
to
finance
some
of
the
developments
is
to
follow
the
English
New
Town
Tax
approach
that
seeks
to
finance
projects
by
selectively
taxing
their
beneficiaries.
For
example,
levying
a
cess
on
hotels
to
finance
the
convention
center
or
a
fee
for
additional
FAR
along
a
mass
transit
line.
• PPP
is
an
absolute
necessity
for
the
scale
of
development
envisaged
in
the
plan
and
in
sections
1-­‐4
above.
Various
models
of
PPP
development
ranging
from
the
landlord
model,
through
BOT
and
BOOT
to
the
pure
private
services
model
can
be
considered
as
appropriate
for
each
project.
• The
first
key
agency
needed
to
implement
the
plan
is
the
Trivandrum
Metropolitan
Development
Authority
(TMDA)
which
should
have
the
following
powers
over
the
entire
metro
area
which
must
be
formalized:
o Issue
all
building
permits
and
statutory
clearances
using
a
unified
code
for
the
entire
metro
area
as
per
the
guidelines
of
the
master
plan,
KMBR,
National
Building
Code
etc
o Plan,
finance
and
develop
all
public
infrastructure
under
the
master
plan
that
does
not
fall
into
the
mandate
of
existing
agencies
such
as
VISL,
AAI,
KWA,
Indian
Railways
etc
o Plan,
finance
and
develop
economic
development
projects,
where
not
already
under
a
specific
agency.
Even
if
under
a
specific
agency,
like
the
department
of
tourism
(in
the
case
of
the
convention
center),
TMDA
can
still
be
the
financing
and
executing
agency
o Act
as
the
landlord/project
sponsor
for
PPP
development
projects
and
own
the
land
and/or
facilities
and
to
collect
revenues
o Raise
funds
for
development
projects
by
the
issue
of
bonds,
raising
debt
from
development
finance
institutions
(World
Bank,
ADB,
JICA
et
c)
and
from
commercial
lenders
and
by
levying
fees/taxes.
o Periodically
update
the
master
plan
(minor
revisions
once
every
two
years,
major
updates
every
five
years).
and
act
as
it
custodian.
• The
TMDA
must
have
a
specialized
economic
development
wing,
modeled
along
the
lines
of
the
New
York
City
Economic
Development
Corporation
(NYCEDC)
that
creates
strategic
visions
and
plans,
formulates
project
proposals,
raises
funding,
oversee
project
execution
and,
promotes
and
facilitates
private
investment
including
the
promotion
of
new
and
emerging
industries
such
as
biotechnology,
nanotechnology,
aerospace,
defense
and
high
tech
manufacturing.

12. • The
TMDA
will
not
replace
existing
LSGs
like
the
Corporation,
Municipalities
or
Panchayats
but
will
only
help
to
coordinate
certain
activities
that
need
to
be
coordinated
across
the
metro
region
and
where
scale
economies
are
possible.
• With
the
massive
volume
of
transportation
infrastructure
development
planned
in
the
next
10
years
and
the
ever-­‐growing
transportation
volumes
in
the
metro
area,
a
dedicated
agency
is
called
for
to
integrate
the
development
and
operation
of
all
modes
of
transportation.
This
will
be
the
Trivandrum
Metropolitan
Transportation
Authority
(TMTA).
It
will
have
the
following
key
roles:
o Take
over
the
planning,
financing
and
development
of
the
mass
transit
system
from
the
Kerala
Monorail
Corporation
Limited.
Alternatively,
it
could
take
over
operations
of
the
mass
transit
lines
once
KMCL
develops
them,
acting
as
an
operator
while
KMCL
continues
to
be
the
facility
owner/landlord.
However,
the
preferred
option
is
to
have
TMTA
manage
the
system
end-­‐to-­‐end.
o Plan
and
execute
the
inter-­‐modal
connectivity
of
the
monorail
with
the
bus
network
and
future
BRTS/LRTS
networks.
o Take
over
and
expand
the
operations
of
the
local
bus
fleet
within
the
metro
area
from
the
KSRTC.
This
is
already
the
case
in
most
major
Indian
cities,
not
to
mention
across
the
world.
o Create
a
comprehensive
multi-­‐modal
transportation
plan
for
the
metro
area
till
2035
and
coordinate
its
execution
with
other
agencies
such
as
AAI,
Indian
Railways,
VISL
etc
The
plan
needs
to
be
periodically
updated
(minor
revisions
once
every
two
years,
major
updates
every
five
years).
o Own
and
operate
key
transportation
facilities
in
the
metro
area
including
bus
terminals,
the
multi-­‐modal
transit
hub
at
Aakulam
and
the
mass
transit
stations.
TMTA
could
also
share
the
development
cost
and
ownership
of
new
rail
facilities
with
IR,
with
the
latter
taking
care
of
operations.
This
will
help
speed
up
railway
development
as
IR
is
cash-­‐strapped
at
present.
o Operations
and
maintenance
of
the
road
infrastructure
in
the
city
in
association
with
the
TMDA
and
the
LSGs,
including
upkeep
of
street
lighting
and
signaling
systems.
Conclusion
The
suggestions
enumerated
in
Sections
1-­‐5
above
are
additions
and
in
some
cases
improvements
to
the
existing
body
of
work
in
the
draft
master
plan,
which
is
a
very
comprehensive
and
up
to
date
document
in
itself.
They
are
intended
to
expand
the
scope
of
the
plan
and
to
make
it
even
better,
a
clear
vision
of
Trivandrum
can
be
become
a
vibrant,
sustainable,
world-­‐class
city,
rivaling
Singapore,
within
the
next
decade.
THANK
YOU

13. About
the
Authors
Ajay
Prasad
was
born
and
brought
up
in
Trivandrum,
completing
his
engineering
degree
from
the
College
of
Engineering
Trivandrum.
After
completing
an
MBA
from
the
Indian
Institute
of
Management,
Calcutta,
he
worked
for
several
years
in
the
strategy
consulting,
infrastructure
and
real
estate
development
industries.
Ajay
thereafter
graduated
with
Master
of
Science
in
Real
Estate
Development
from
the
Massachusetts
Institute
of
Technology
in
Cambridge,
USA
where
his
course
work
included
real
estate
development,
finance,
urban
design,
urban
transportation
and
public
private
development
(at
the
Harvard
Kennedy
School
of
Government
and
Harvard
Graduate
School
of
Design).
He
is
currently
a
Managing
Director
at
a
global
private
equity
and
real
estate
development
firm
based
in
Boston,
USA,
working
on
urban
development
and
infrastructure
project
worth
over
$2
Billion.
Ajay
has
been
authoring
a
blog,
Trivandrum
Rising,
about
the
development
of
Trivandrum
city
since
2006
and
has
worked
closely
with
key
stakeholders
on
key
development
initiatives
such
as
Technopark
expansion,
Technocity,
Vizhinjam
and
the
mass
transit
system.
Contact:
ajaypp@gmail.com
Deepak
Benny
is
an
alumnus
of
the
College
of
Engineering,
Trivandrum.
He
was
an
active
participant
in
Institute
of
Engineers,
Trivandrum
Chapter
and
following
his
studies
he
joined
an
Engineering
Consulting
firm
in
Singapore
and
was
involved
in
several
strategic
infrastructure
projects
in
Singapore
including
its
LNG
import
terminal.
After
working
for
two
years
in
Singapore
he
joined
University
of
Glasgow,
UK
for
his
masters
in
Sustainable
Engineering
with
focus
in
Maritime
Structures.
He
mastered
topics
such
as
Environmental
Sustainability,
Project
Financing
and
Maritime
Economics.
He
is
currently
working
with
a
Maritime
Consultancy
firm
also
based
in
Singapore
performing
strategic
consulting
for
various
port
developments
across
Asia
and
Africa.
Jaleel
Malik
Mohamed,
born
and
brought
up
in
Trivandrum
is
a
Master
degree
holder
in
Agricultural
Science
(with
specialization
in
Agricultural
Extension,
Communication
and
Management)
from
Kerala
Agricultural
University.
He
has
also
additional
qualifications
in
Law,
Journalism
and
Public
Relations.
After
serving
Governments
of
India
and
Kerala
for
three
years
and
12
years
respectively,
he
took
leave
in
2004
and
took
up
private
employment
in
India
for
two
years,
working
as
CEO
of
two
companies
and
also
as
a
Consultant
of
the
Agricultural
Finance
Corporation
of
India
(RBI
Subsidiary).
Since
2006,
he
is
based
in
the
Middle
East
and
associated
with
major
Real
Estate
/
City
and
Community
Development
projects
like
Palm
Jumeirah,
Burj
Dubai
(Khalifa),
Dubai
Marina,
Arabian
Ranches,
Emirates
Living,
KAUST
etc.
Past
Employers
in
the

14. Middle
East
include
Emaar
Properties,
Dubai
World
/
Nakheel,
KAUST
and
Emcor
Facilities
Services.
He
is
trained
and
experienced
on
Projects
Management
and
Facilities
Management,
especially
related
to
Sports
Fields,
Golf
Courses,
Public
/
Community
Parks,
Landscaping,
Horticulture,
Irrigation,
Pest
management,
Waste
management
and
other
Soft
Services.
Jaleel
currently
works
as
a
Project
Manager
with
EC
Harris
International
(An
Arcadis
group
company),
who
are
the
Project
Management
Consultants
for
the
King
Abdullah
Sports
City
and
the
Kingdom
Tower
(Mile
Tower)
Projects
in
Jeddah,
KSA.
Travis
Patrick
Sheehan
holds
a
Master
of
City
Planning
and
a
Master
of
Architecture
from
the
Massachusetts
Institute
of
Technology,
where
he
focused
on
urban
development,
architecture,
sustainable
design,
city
planning,
resilience
and
micro-­‐grids
among
other
topics.
He
currently
holds
multiple
positions
and
has
founded
his
own
independent
planning
and
design
practice,
Gridling
LLC.
Travis
has
worked
on
city-­‐scale
and
project/campus-­‐scale
planning
and
development
in
New
York,
Boston,
Trivandrum,
China
and
Afghanistan.
Other
Authors
and
Peer
Reviewers
Hari
Gopinathan,
Robin
Alex
Panicker,
Ajith
Vijayan,
Sajith
Vijayan,
Vinod
Kamalraj
and
Abhishek
V.R.
together
bring
nearly
a
hundred
years
of
cumulative
experience
in
diverse
fields
ranging
from
highway
engineering
and
transportation
infrastructure
planning
to
project
management
to
information
technology
architecture
and
management
to
this
study.
All
of
them
were
born
and
brought
up
in
Trivandrum,
although
they
currently
reside
in
various
cities
across
India
and
the
world,
and
are
engaged
in
senior
management
roles
in
a
variety
of
world-­‐class
organizations.

15.
Appendix
–
Indicative
Route
Map
of
MRTS
Network