After a decade, Bengaluru to get new master plan for development - but will it work?

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Bengaluru may finally be on track to receive a new master plan, its first major development roadmap in more than a decade. But with the exercise split between two agencies, urban experts and researchers argue that this fragmented approach counters the core principle of holistic city planning.

According to a report by Deccan Herald, the work will be shared by the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and its sister-concern Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), each preparing plans only for their jurisdiction.

Experts were quoted by the newspaper as saying that the work of city planning should rest with a single institution to manage land use, mobility, and infrastructure growth.

Experts flag risks of overlaps, delays

As per the report, urban researchers also warned that running parallel planning processes could result in overlapping proposals, implementation delays, and confusion among executing agencies — particularly for projects like road widening, public transport expansion, and zoning changes that demand coordinated decisions across jurisdictions.

The GBA has been designated as the primary planning authority for the core urban area of Bengaluru, spanning approximately 709 to 721 sq km. It is responsible for preparing the comprehensive master plan for this region and has taken over key planning powers previously held by the BDA, including approving layouts, development projects, and land-use changes.

The BDA's jurisdiction has been reduced to a "doughnut-shaped ring" of about 400 to 427 sq km on the city's outskirts. It will continue to function as a planning body for these peripheral areas and focus on development projects like the Peripheral Ring Road and new layouts.

The authority has been asked to prepare a fresh master plan after its recent bid to hire consultants drew no response.

Third planner in action?

Additionally, an 87 sq km area along the NICE Road corridor is overseen by a third planning body, the Bengaluru Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICAPA), further complicating the planning environment.

This means the city is governed by three agencies using separate master plans. A city planner told DH that a fast-growing city should have a single planning institution.

“If the responsibility of putting salt, pepper and spice is given to different people, no one will be able to eat the meal,” he was quoted as saying.

Tushar Girinath, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department (UDD), told the newspaper that responsibilities were assigned based on jurisdiction.

“The GBA is the planning authority for Bengaluru,” he said, adding that plans from other agencies, including the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), will be integrated when ready.