New research finds that land use reforms can maximise Namma Metro benefits in Bengaluru

A study has found that the metro has increased Bengaluru’s overall output net of construction costs by 4.3% and welfare by approximately 1.3%. | Photo Credit: file photo

A new research by the University of Southern California (USC) has revealed that Bengaluru’s Namma Metro could significantly boost the city’s economy and residents’ well-being if accompanied by land use reforms.

The study published in the Journal of Development Economics has found that while the metro system has already brought noticeable improvements, relaxing strict building height limits near metro stations could dramatically enhance these benefits.

Researchers are said to have built a quantitative spatial model of Bengaluru using a comprehensive dataset. The study found that the metro has increased the city’s overall output net of construction costs by 4.3% and welfare by approximately 1.3%.

“Yet, if building height restrictions were relaxed to allow for taller buildings near metro stations through a concept known as transit-oriented development (TOD), the output could go up by 14.7% and welfare by 3.4%. An alternative policy that increases allowable development in central city areas regardless of proximity to metro stations could boost the output gains to 13.4% and welfare gains to 3.2%,” the study states.

“The study’s results have significant implications for urban planners and policy makers, not just in Bengaluru but in other rapidly growing cities around the world. The findings suggest that smart planning and policy adjustments are crucial to unlocking the full potential of urban transit systems,” said Andrii Parkhomenko, Assistant Professor, Department of Finance and Business Economics at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Mr. Parkhomenko, who is one of the authors of the study, added that in India, keeping the high cost of metro systems in mind, it is important to understand how effectively the transit improves within-city mobility and provides wider economic benefits.

“Higher densities around transit allow workers greater access to jobs and employers greater access to employees. Yet, Indian cities impose strict controls on building heights through limits on floor-to-area ratios (FARs). However, low FARs can dampen the wider benefits of metro systems if they restrict residential and job densities,” Mr. Parkhomenko added.

The researchers in the study have also called for a re-evaluation of current land use regulations to better support public transit systems and improve city living conditions.

BMRCL’s proposal for TOD biting dust since 2020

It has to be noted that Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.’s (BMRCL) Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) prepared in 2020, introduced a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) approach and proposed a floor-to-area ratio (FAR) up to 5 in the immediate impact zone of Namma Metro. However, this proposal is still gathering dust due to red tape.

The Draft Revised Master Plan-2031 was scrapped to integrate TOD linking Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) and land use into the master plan as per CMP. But the new draft is nowhere near completion. The last RMP for the city expired in 2015, but nearly a decade later the city is still following the same plan.