Thimphu city is spread along the Wang Chhu in Thimphu Valley, in a linear fashion. Dechencholing in the North and Serbithang in the South mark the administrative extremities of the city. Administratively, the city is divided into six wards. Geographically, the city may be divided into the southern parts of Babesa and Simtokha, the riverside settlements of Lungtenphu and Chang Jiji, the City Core along the river on flat land, the elevated area of Motithang, the flat areas of Hejo and Jongshina, and the northern parts of Taba and Dechencholing.

The present population of Thimphu is 43,479 as per the Thimphu Municipal Corporation’s survey conducted in the year 2000. The basic unit for population data is the ward, the details of which are mentioned in section 5. Approximately sixty-six percent of the total population lives in the areas of the Core, Motithang, Changzamtog and Hejo-Langjophaka. The remaining thirty-four percent live in the areas that were recently included in the city limits.

The city comprises of a number of old villages, many of which are characterized as traditional settlements. These Urban Villages are Dechencholing, Samteling, Jongshina, Hejo, Langjophaka, Zilukha, Chang Jiji, Lungtenphu, Simtokha and Babesa. These areas have traditionally designed houses, which are located close to one another resulting in relatively dense populations. They are often surrounded by sparsely populated residential areas.

The city also has fairly large institutional dwelling areas, housing a considerable population. They are the Royal Body Guards settlement in Dechencholing, the Royal Bhutan Police settlement in Changzamtog, the Royal Bhutan Army settlement in Lungtenphu, and the DANTAK settlement in Babesa. These areas are mentioned as ‘Endowment Zones’ in the ‘Proposals for Actions’ of this document and are not considered for accommodation of future population. It is left to a future generation of planners to use this future land endowment.

The traditional Urban Villages have different characteristics. Many traditional structures have given way to modern buildings in Jongshina, Langjophaka, Simtokha and Babesa…while Zilukha, Chang Jiji and Dechencholing have still maintained their traditional character. The Core and Motithang are modern in character, as the buildings are of recent origin. These areas also have a considerable number of Government Quarters. Motithang is more of an affluent suburb while Changzamtog houses predominantly the lower income group.

The gentle slopes and flat areas in the villages are already developed and inhabited. The steeper slopes have orchards, with residential development of low density. Occasionally, the steeper slopes are dotted with bagos, the biggest being Chang Gedaphu in Changzamtog.

Considering the settlement pattern, concentration of population, environmental assets and geographical features of the valley, Urban Villages would prove to be an appropriate unit for planning purposes, rather than the administrative ward. Hence, while assessing the population accommodation capacity for the future, the basic planning unit applied is the Urban Village. As a basic unit of planning in the Structure Plan, Urban Villages have been identified. Conceptually, these units have civic amenities, basic services and convenience shopping core in their center, called Neighborhood Nodes, in this plan. These are surrounded by high-density walk-up apartments, followed by a ring of medium density housing towards the periphery, and lower density bungalows in very large orchard plots on the steeper slopes.

The present population information is based on the wards and not on the Urban Villages. Hence, to arrive at population figures for the Urban Village level, population at the ward level is distributed according to the number of residential structures and the number of floors they have in each of the respective Urban Villages. The details may be referred to in Appendix One, which also explains the Future Population Accommodation Capacity of the city, based on the capacity of the government owned lands, existing shrub lands and on the possibilities of horizontal and vertical infilling in residential areas.

It is important to note that Thimphu already accommodates one third of the total urban population in the country, which stood at 137,864 people in the year 2000. Thimphu currently has a population of 43,479 with the next largest city Phuentsholing having only 12,625 people, or less than a third of Thimphu’s population. In its own way Thimphu has already emerged as a primate city, which implies it will experience the most in-migration of economic activities and people.

The population of Thimphu is divided between the sexes as 23,308 males and 20,171 females, approximately. These figures exclude the embassies, IMTRAT, DANTAK, RBA, RBG, and the floating population in the city.

Although Thimphu is an administrative centre, it also has forty-six production units of which, three are large, one is medium, and forty-two are small. Likewise there are 124 private service providers with seven large and fifteen medium providers. This marks a rapid growth of private sector opportunities and indicates a broadening of the economic base, especially into areas of services, tourism, entertainment, retailing, wholesaling, transport, construction and less so, manufacturing.

3.1 BASE MAP

The Base Map of any city defines the “play field” within which, and upon which, an urban plan is to be prepared. It shows contours (which have been transposed to a dedicated display in this case), water bodies, roads, existing structures and the municipal boundaries. In this case religious structures, temporary structures, off-street footpaths, gates, culverts, transformers, sewerage treatment facilities and some other elements have been shown.

The Base Map provides an urban footprint of what has historically preceded. It indicates, at a glance, where densification is the highest and where it is lowest. It is a historical record of the situation now, as well as a benchmark against which future dimensions, physical plans and events shall be measured in the future years to come. The Base Map gives an idea of the constraints that impede the process of development. The existing roads and footpaths hint at a hidden structure, which must be imbibed into the city’s future plan. Major roads like Norzin Lam, Doebum Lam, Thori Lam, and so on, have already set a fabric over the topography, which is solidified further by property boundaries and structures which have been constructed within them. One cannot ignore this fabric, which may have evolved organically from footpaths and later jeep tracks. But even in what appear to be ad hoc and incremental decisions, one can discern some fundamental logic, which must be distilled into a new rationale. Many of these constraints can be exploited as potentials and opportunities.

There are the valley walls, the sight lines and the visual assets, which begin to emerge as one explores the vast landscape. Such a “borrowed landscape” can be drawn into our own rendering and composition. A still closer analysis focuses in on the great Tashichho Dzong, and the vast open spaces around it. Then there is the river basin itself, which has its own curving open spaces on either side, which are framed with paddy terraces or by the steep forest covered hill slopes.

The variety of forests, orchards, paddy terraces, and riparian areas all begin to catalyze one’s imagination.

A closer look at this apparently static map elicits Chortens, Lhakhangs, Monasteries and a wealth of heritage sites making the city one large museum of historical, spiritual and cultural artifacts.

Apart from roads, plot boundaries and structures, the city already has established gathering places such as the lively Sunday Market, the Clock Tower Square and the evening “gathering tradition” opposite Lugar Cinema and along with footpaths meandering up the streams and along the riverbed, a sociometry is already emerging.

All towns begin to mature into separate and distinct “districts” over a period of time. This has already happened in Thimphu, which is apparent from the Base Map. There is the bustling Urban Core focused on Norzin Lam and the Clock Tower Square. There is the elite neighborhood of Motithang. There are workshops, storage sheds, and working class houses in Changzamtog. And of course the Dzong, which is the national icon. New districts like Taba and Babesa are also fast emerging.

These districts also have “edges” and boundaries. Sometimes they are districts where the Wang Chhu plays the “edge,” or more subtle where a road, like Doebum Lam, separates the Town Core from Motithang. The Base Map is our first trace of an emerging structure. It is a vast canvas, yet there lies within it a fundamental taxonomy and order.

Landmarks from the small Clock Tower to the grand Dzong are existent on the Base Map, as are Monasteries, Lhakhangs and small Chortens that act as urban markers.

Thus, the base map carries the fabric and the language of the city within its pattern.

View the Base Map.
Note: Please click on the following map link to view the maps.
MAP NO. 3.1 BASE MAP
MAP NO. 3.1A BASE MAP
MAP NO. 3.1B BASE MAP
MAP NO. 3.1C BASE MAP