The planning problem in Gelephu stems from the combination of growing population; commercial expansion and limited investment. The current extended municipal limit of Gelephu covers an area of about 5.85 square kilometers. This will be sufficient to accommodate the projected population until the year 2025, as per demographic scenario-2 explained in Chapter Four; and hence there would be no need to extend the municipal limit any further within the structure plan time.
On the other hand, with the given extensive potential for future growth in the region, the issue of future expansion of the town limit will be a crucial need in next two decades. The geographical condition of the region, cris-crossed by numerous rivers and rivulets possesses some serious challenges. The Bhutan-India International boundary on the southern side and the Great Himalayas on the northern side restrict the future development only in the east-west direction, thus making this as a dominant growth axis of the town and the region. As explained earlier though, this issue is not crucial given the present urban morphology of the town, identifying options, for future expansion of the town at conceptual level becomes important given the anticipated pressure on the future urban development generated by the mentioned conflicting forces. Unless addressed, this will result in a deteriorating urban environment with over-crowded dwellings, traffic congestion, spiraling land values, pollution and an increasing mix of in-compatible land-uses within the present town limit. Thus, initiating the discussion regarding, identifying an acceptable and economical future growth possibility for the town, is the primary aim of the chapter.
Conceptually, the disparity created between the land supply and the demand of the growing population can be corrected in a number of ways. Some of the strategies relevant to Gelephu are lateral expansion, satellite towns and increased development concentration within the municipal limit. Development of the selected concept as a strategy for future development of the town, determination of the investment required for achieving the selected development concept and the formulation of regulations governing its implementation are some of the essential subjects of the discussion.
5.12.1 Lateral Expansion
The concept of lateral expansion essentially deals with the expansion of Municipal Boundary by including the areas located in its periphery. The horizontal expanse of the Gelephu region provides high scope for this option, in the present context.
Though, politically the concept of lateral expansion of the municipal limit could be considered viable and easily acceptable for future growth, spatially this concept has certain disadvantages like the high costs involved in the provision of infrastructure facilities for the entire town, which needs to be studied in depth. Further this possibility has serious environmental implications, which restrict its feasibility to a major extent. Bearing in mind the future population growth of the town, it is recommended that the concept of lateral expansion could be seen as a long-term strategy for growth of the town. To reserve land for this option in the future, an Urban Peripheral Control zone is established as a part of the proposal for action and described in detail in chapter six.
It should be understood that, this option should be considered for future expansion of the town, only after the carrying capacity of the present town limit, in terms of future population accommodation, is achieved to its optimal level. In other words, the threshold level of the present municipal limit should be achieved before the expansion of the town limit. This needs several short term strategies, which are summarized in the following sub-chapters.
5.12.2 Satellite towns
The concept of Satellite towns, suggests a possibility that the future growth of the town could be contained by the development of designated areas in the hinterlands, and along the Gelephu-Sarpang Urban Corridor, as separate self-sustainable units with all urban facilities. This option could also be considered as a process of de-centralizing the pressure to accommodate the future population, anticipated in the region, within the Gelephu town limit only.
These satellite towns will have all the characteristics and facilities of an Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood, with their own village center and all the basic amenities and services for it to be known as a town of self-sustainable nature. After a careful study and analysis it is proposed that Sarpang, Jigmelling, Leopani, Bhur, Pelrithang and Chhuzagang located in the region could be developed as a Satellite Town. Further studies should be carried out in the region to identify suitable areas to be developed as Satellite towns for Gelephu in the future. These satellite towns would be connected with Gelephu by Express buses and Mass-Rapid Transit system in the future. This will facilitate the possibility of bringing all these satellite towns into a single urban agglomeration in the future.
5.12.3 Increased Concentration within the Gelephu town
This concept suggests the increased concentration of development within the municipal limit by means of vertical expansion, re-densification, in-fill and internal re-organization of the available built-up areas with in the town. The advantages of this concept are the economies of scale in the provision of infrastructure facilities and basic services, saving in the transportation costs and the conservation of the hinterlands and eco-fragile areas of the urban region.
The feasibility of this concept is primarily dependent on the capacity to achieve the internal re-organization of the land uses within the town in future. Re-organization of the land-uses is a continuous and natural process in the growth of the town. As the town grows the areas will change in terms of activity patterns with respect to time. The purpose of the Structure Plan is to impel and channel these changes considering the public-interest. Urban design policy in terms of development control regulation, to temper the position, density, height, safety, grain size and aesthetic values of the new development, has been set out as a part of the Structure Plan to achieve the development goals of the present, and to keep the possibility of this option, open in the future.
The principal strategies based on this concept are consolidation, in-fill, re-densification, re-development and dis-investment of excess government lands within the Municipal limit for private development, to achieve the optimal density concentration with in the urban area. Consolidation of predominant uses in the form of designated precincts is designed to improve the urban environment by exclusion and relocation of incompatible uses outside the municipal limit. This concept will also help in rationalizing the market values of the housing stock. As the land value increases in the town, due to future developments, it is expected that extensive re-development will take place in the town core and in its immediate surroundings, which will further help in accommodating the future population. The possibility of vertical expansion of already developed structure could also be studies with respect to the safety and facility availability conditions.
The future development strategy recommended for Gelephu would be basically a permutation and combination of all the above mentioned three concepts. A detailed study should be carried out to conceptualize the phasing of the above mentioned options with respect to the future population growth.
It would be wise to freeze ad-hoc development outside of the present boundary until the major roads and plots for amenities, future Village Squares and urban infrastructure are demarcated. Within the Gelephu town, development must be presently restricted to the two cleared Local Area Plan, until further Local Area Plans are completed. This will assure a financially viable, ordered and aesthetic development of Gelephu.