The simplest and perhaps one of the most rational ways to approach any problem is to list down the various determinants which influenced the planning process, followed by the concerns and the approach towards planning associated with it. In the case of Gelephu town these planning determinants could be seen at two levels.

In-Town Design Determinants / Generators:

• Flat terrain and topographical advantage;
• Existing Town Core;
• Gelephu-Sarpang Urban Corridor;
• Gelephu-Trongsa Highway
• Flood Hazards;
• Natural Drainage System;
• Forest Cover;
• Strong Cadastral pattern of the private land holdings;
• Proposed Infrastructure developments by DANIDA;
• Proposed Dry-port;
• Proposed National Stadium;
• Potential Tourist Base Camp development;
• Potential Multi-modal Transit Hub;
• New Urban Spine;
• New Government Housing Sector;
• New College; and,
• Flexibility for Future Growth.

Regional Level Design Determinants / Generators:

• International Boundary;
• Fragile Ecology of the Region;
• Proposed Sibsu-Daipham National Highway;
• Proposed Spiritual & Religious development at Fulahari;
• Proposed Jigmeling Industrial Estate;
• Proposed International Airport precinct;
• Proposed Railway Connection from India;
• Potential Special Economic Development Zone;
• Urban Periphery Development Control Precinct;
• Trade and Location Importance;
• High Tension Electric Lines; and,
• Potential Regional Growth Center .

Planning Approach and Objectives:

The following section briefly lists down various planning objectives and approaches which guided the process of preparing the structure plan for Gelephu. These are the sacred parts of the plan and form the basic skeleton upon which the entire Gelephu Structure Plan is built upon. These include:

• Attempting to pull the future development pattern of the town away from the international boundary, by creating alternative development magnets in the northern part of the town.
• Advocating a system of demarcating precincts with compatible urban functional patterns as an alternative approach to the traditional land-use planning system, considering the dharma of urban life.
• Facilitating the manufacturing and assembly potentials of the town through the provision of related economic infrastructure like dry port, container center, and separate cargo entrance.
• Easing goods movement by creating a transport center with repair facilities, weighing scale, amenities for divers, diesel and petrol and other transport related services.
• One of the key functional potentials and characteristics of the Gelephu-Sarpang metropolitan region is industry. While the new industrial estate falls outside the municipal limits, there are functions within the limits tailored to support industrial growth.
• Advocating the crucial and vital need of flood protection measures and water-shed management in the region for the essential survival of the town and attempting to provide solutions within the planning perspective.
• Controlling the future development in the flood prone areas through designating non-intensive, low-density developments like open spaces, recreational activities, agriculture, etc. in these areas.
• Conserving and enhancing the traditional and cultural values of the society.
• Demarcating a 500 meters wide no-development zone along the international border, considering its close location with respect to the settlement and its related security concerns.
• Demarcating approximately a 1000 meters wide urban peripheral development control zone around the existing municipal limit to control the future development on the periphery of the town. This is intended to deter urban sprawl and to ensure higher densities where infrastructure investments are made.
• Creating a Multi-Mode transit hubs and developing a well established pedestrian and bi-cycle movement corridors with in the town as an approach to reduce the use of private vehicles within the Municipal limit.
• Conserving the existing natural storm water drainage patterns and rivers of the town by integrating them with the open spaces proposed in the structure plan towards establishing a system of open spaces within the town and creating a pedestrian friendly, green space dominated urban environment.
• Facilitating the proper and efficient functioning of various urban systems by establishing a hierarchical system of networking.
• Breaking down the vast scale of the town into a series of self-sustainable, self-contained Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods of conceivable and manageable scale, as a basic planning unit and a tool for achieving balanced growth in an urban area, followed by creation of Village Squares and Urban Hubs.
• Attempting to segregate various tiers of activities with respect to its scale to allow for the smooth functioning of the town, without disturbing the relational webs created between them, thus leaving provision for future flexibility.
• Establishing a strong and well defined hierarchical organization of road networks within the town, toward achieving efficient and smooth traffic movement. This includes creation of a National Highway, Urban Corridor, Royal Boulevard, Arterial Roads, Sub Arterial Streets and Collector Streets and Pedestrian walkways.
• Exploring the advantage of distributing various amenities and facilities within the urban area, to create identity and an image to each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood along with them being the essential generators of urbanity.
• Organizing the road network to deter unnecessary vehicular “through traffic” within the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods and in the residential sectors.
• Generating an optimum threshold of population concentration in an Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood to support the provision of amenities and services, through the introduction of activity generators like Village Squares, in coordination with appropriate guidelines and development control regulations which assure anticipated population densities and to accommodate future population growth of the town.
• Respecting the existing strong cadastral pattern of the private land holdings in the town while deciding upon the future development process.
• Accommodating the future proposed projects of the town to the advantage of guiding the future growth.
• To advocate Transit Oriented Development within the town.
• Making the proposed Urban Development compatible with the environment, infrastructure and the contextual situation.
• Providing necessary hints, indications and directions for the future growth of the town.
• Concentrating public health infrastructure and social amenities in priority Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods so as to reap the economic efficiencies generated in higher densities.

All the above mentioned objectives and approaches are elaborately discussed in detail in the following section, one by one, explaining and justifying the advantages considering the long-term perspective associated with each of them.