The manner of accommodating future population, its density distribution and the strategies for future urban growth within the town, become crucial, given the geographical and locational potential for the future growth of Gelephu. The strategy is towards achieving a sustainable and balanced density distribution in the town, which would accommodate the future population without disturbing the ecological balance of the region. A pattern of urban settlement, where development is concentrated in pockets called “ Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods” is adopted, as described in the earlier section. Extensive re-densification and re-development activities are envisioned in these identified Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods to accommodate future population and urban facilities.

Urban Village / Urban Neighborhoods envisioned in the Structure Plan for Gelephu will consist of three major components. They are the Village Square (or) the Urban Hub in the case of Urban Cores; the Village Core and the Village Periphery. These three components vary from each other in terms of their density of population per hectare and the land-use distribution.

The Village Core is essentially the high density residential sector of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood, dominated by walk-up apartments building typology. These high-density residential sectors will be provided with basic amenities and services for self-sustenance in the form of Village Squares, located conceptually at the centre of the Village. The Village Square, apart from accommodating basic amenities, will also be a high-density residential zone at specific locations. Thus the Village Square and Village Core will form the main population concentration of an Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood. The Village peripheries are essentially medium to low-density developments encircling the Village core and are dominated by building typologies like row-housing and individual bungalows. The Urban Hub as described in the earlier section is essentially a large Village Square, provided with additional facilities, which will cater to the needs of the entire town and the extent of the service catchment area.

The Village Square and the Village Core will accommodate a population density at a range of 200-250 pph (persons per hectare), while the population density of the Village Periphery will be at a range of 100-150 pph. High density concentration around the Village Square will also help in making the provision of infrastructure and other services economical and will help in inducing urban dynamics into the town fabric.

The Village Squares and the Urban Hubs, apart from accommodating amenities and services, will also function as magnets to initiate and sustain the process of urbanization and settlement development in respective Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods. Though the argument put forth in this discussion, about the establishment of Village Squares and Urban Hubs, preceding the development of urban settlements, could be debated and counter-debated, it is a historical trend that any major development in a planned manner follows, and depends on, the availability of amenities and services at any particular place. This could be well understood by looking at the history of urban development in the global context. Thus, establishing an Urban Hub, followed by the Village Squares of respective Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods, together with the provision of infrastructure for urban development would be the priority for any urban development, and would be the Urban Growth strategy at a conceptual level, advocated in the Structure Plan for Gelephu.

Considering the present density distribution, the land holding pattern and the income generation of the Gelephu Municipal Corporation, the Structure Plan strongly advocates re-densification and re-development of the existing urban fabric towards achieving an optimum density of population concentration, which will make the provision of amenities and services economical and self-sustainable in these areas. This includes horizontal and vertical in-fill of the existing structures, re-development of the vacant government land within the municipal limit. The Structure Plan also advocates dis-investment of government land located within the Gelephu municipal limit towards accommodating the future population.

Considering the future development needs, the population growth and the available facilities in the town, the Structure Plan advocates medium-rise development with built structures not more that five floors high. This, apart from maintaining the vertical scale of the town, will also help in preserving the views and vistas of the town and its immediate surroundings.

Considering the above mentioned factors, the Gelephu Structure Plan advocates a medium-rise, high-density development in the Urban Village Core and medium-rise, medium-density development in the Village Peripheries, thus achieving the dynamics of urbanization, while conserving the natural landscape and the character of Gelephu.

Table 5.5 : Developable areas of Proposed Precincts Permitted for Residential use in each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood within the Municipal limits.

Table 5.6 : Residential Developable Area Coefficients assumed for the calculation of Future Population accommodation in various Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods

Table 5.7 : Population Accommodation in each Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood with respect to the assumed Developable Area Coefficients

Table 5.8 : Density Distribution in each Urban Villages / Urban Neighborhoods with respect to the Residential Developable Areas of the Urban Village / Urban Neighborhood

5.9 : Density Distribution in each Precinct permitted for Residential Use