Transit Oriented Development in India : On the right track to a more sustainable urban future?

Sammanfattning: This paper investigates the introduction of transit oriented development (TOD) as a sustainable urban planning concept in India. The possible benefits and specific challenges of its implementation in the Indian context are evaluated as well as the prospects of fulfilling its goal of improving urban sustainability. This is done through a qualitative content analysis of plans and policy documents at the Indian national, as well as local level in the two cities of Delhi and Bhopal. The results show that the main perceived benefits of TOD in India is a shift to more sustainable modes of transport, more livable and equitable neighbourhoods and economic growth. The study finds that the TOD principles as presented in the National plan have been implemented to a large, but not full extent by the studied cities. All in all, TOD presents a big opportunity for sustainability, but also challenges in implementation specifically due to the informal nature of Indian cities and the planning system itself. The final implementation of TOD does as such rest on the continued work of the actors that will prepare and implement the final plans.