Review and Recommendations for Strengthening of Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules(TNCDBR)

The Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) introduced the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules (TNCDBR) in February 2019 as a uniform set of Development Regulations (DR) for the entire state. The GoTN’s Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project (TNHHDP) is currently reviewing the TNCDBR 2019 to streamline and strengthen the state DR using a stratified approach for varied areas based on their local body status and development potential.

CRDF's Centre for Urban Planning and Policy (CUPP) and the Centre for Research on Architecture and Urbanism (CAU) at CRDF are the consultants for carrying out the Review and Recommendations for Strengthening of TNCDBR 2019. Since the project's inception in 2022, the team carried out extensive work in deriving key considerations in the existing regulatory framework through stakeholder consultations across the state and analysis of benchmark national and international documents.

CUPP aims for a contextualized DCR through stratification and varying of planning regulations based on the development potential and capacity in government bodies at various levels and addressing locational factors. The team has also looked into key areas for simplifying the state's existing planning regulations.

The resultant document shall be a simplified, forward-looking, people-friendly, implementable DCR incorporating best practices and integrated with relevant documents. It shall comprehensively state planning and building regulations, open space reservation, affordable housing, environmental regulations, building performance standards, procedural regulations, and integration in other key areas such as TOD and TDR. CRDF is also preparing an illustrated manual for easy understanding of the TNCDBR.