A key objective of the policy, according to officials, is to make smaller, more affordable housing units available in Delhi.The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Tuesday notified the new Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy for Delhi, which is expected to open up large swathes of land near Metro corridors to high density development. A key objective of the policy, according to officials, is to make smaller, more affordable housing units available in Delhi.The new policy makes it mandatory for developers of highrises within 500-metre radius of Metro or regional transit corridors, who want to avail of the higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR), to construct affordable housing. At least 65% of the total permissible FAR will have to be used for residential units of less than 100 sq.m. of built-up area, including guesthouses or studio apartments, the policy says.TOD is an urban planning paradigm that focuses on strategically developing urban spaces by clustering residential, business and leisure spaces within walking distance of the public transport hubs.Under the new policy, developers are allowed a base FAR of 400. This means they can build on four times the plot area, and this can be increased to 500, or five times the plot area, by paying additional charges. But to be eligible for higher FAR, the policy mandates that at least 65% of the total built-up area must be reserved for smaller residential units. This is expected to incentivise developers to build smaller, affordable units in the Capital.A minimum of 10% must be set aside for neighbourhood commercial use and social amenities, while the remaining 25% can be used for larger homes, office spaces, or similar uses. A draft of the policy was released last November in the public domain by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to invite feedback. While DDA has released different versions of TOD policies in 2015, 2019 and 2021, and identified 12 clusters or TOD nodes, different metro and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) stations over a decade, the construction work is yet to start at any of these locations, except one.At DDA’s East Delhi Hub in Karkardooma, the only node where work started, the initial phase is set to be completed in the middle of this year.The TOD policy is a part of the Master Plan of Delhi-2021, and the new version was initially expected to be a part of the MPD-2041. However, as the Master Plan of Delhi-2041 awaits Centre’s nod, DDA has been amending several policies, such as TOD and land pooling, separately.Story continues below this adA key concern raised by experts and RWAs about the policy has been the potential for haphazard development.They had red-flagged the removal of provisions for local area planning (LAP) and ensuring infrastructure development in line with the population increase, whichwere present in previous TOD policies.Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd