KATHMANDU IS CAPITAL OF NEPAL AND IT IS THE ONLY METROPOLITAN CITY OF THE COUNTRY. BEING A CAPITAL CITY, IT HAS A HIGH POPULATION AND MIGRATION HAS ADDED TO IT. THE PRESENTATION SHOWS THE APATIAL GROWTH OF CITY OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT FACTORS HAVE ADDED TO ITS GROWTH.

1. SETTLEMENT GEOGRAPHY – STUDY OF THE KATHMANDU VALLEY
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE

2. LOCATION AND PHYSICAL SETTING OF KATHMANDU
 KATHMANDU VALLEY, WHERE KATHMANDU METROPOLITAN CITY (KMC)
LIES, SITUATED BETWEEN THE LATITUDES OF 27°32’13” AND 27°49’10”
NORTH AND LONGITUDES 85°11’31” AND 85°31’38”EAST.
 IT COVERS THE AREA OF ABOUT 667 SQ. KM AND CONSISTS OF FIVE
MUNICIPALITIES –
 KATHMANDU, LALITPUR, BHAKTAPUR , THIMI AND KIRTIPUR. APART FRON
5 MUNICIPALITIES THEREARE 110 VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES
WITHIN KATHMANDU VALLEY.
 THE TOTAL POPULATION OF KATHMANDU VALLEY IN 1991 WAS 15,71,583
AND IS EXPECTED TO BE 20, 20,404 IN 2011.
 THE KATHMANDU METROPOLITAN CITY COVERS AN AREA OF ABOUT 50.8
SQ.KM.AND IS DIVIDED INTO 35 WARDS OF WHICH THE OLD CITY CORE
ENCOMPASSES 12 WARDS.
 THE KATHMANDU METROPOLITAN CITY IS CONSIDERED AS A HISTORIC,
TOURISTIC, CULTURAL AND THE BUSINESS CENTRE OF NEPAL.
 THE TOTAL POPULATION OF KMC ACCORDING TO THE LATEST CENSUS
2001 IS 671846. IT WAS421,258 IN 1991 AND 235,160 IN 1981. IT SHOWS
THAT THE POPULATION IN KMC IS GROWING UNPRECEDENTED.
 THE POPULATION GROWTH RATE OF KMC IS 5.65% IN 91-2001 WHICH IS
ONE OF THE HIGHEST OF THE TOWNS AND CITIES OF NEPAL. WITH SAME
POPULATION GROWTH RATE POPULATIONIN KATHMANDU
METROPOLITAN CITY IN 2011 IS EXPECTED TO BE 10,51,438.
 MIGRATION HAD BEEN A MAJOR SOURCE OF POPULATION GROWTH IN
THE KATHMANDU VALLEY BECAUSE OF THECENTRALIZATION OF SERVICES
AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WITHIN VALLEY.
KATHMANDU VALLEY IN PERSPECTIVE 3D

3. PHYSIOGRPAHY
Two principle landforms, alluvial &
flood plains along the river & slightly
more elevated river terraces, locally
called ‘tars’.
Two principle landforms, alluvial &
flood plains along the river & slightly
more elevated river terraces, locally
called ‘tars’.
•TWO PRINCIPAL LANDFORMS ALLUVIAL AND FLOOD PLAINS ALONG THE RIVER
AND SLIGHTLY MORE ELEVATED RIVER TERRACES LOCALLY CALLED ‘TARS”.
•CITY AREA IS GENERALLY FLAT WITH SLOPE HAVING LESS THAN 1 DEGREE AND
SOIL HAVING PREDOMINANTLY LOAMY AND BOULDER TEXTURE.
•CITY’S LAND WAS ONCE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURE LAND, CROPS
CULTIVATED WERE RICE MAIZE, WHEAT ETC. .PRESENTLY BADHGAON OUTSIDE
RING ROAD PROVIDES PRODUCTS TO CITY DWELLERS.
•THE ELEVATION OF KATHMANDU VALLEY IS 1350M ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE
VALLEY IS BOWL SHAPED WITH DRAINING TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE BASIN.

4. KATHMANDU CITY
BANSBARI HIGHWAY
CONNECTING TIBET.
ARNIKO HIGHWAY
CONNECTING CHINA
(1950-60),WIDENED
COMMERCIALIZATION AND
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES IN THE
CITY.
PRITHVI HIGHWAY
CONNECTING INDIA
NAYA BAZAAR
CONNECTING NEPAL
Bhagmati
Bishnumati
Dhobikhola
CITY IS LOCATED WITHIN THE VALLEY’S BHAGMATI RIVER SYSTEM OF WHICH
EIGHT TRIBUTARIES DRAIN THE CITY.
BHAGMATI RIVER SYSTEM HAS BEEN THE MAIN SOURCE OF WATER FOR
DRINKING , IRRIGATION & HOLDS RELIGIOUS, CULTURAL& SOCIAL VALUE.
LINKAGES

5. HISTORY, GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
DEVOLOPMENT OF
INDO- TIBET TRADE
ROUTE.
HISTORICAL EVIDENCES
PROVES THE EXISTANCE OF
TOWNS FROM THIS PERIOD
INTRODUCTION OF HINDU
BASED CASTE SYSTEM & THE 4
CLASSIFICATION OF LAND.
ORIGIN – LEGENDARY DRAINING OF THE KATHMANDU VALLEY WAS A GREAT LAKE. A CHINESE SAINT,
MANJUSHREE HAD CUT A PASSAGE THROUGH THE RIDGE AT THE CHOBAR GORGE, SOUTH OF
KATHMANDU,& THUS MADE THE VALLEY’S BOTTOM HABITABLE.
•FOUR CATEGORIES OF LAND-ABBAL(HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE),DOYAM(MEDIUM PRODUCTIVE),
SIM(PRODUCTIVE) & CHAHAR(LESS PRODUCTIVE)
•MALLA’S PERIOD ENDED IN 18TH CENTURY AFTER THE EXPANDED TOWN HAD BEEN DIVIDED INTO 3
KINDOMS;KATHMANDU, PATAN, BHAKTAPUR.
•EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS IN URBAN PLANNING, ARCHITECTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIO-
CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS FOR URBAN MANAGEMENT.
•SURVIVING URBAN ELEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE KATHMANDU METROPOLITAN IS OF
MALLA’S PERIOD.
MALLA’S REIGN -13th century
PRITHVINARAYAN SHAH-Gorkha king(1769 A.D)
•CONQUERED THE 3 SISTER CITIES & DECLARED KATHMANDU AS ITS CAPITAL.CITY DEVELOPED AS MAIN
ADMINISTRATIVE & POLITICAL CENTRE OF THE COUNTRY.
•BUILT PALACES IN THE PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE CITY PERIPHERY.
•EVENTUALLY NEW SETTLEMENTS AROUND PALACES SINCE THEY OFFERED BASIC AMENITIES –WATER
ELECTRICITY, GOODS & ROADS.
•THUS BEGAN THE PROCESS OF SUB-URBANISATION OF KATHMANDU & ENCROACHMENT ON PRODUCTIVE
AGRICULTURAL LAND.
JUNG BAHADUR KUNWAR-Rana Regime(1845-1950)

6. HISTORY, GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION
ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE KATHMANDU VALLEY SAYS
THAT IT WAS A HUGE LAKE WHICH WAS SETTLED
AFTER DRAINING AWAY ALL THE WATER THROUGH
CHOBHAR GORGE BY A CHINESE SAINT. EARLY
SETTLEMENTS WERE AROUND VERY FEW PLACES.
TOWNSHIPS DEVELOPED AND FLOURISHED
THROUGH INDO-NEPAL-TIBET TRADE. THOUGH
MANY SMALL TOWNS WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE
SECOND CENTURY A.D. AND URBAN CENTERS BY THE
11TH CENTURY, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS,
URBANIZATION OF THE VALLEY COMMENCED IN THE
LATE 1950S, ACCELERATING DURING THE 1970S.
AGRICULTURE
BUILT UP
FOREST

7. URBAN DENSITY
HIGH DENSITY

8. KATHMANDU-DEMOGRAPHY
DISTRICT 1991 % OF TOTAL 2001 % OF TOTAL ANNUAL
POPULATION POPULATION GROWTH
LALITPUR 257086 1.39 337785 1.46 2.73
BHAKTAPUR 17295 0.94 225461 0.97 2.65
KATHMANDU 675341 3.65 1081845 4.67 4.71
TOTAL 1105379 5.98 1645091 7.1 4.06
DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION BY DISTRICT
DISTRICT AREA IN SQ.KM 1981 1991 2001
LALITPUR 385 479 670 877
BHAKTAPUR 119 1343 1453 1895
KATHMANDU 395 1069 1710 2739
TOTAL 899 852 1230 1830
POPULATION DENSITY BY DISTRICT

9. CITY STRUCTURE

10. LAND USE MAP

11. AREA IN HECTARE
LAND USE CLASS 1989 1999 2006
AGRICULTURE 13350 12944 14420
BARE SOIL 17434 23742 21140
BUILT UP 2454 4366 5732
FOREST 28044 28366 31509
OPEN AREA 26266 18680 15267
WATER 943 393 423
TOTAL 88491 88491 88491
CHANGE IN LAND USE

12. LAND REUSE CLASSIFICATION
ARE IN HECTARES
LAND USE CLASS 1989 1999 2006
BUILT UP 2454 4366 5372
NON BUILT UP 86037 84125 82759
TOTAL 88491 88491 88491

13. LAND USE CHANGE

14. FIRST PHYSICAL DEVOLOPMENT PLAN IN KATHMANDU(1969)
AIMED TO PRESERVE HERITAGE & GUIDE
URBAN DEVOLOMENT THROUGH LANDUSE
PLANNING TO PREVENT SPRAWL IN CITY
FRINGE & ENSURE SETTLEMENT
DENSIFICATION.
STRATERGY- BY REINFORCING
TRANSPORTATION LINKAGES .NKAGE OF
DISPERSED SETTLEMENT ,CONTINUATION OF
EXISTANCE GROWTH TENDENCIES OF
KATHMANDU –PATAN COMPLEX & THE
BIPOLAR DEVOLOPMENT OF BHAKTAPUR BY
REINFORCING TRANSPORTAION LINKAGES .
TOWN DEVOLOPMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
1972,FORMULATED 3 BROAD ZONING,CITY
CORE (ZONE A )KATHMANDU& LALITPUR (ZONE
B ), BHAKTAPUR(ZONE C).LED TO THE
DEVOLOMENT OF RING ROAD ,SIGNIFICANTLY
ACCELERATED URBANISATION.PLANS WERE
RELUCTANT TO ADDRESS LONG TERM
PROBLEMS.
NEW STRUCTURAL PLAN-UNDP& WORLD BANK 1987 AIMED TO PROVIDE
GUIDELINES FOR PHYSICAL DEVOLOPMENT OF METROPOLITAN REGION
FOR YEAR 2010.
MAJOR POLITICAL SITUATION PLAN WAS SHELVED.
1991,INTEGRATED PLANS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN NEW DEMOCRATIC
ENVIROMENTFOCUSED ON PERPHERAL AREA OUTSIDE RING ROAD,AREA
BEYOND BOUNDARY RECOMMENDATION RELATED TO LANDUSE(LAND
POOLING) & INFRASTRUCTURE.
PROPOSAL – PLANNING MODERN KATHMANDU

15. CHALLENGES IN URBAN PLANNING AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• THE PRESENT DEVELOPMENT TREND LEADING TO HAPHAZARD GROWTH OR HORIZONTAL
EXPANSION OF CITY.
• ENCROACHMENT ON AGRICULTURAL LAND AND OPEN SPACES.
• LIMITED URBAN AREA ( DEFINED BOUNDARY OF SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS).
• HIGH CONSIDERATION FOR EARTHQUAKE RESISTANCE VERY ESSENTIAL IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
• INDIVIDUAL OWNER BUILDER ACQUIRES PLOT OF LAND,ORGANISES, MANAGES & SUPERVISES HOUSE CONSTRUCTION IN THE ABSENCE
OF INSTITUTIONAL FINANCE.
• SRUNG OF VARIETY OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES LED TO INFLUX OF TRANSIENT POPLUTION .THEREFORE INCREASE DEMAND FOR CHEAP
RENTAL HOUSING IN THE OLD CITY.
• RIPPING OF OLD COURTYARDS TO MAKE NEW BUILDINGS WITH MORE SPACE.
• SQUATTER HOUSING IS A LARGER PHENONMENON IN RURAL AREA OF TERAI WHERE PUBLICLY OWNED FOREST LAND ALONG
HIGHWAYS PROVIDED SQUATTING AREA FOR MIGRANTS FROM HILLS
UNPLANNED URBANISATION
HOUSING AND RENTALS
• VERTICAL EXPANSION IN BUILDINGS WITH STRUCTURALLY SAFE CONSTRUCTION.
• REVISION OF PRESENT LAND USE PLAN AND CORRESPONDING ZONING PLAN AND BUILDING BYE-LAWS.
• PREVENT ENCROACHMENT ON VACANT LANDS FOR EVACUATION PURPOSES / PROVIDING EMERGENCY CAMPS DURING
DISASTERS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• PROMOTE LAND POOLING / LAND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
• DEVELOP RIVER CORRIDORS AS SPACES FOR RECREATION AND GREENERY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
• PROMOTE GROUP HOUSING / APARTMENTS TO DISCOURAGE FRAGMENTATION OF LAND AND UNCONTROLLED
HORIZONTAL EXPANSION

16. SUSTAINABILITY AUDIT
LAND AIR WATER
TRANSPORTATION FLORA/FAUNA CLIMATE
• ALTITUDE : 1300 M ABOVE SEA LEVEL
• AREA OF ABOUT 665 SQ.KM.
• BETWEEN 1984 AND 1998 6300 HA
OF FERTILE LAND WERE LOST TO
URBANIZATION, INDUSTRILIZATION
AND QUARRYING OF SAND , SOIL AND
STONE.
• ABOUT 43% OF VALLEY PRODUCTIVE
LAND WILL BE LOST TO THE URBAN
SPRAWL BY THE END OF 2010.
• BOWL SHAPED TOPOGRAPHY WHICH
RESTRICT AIR MOVEMENT.
• THE SITUATION IS WORSEN DURING
WINTER WHEN TEMPERATURE
INVERSION DURING THE NIGHT AND
EARLY MORNING TRAPS A LAYER OF
COOL AIR UNDER A LAYER OF
WARMER AIR TRAPING POLLUTANTS
CLOSE TO THE GROUND LEVEL.
• BESIDES THE TOPOGRAPHY THE
RELATIVELY HIGH ELEVATION OF THE
VALLEY ALSO RESULTS IN INCREASED
VEHICULAR EMISSION.
• TRADITIONAL WATER SPOUTS 237 IN
KTHMANDU.
• WATER SUPPLIED THROUGH “RAJ
KULOS” FOR IRRIGATION AND
DOMESTIC PURPOSE.
• THE SPOUTS ARE DRYING UP
BECAUSE OF MODERN
CONSTRUCTION AND FALLING WATER
LEVEL.
• THE WATER IN VALLEY CONTAINS
HIGH AMOUNT OF IRON.
• THE NO. OF VEHICLES IN KATHMANDU
IS GROWING AT THE RATE OF 12% PER
YEAR ALMOST THRICE THE
POPULATION GROWTH RATE.
• IT IS RESULTING IN TRAFFIC
CONGESTION AND AIR POLLUTION.
• THE VALLEY HAS 20,945 HA OF
FOREST, ABOUT 32.7% OF THE TOTAL
AREA OF VALLEY.
• THE NATURAL VEGETATION IS UNDER
EXTREME PRESSURE.
• SCRUBLAND OCCUPIES NEARLY 34%
OF TOTAL FOREST AREA.
• SUBTROPICAL AND TEMPERATE.
• MEAN MONTHLY MAXIMUM: 29.30 C
• MEAN MONTHLY MINIMUM:16.50 C
• DIURNAL TEMPERATURE RANGE:10.90 C
• RALATIVE HUMIDITY: 36 % AND 100%.

17. VISUAL ELEMENTS OF URBAN
CITY DESIGNAxis
City Edges
Gateways
Streetscape
City Graphics
Urban Adjuncts
Night view of Hindu temples in Durbar Square
Rugs,guides, massages and beer for salein Thamel backpacker district Handicrafts on sale to tourists in Durbar Square
Bicycle market stand on Boudha Road
Nine kilometer stone sign
Bus stop sign
View of a street in Kathmandu A busy street in Thamel Thamel
Crowded Kathmandu

18. VISUAL ELEMENTS OF URBAN
CITY DESIGN Landscape
Landmark Buildings
Squares
Bridges
Parking
Towers
09
Curious monkey in window of Swayambhunath Buddhist Temple
Patan Durbar Square with octagonal Krishna Temple in foreground
Night view of Hindu temples in Durbar Square
Ratna park Central bus station
Tuk Tuk on Boudha Road
Tuk Tuk graveyard with children playing
Clock Tower
People bathing in the Bagmati river -Pashupatinath area
Nepali style house with a bridge
Durbar Square
Stupa of Boudhanath
Maru sattal street
Maru sattal
Row of small gompas- The kopan Monastery
Boudhanath Stupa
Kumari Ghar (Home of the Living Goddess) at Kathmandu Durbar Square Bakhtapur Durbar Square
Swayambhunath Stupa A Hindu temple in Bakhtapur Durbar Square
bridge across Bagmati River
Statue of Hanuman at Kathmandu Durbar Square

20. ALLOWING FOR MIXED LAND USE AND
PRODUCTION AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES
LOCALLY.
STEPWISE INTENSIFICATION OF LANDUSE.
FREEHOLD, INDIVIDUAL OWNERSHIP.
MIXED LANDUSE WITH INCREASING DENSITY WILL
LEAD TO DANGER OF POLLUTION.
UNCONTROLLED END RESULT.
HIGH, UNCONTROLLED LAND PRICES FOR
FREEHOLD LAND.
GIVES VALLEY WIDE FLEXIBILITY TO LOCATE TO
VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AREAS.
AREA AND COMMUNITY BASED UPGRADING.
DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE LEASE SYSTEM.
THREATENS A REGULATED LANDUSE WITH ZONING
FOR MORE POLLUTING ACTIVITIES AND FOR
IRRIGATED ARABLE LAND.
THREATENS NATIONAL INTEREST OF LANDUSE
PLANNING OF CAPITAL REGION.
OVERALL, SPECULATIVE ALND MARKET. LOSS OF
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC LAND RESOURCES.
SWOT