SPATIAL PLANNING IN BHUTAN
USING THE LAND POOLING TOOL

(5th Spatial Planning Platform Conference)

Kinzang Deki, Deputy Chief Urban Planner, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, BHUTAN

02.02.2023

INTRODUCTION
38,394KM2
POPULATION: 763,249
URBAN POP.: ~50%
TOTAL LAND:

Land PoolingandReadjustment
Regulation
Reviewed

Land PoolingandReadjustment
Guidelines

Regional CenterStructure Plan –LUCs

2021

Comprehensiv
e National
Development
Plan with JICA
supportLand Pooling
Regulations

Class A& B
Thromdedeclared by theParliament
2010

2009

LocalGovernment Act2019

SpatialPlanningStandards andNationalHumanSettlement
Strategy

Thimphu
Structure Plan
prepared
2001

1999

Municipal Act

Bhutan National
Urbanization
Strategy

2018

SpatialPlanning Bill2017

16 Dzongkhag
Thromdes and20 yenlag
Thromdesdeclared

4 small scale
town
development
plans by
Helvetas andDUDH

2008

Thromde Act

2016

2015

2 Regional
Hub plans andvalley plans

2014

1984
Thimphu
Structure Plan
Approved

NUDC and UN
Habitat Project 14 Urban
Development
Plans(DzongkhagTowns)

2007

DUDES: Local
Areas Plans ofseveralDzongkhag
towns

2004

2003

1962

Thimphu andPhuentsholingdeclared as
Municipal areas

1961

First Five YearPlan

1988

URBANIZATION IN BHUTAN

Review of TSP
andInfrastructure
Master Plans for
Capital CitySPATIAL PLANNING FRAMEWORKInstitutional framework
1. National level:
land use plan/ zoning

2. Regional level:
covering 2 or more Dzongkhags

3. Local level:
valley plan, structure plan or LAP
Order of precedence (planning sequence)
Order of priority (plan provisions)

Legal framework
National
Human
Settlements
PolicyHuman
Settlements
Strategy

SpatialPlanning Act

Settlement strategy
Planning procedures
SpatialPotential dev. Planning regulations
Planning Act
Programs/ activities Planning standards
Invstmnt. directions Planning guidelines

COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Western Region
Business and CommercialRegion

Central-westernRegion
Agro-production
and R&D Region

Central-easternRegion

Eastern Region

Tradition andInteractionRegion

Science and IncubationRegion

NortherRegion
HighlandSymbiosis Region

Knowledge andCultural Region
CentralRegion

SouthernRegion
Economic Advanced Region

National Spatial Structure

5

LAND MOBILIZATION MECHANISMSLAND ACQUISITION• Used to plan the first towns in1990s• Discontinued as it became
unpopular due to equity issues
and displacement of landowners(KHURUTHANG TOWN, BAJO TOWN,DEKILING TOWN)LAND POOLING• Used as an alternative tool forlap preparation since early 2000
• Today almost all laps preparedusing land pooling(RANGJUNG LAP, LAPs IN THIMPHU, DEBSI
LAP, SAMTSE LAP, TSIRANG LAPS,BUMTHANG LAP, ETC)GUIDED LANDDEVELOPMENT• Used as an alternative tool wherelandpooling is not feasible inbuilt-up areas(JUNGSHINA LAP, SHERUBLING LAP,JOMOTSHANGKHA LAP
6

LAND POOLING FRAMEWORKIRREGULAR
PLOTS

4412

UnifiedInfrastructure
Planning andReplotting

4d Reserve Plots

4aRoad andFootpaths

4bParks and openspaceand4c Amenities
Services132
REGULAR
PLOTS

37

LAND POOLING BACKGROUNDREGULATORY FRAMEWORKFirst introduced in 1990s as analternative tool to land acquisition

National sustainable human settlement
policy 2018

Uses simple area-based method for landpooling contribution (land value is notconsidered) differential land pooling
contribution initiated to take equity intoconsideration

Land act 2007

Used for planning almost all planned
areas in the country

Land poolingregulations 2018

andreadjustment

Most preferred land mobilization toolas it is simple and does not displace theoriginal landowners

Land pooling
guidelines 2019

andreadjustment

Local government act 2009
Spatial planning bill
Land pooling regulations 2009

LAND POOLING IN BHUTAN

LAND POOLING EXAMPLEPANBANG LAPPrecinct

LP RateDCR

UC-129%-3 Floors, 2 floor of commercial use, 50% plot coverage

Services and Amenities: 2.20%

UC-227%-2 floors, 1floor of commercial use, 50% plot coverage

UV-126%-2 floors, 0.5 floor of commercial us, 45% plot coverage

Land Pooling Contribution: 26.8%

UV-225%-2 floors, all residential use, 40% plot coverage

UV-323%E-4

15%-2 floors, all residential use, 30% plot coverage
10-1 floor, agri-based, 20% plot coverage

Road and Pathways: 16.42%
Parks and Open Spaces: 8.18%

CHALLENGES
Lack of capacity especially at the local
governents
Lack of funds to implement landpooling projects
Legalprovisions
inhibits
fundgeneration through sale of reserve plots Current land pooling practices doesn’t
fully consider the inequity issues createdthrough landuse planningLand pooling contribution ceiling of30%
Public consultation and awarenessOPPORTUNITIESExplore the feasibility of self-financing
mechanism and amend provisions in theland act 2007
Use value-based method to create
more equity in our land pooling practiceCollaborate with international partners
to create local capacity
Review the land pooling contribution
ceiling in lprr 2018
Carry out research into bhutanese landpooling practice to improve it for thecurrent time and age

THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME

Kinzang Deki, Deputy Chief Urban Planner, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, BHUTAN

02.02.2023