- Special Primary Residential
Zone
- Primary Residential Zone
- Commercial Zone
- Mixed Development
Zone (offices, Apartments, Entertainment & shops)
- Concentrated Development
Zone
(Finance/Hotels/Apartments etc.) (CBD)
- Port related activity Zone
- Environmental Conservation Zone
- Recreational Zone
In
the zoning plan an area of approximately 500 Ha. have been designated to accommodate
port related activities. This is the first time that a zone has been exclusively
designated for port related activities even though Colombo was started as a seaport
and the national and international importance of Colombo is essentially due to
the port.
Another feature
in the proposed zoning plan is the reduction of land under primary
residential. Even though the total land area designated for residential
purpose has been reduced, the quality of the environment in areas
designated for residential development use and the total building
space available for residential have increased. (Map
15)
Special primary residential
zone has also been identified where buildings of more than 3 floors may not be
permitted under normal circumstances (The details for each zone is mentioned in
part II).
The Core Area
has been divided into seven categories in terms of density criteria
adopted by the plan. The category of the highest density must
have at least a minimum of 10 floors. There is no limitation on
the maximum number of floors. The category with the lowest density
will have an upper limitation of three floors. The highest density
in the City will be restricted to the concentrated Development
zone, which is the Central Business District (CBD), and the mixed
development zone which extend from Kollupitiya to Wellawatte between
Galle Road & Duplication Road.(Map
16)
The nodal points located within
the city have been included in the second highest density category which allows
maximum 20 floors and minimum 8 floors. There are 3 such nodal points within the
city.
Nearly 60% of the area of
the city of Colombo falls within the category of maximum 10 floors and minimum
2 floors. This area extends from North of Colombo to the Southern boundary of
the City, excluding high density zone and the special primary residential zone.
The area around Horton Place
is defined as a Special primary Residential. In this zone, the maximum number
of floors will be limited to this.
This strategy
has been adopted to maximise the land use in strategic locations
and at the same time to maintain mixed development with a varying
degree of building heights (Table
11).
With the concentration
of the tallest and modern buildings, the high density zone will rise above the
city and, in the background of the Indian Ocean, it will give a spectacular and
panoramic view of the modern City of Colombo.
Open
spaces, Green Belts and recreational areas have also become part of the density
clarification. There have been considered important to enhance the service beauty
of the City. (Figures 8 & Figure 9)
