Master development plan

A master development plan, called nazım imar planı in Turkey, sets out the broad direction of growth for a city or a large urban district. It shows land-use zones such as housing, commerce, industry and green space, the density tiers for those zones, the main road network and major public facilities. It is drawn on base maps at a smaller scale than the implementation plan.

What it does and does not tell you

A master plan does not set building conditions plot by plot. It answers the question “what will happen here?” From it you can see whether a site falls in a residential or commercial zone, or whether a main road is planned nearby. Detailed decisions such as block layout, building arrangement and buildable values belong to the implementation zoning plan, which must follow the master plan. The two plans have to be consistent; the detailed plan cannot overturn the master plan’s decisions.

Why architects read it

On a larger project, such as a housing development or a mixed-use scheme, the zoning certificate alone may not be enough. The master plan’s land-use and density decisions also hint at how the surroundings will change: what the empty plot next door may become, or where a future school or park will sit. In feasibility and massing studies for investors, that context lets the project be presented honestly within its future neighbourhood.