The first Master Plan for Delhi was prepared by the Albert Mayer led Ford Foundation team along with TPO (Town Planning Organization). The master plan in Delhi is formulated and based on the provisions of the Delhi Development Act, 1957. The strategy of MPD-1962 focussed on thinning the densities within the old city and gradually increasing densities in New Delhi and Civil Lines. MPD-1962 set out a developmental vision of large-scale acquisition and development of land. The aim was to ensure that the envisaged spatial pattern of development and use of land would conform with the development plan and, thereby, infrastructure services would be lied out to match the same. MPD-1962 set the tone for development of the region by assigning population within the region and proposed development of 6 ring towns (Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Bahadurgarh, Loni and Narela).
MPD 1962 focussed on the following key areas:
- Delhi emerged from poor health conditions and overcrowded Old City and growing environmental issues.
- Delhi should be planned in the context of its region.
- For balanced development of the city and minimum friction, there should be decentralisation of employment and its right relationship with residential areas.
- While guiding development in new areas along desirable lines, those areas that have healthy organic pattern must be conserved by checking the encroachment of undesirable and conflicting land uses.
- Delhi is a beautiful city and its pleasing architecture should not confine to the monumental civic and cultural centres but should pervade the design of all public and private buildings.