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Kautilya’s Arthashastra is considered to be a comprehensive treatise and addresses those entire essential fundamentals specific to the practices of design and development of human settlements. He defines a hierarchy of urban centers and their administrative divisions. So as to ensure a bare minimum quality of life, he recommends different sizes of towns based on the available natural resources and also defines limits to their expansions.  

Kautilya’s Arthashastra is considered to be a comprehensive treatise and addresses those entire essential fundamentals specific to the practices of design and development of human settlements. He defines a hierarchy of urban centers and their administrative divisions. So as to ensure a bare minimum quality of life, he recommends different sizes of towns based on the available natural resources and also defines limits to their expansions.  

He recommended different types of land uses as we see in the picture below.

He recommended different types of land uses viz. Cart shed, Storage shed, threshing floor, vegetable garden, irrigated land, dry cultivation, pasture.(3.9.25).

 

 

The chancellor was expected to keep precise and detailed records of land use and anticipated revenue, helped by magistrates and secret agents (2.36.1-4). The Pattern of Kautiliya land use is explained by L.N.Rangarajan in his book Kautilya The Arthashastra as follows:<ref>L.N.Rangarajan (1992), [https://books.google.co.in/books?id=FFJz72h5qjUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=true Kautilya The Arthashastra], Penguin Books.</ref>

Some interesting points raised by the Arthasastra include:

Some interesting points raised by the Arthasastra include:

Nowadays, as a result of technological advancements, integration of societies and economies of the world, planning of cities and regions has become very complex. Professionally trained planners are therefore needed in order to evolve new options for the development and management of human settlements. This applies not only to the planning of metropolitan areas but also to small cities, towns and villages. Drawing from the sophisticated and planet friendly paradigms of ancient India will greatly benefit the planners and policy makers of today.

Nowadays, as a result of technological advancements, integration of societies and economies of the world, planning of cities and regions has become very complex. Professionally trained planners are therefore needed in order to evolve new options for the development and management of human settlements. This applies not only to the planning of metropolitan areas but also to small cities, towns and villages. Drawing from the sophisticated and planet friendly paradigms of ancient India will greatly benefit the planners and policy makers of today.